The Tri-City Americans are the second-hottest team in the WHL in 2016 and kept the fire stoked Saturday in Kennewick, Wash., smoking the Prince George Cougars 7-2.
Four unanswered goals in the third period broke open a close game as the Americans handed the slumping Cougars their ninth loss in 11 games.
Parker Bowles and Jordan Topping each scored twice for the Americans (30-28-2-1), while Morgan Geekie, Vladislav Lukin and Nolan Yaremko also scored on goalie Nick McBride. The Americans posted a 15-8-1-0 record in January and February. Only the Victoria Royals have compiled more points than Tri-City this year.
Chase Witala and Brad Morrison were the goalscorers for the Cougars (33-26-3-1), who are now just three points ahead of the Kamloops Blazers for third place in the WHL's B.C. Division.
The game was tied 1-1 midway through the second period when Cougars winger Colby McAuley broke down the right wing with the puck and put a shot past Americans goalie Nicholas Sanders. But the goal was waived off when the officials called McAuley for goaltender interference. The Americans failed to score while McAuley was in the box but four seconds after the penalty expired Geekie took a pass at the side of the net and snapped the puck past McBride.
The Cougars tied it five minutes later when Morrison potted the rebound of McAuley's shot from the point, but with just 46 seconds left in the second period, Topping pounced on a rebound in front and while spinning swept the puck into the Cougar cage for a 3-2 lead.
Bowles and Topping each counted their second goals of the game on Tri-City power plays in the third period to put the game out of reach, ensuring the Cougars would end their four-game road trip with a disappointing 1-3 record. Shots were 38-30 in favour of the Americans.
"I thought for 40 minutes we were a better team," said Cougars assistant coach Roman Vopat, in the post-game broadcast. "We score a goal and it was disallowed and we ended up with a penalty and the coaching staff didn't understand the call. It was an unlucky break and at the end of the period they score to make it 3-2, and after that it was an undisciplined and awful 20 minutes.
"Our goalie was being run pretty much three or four times a period and nothing is being called and I understand how finally our players lose their patience. It's very frustrating for the coaching staff and I can't imagine how frustrating it is for our players."
The Americans went 2-for-5 on the power play while the Cougars were scoreless in four opportunities.
Tri-City won three of four games this season against the Cougars, including a 4-1 win last Tuesday. The Cougars then lost 1-0 to the Spokane Chiefs on Wednesday, then rebounded with a 6-0 win in Spokane Friday night.
"In the third period the travel and the schedule caught up to us," said Vopat. "We're very young on the back end and missing key guys (regulars Sam Ruopp, Shaun Dosanjh and Josh Anderson were all injured and did not play), but it's not an excuse. The rest of the guys have to step up their game. I thought we would come in the third and dominate and turn things around but the total opposite happened."
The Cougars will get a day to practice Monday to prepare for a two-game set with the Vancouver Giants Tuesday and Wednesday at CN Centre.
"Those are huge games, the last two at home we lost to them (Jan. 2nd and 3rd) so I think it's got to be a payback," said Vopat. "Hopefully the mistakes we made, we're not going to make on Tuesday and Wednesday and hopefully we're ready to go."
The Blazers lost 4-3 to Seattle Sunday afternoon in Kamloops and are fourth in the B.C. Division, three points behind the Cougars. Kamloops (29-24-5-4) has 10 games left in the season while the Cougars are down to their last nine.
