The Tri-City Americans fell in a heartbreaking fashion after a late goal on Presidents Day Monday Afternoon in Kelowna. Jari Kykkanen had a incredible game in the net, making 34 saves to hand Kelowna the victory.
Kelowna started scoring on the Monday Matinee at 6:11 in the first period.
Hiroki Gojsic retrieved the puck on the boards and spun around quickly. Gojsic flipped the puck over to Michael Cicek, who was left all alone up close and personal with American goalie Kyle Kelsey. Cicek quickly traversed to his backhand and flipped it by Kyle Kelsey’s shoulder.
Tri-City answered with a goal of their own five minutes after the Cicek goal at 11:04 during four-on-four play.
Parker Bell hit the Seattle Kraken draft pick Lukas Dragicevic with a soft pass in the American zone, and Dragicevic got to work. Dragicevic skated into the Rocket’s zone from center ice and into the slot. Dragicevic then let go of a screamer of a wrist shot that went bardown on Jari Kykkanen to even things up at one a side.
Shots after one period of play were 15-7 in favor of Tri-City, and the game was all even at one a side heading into the second period.
The Rockets started scoring again, this time at 3:33 on the power play on a goal Tri-City would like to have back for the lone goal of the second period.
Jordan Gavin skated in on a two-on-two with Jake Sloan. Gavin stopped, skated into the slot, and fanned a shot.
Hiroki Gojsic picked up the gift from Gavin and fired a headman pass to Luke Schelter, who had snuck by the two American defenders standing at center ice for a breakaway. Schelter then blew the puck by the glove of the helpless American goalie Kyle Kelsey.
The second period would be relatively quiet after the Schelter goal. Shots after two periods of play were 24-16 in favor of Tri-City. Kelowna also led 2-1 after two periods of play.
Parker Bell put on the work boots and grabbed some luck on the way out the door to tie the game in Kelowna just under seven minutes into the third period unassisted.
Bell with the puck down low on the boards escaped numerous Rocket defenders and worked the puck out to the right faceoff circle. Bell then fired a backhander that slowly trickled through Kykkanen’s five-hole.
Brandon Whynott would make an ample mistake that would cost the Americans at least a point with just fourteen seconds left in regulation.
Whynott began to head off for a change but failed to see the Kelowna breakout, and Tij Iginla skated right past Whynott for a breakaway. Iginla went backhand and snuck the puck around the outstretched pad of Kyle Kelsey to make it 3-2 Kelowna.
With their loss, Tri-City move to 21-31-2-1 on the season. Tri-City will head home for a four-game homestand that begins against the Moose Jaw Warriors on Friday, Feb. 23rd. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m.
Northwest Sports Desk 