Tri-Cities Downs Winter Hawks, 7-3

Tri-Cities outshot the Hawks 18-6 in the second period for a 37-12 shot advantage through 40 minutes.

Salem-News.com SPORTS

PORTLAND - Aaron Boogaard, a noted tough guy whose older brother plays for the Minnesota Wild, scored 3 goals and offensive catalyst Colton Yellow Horn had 2 goals as the Tri-City Americans beat the Portland Winter Hawks 7-3 Friday in front of 7,563 in the Rose Garden.

Nick Hotson had 2 goals for Portland, which was under siege most of the game as the Americans outshot Portland 52-22, Hawks’ goalie Kurtis Mucha with 45 saves.

The Hawks trailed 4-3 with 10:24 left in the second period, but with Tri-Cities spending most of the game inside the Hawks’ blue line, it was a matter of time.

Portland, (14-29-1-1), has lost 3 in a row and now travels to Seattle tomorrow, Saturday, at 7:05 PM.

The Hawks are in Everett Wednesday at 7:05 PM and Everett is in Memorial Coliseum for a 7:30 PM game next Friday.

The Hawks are also in town next Saturday, hosting the Chilliwack Bruins for “Mascot Hockey Night” with a 7:30 PM face off in the Coliseum.

Tri-Cities, (26-16-0-1), won its second straight to get within 1 point of second place in a tie for third in the U.S. Division, with 3 games in hand on second place Seattle and 2 games in hand on Spokane.

Tri-Cities had not played since an impressive 4-1 win in Kamloops last Sunday, a team that had put together an 8-game winning streak and is threatening to overskate Vancouver for the top spot in the B.C. Division.

Tri-Cities really shored up its blue line at the January 10th roster deadline, getting former Kamloops defenseman Roman Tesliuk, a Russian overage who had been playing minor pro hockey.

They also picked up the services of 19-year-old T.J. Fast, a 2nd round draft choice of the LA Kings, who decided to leave the University of Denver.

Fast was originally listed by Vancouver, but chose the NCAA.

Now, he is hoping for a strong finish with Tri-Cities this season to convince the Kings they should sign him to a pro contract.

The Americans have a high powered offense with quite a bit of depth, led by veteran 19-year-old Colton Yellow Horn, acquired from Lethbridge over the summer for a 1st round choice in the WHL Bantam Draft.

Yellow Horn is tied for 9th in league scoring and has been particularly hard on Portland, netting 12 points in 6 games coming into Friday.

It is all backed by 1st round NHL pick Carey Price in goal, who had not played a single game against Portland this season until Friday night.

The Hawks scratched Colton Sceviour (broken foot), Tristan King (unknown), and first year 16-year-old defenseman Ty Ariss, who is almost certainly out for the season with a collapsed lung.

Tri-Cities scratched defensemen Jarrett Toll (broken jaw), and Brock Cornish (ankle) and forward Michael Kaye (knee).

Portland came into the game (3-3-1) in its last 7 games, but stinging from a 7-4 loss Monday to Spokane that did not feature the same level of intensity that the Hawks have shown most games, even when they don’t win.

Everyone expects wins to be tough to come by for a team with 14 rookies, 7 16-year-olds and 7 17-year-olds, but the expectation is a higher level of proficiency than the hearty Hawks’ fans saw on Monday.

Tri-Cities came out on the attack immediately, led by a new look of more team quickness with speedy, skilled T.J. Fast leading rushes through center ice.

Portland had a great deal of difficulty handling Tri-Cities’ quickness to the puck on their forecheck and the Ams dominated territorial play, outshooting Portland 19-6 in the first period.

Their first goal was a bit of a lucky bounce as Boogaard zinged the puck out of the right corner with traffic in front of the net, and it bounced in off Portland goalie Kurtis Mucha’s pad at 4:48.

Boogaard, who now has 6 of his 8 goals this season in games when he visits Portland, scored a nice one at 6:45.

Tanner Gillies’ backpass from below the goal line was intended for Kruise Reddick in the low slot, but found Boogaard about 10 feet further from the net. He snapped a quick forehand to make it 2-0.

Portland came back as Hotson hustled into the corner with a second effort to win possession and then went to the net as Matt Schmermund’s entry pass hit a Tri-Cites defender, Hotson there to slip home a neat backhand at 9:58.

But, the celebration didn’t last as Tri-Cities’ forecheck forced numerous Portland turnovers in its own end.

Fast scored on the power play, penetrating the high slot and ripping a shot into the net with Taylor Procyshen in Mucha’s face.

The Hawks game back again as 16-year-old Chip Petrino made a good chip pass through the neutral zone and then led the forecheck. His pressure led to the puck coming to Langwieder at the right point.

He pulled the trigger quickly, with a Tri-Cities defenseman in front of Price restricting his vision as it sailed over his shoulder to get the Hawks back to within 3-2 after one.

The Americans kept the heat on in the second period, pinning Portland’s defenseman below the goal line and getting numerous two on one’s to support the puck, win possession and force poor passes up the boards.

Mucha had to make a couple of big saves in tight, two on Yellow Horn, one on Joel Broda, and he also stopped Boogaard in the low slot too. But, eventually, when the puck is in your zone for long stretches, odds are it will find its way into your net sooner or later.

At 3:56, Juraj Valach’s shot from the right point produced a deep-angle rebound and ex-Hawk Alex Aldred filed it to make it 4-2.

Portland bounced back again, taking full advantage of the small amount of attack zone time they were able to get.

Matt Schmermund flew in behind the net and was in the perfect spot as goaltender Carey Price fanned on his outlet pass.

Schmermund found Hotson all alone, cutting right to the crease, for a slam dunk and the Hawks were back within one again, 4-3, on the power play goal at 9:36.

Yellow Horn spent a lot of time using his acceleration to cause grief for Portland’s defenders throughout the game and led quite a few of Tri-Cities' long forechecking shifts.

He was rewarded with an important insurance goal as Valach fired from the point again, Yellow Horn planting a short rebound as he was going down in front of Mucha, to make it 5-3 after two periods.

Boogaard completed his hat trick on the power play at 3:17 of the third period, putting a nifty backhand from the slot in on Mucha’s pad, followed it to the net, and finished off the rebound.

Yellow Horn completed the scoring at 6:37 on a 4-on-4 situation as Matt Swaby fired a point shot that hit something in front and when that happens, Yellow Horn has a knack for being in the right spot at the right time.

Matt Schmermund and Teegan Moore both had good chances on a late Portland power play, Schmermund robbed by Price’s left pad and Moore was unable to pull the trigger on a short rebound of a nice Cameron Cepek entry shot.

Adding comments to these stories has been disabled. View the current sports stories Salem-News Sports