Americans Down Bruins in Shootout

February 5, 2008

by Steve Ewen - The Province

The Tri City Americans moved to 7-10-1-1 when trailing after two periods with a 5-4 shootout road win Tuesday night over the Chilliwack Bruins at Prospera Centre.

Winger Radek Meidl scored the shootout winner on Tri-City's seventh shot and then Americans goalie Chet Pickard clinched the victory by stopping Chilliwack winger Ryan Howse.

Meidl, at 11:44 of the third, and Tri-City defenceman T.J. Fast, on a two-man advantage at 17:53, erased a 4-2 Chilliwack lead.

The Bruins move to 16-1-0-1 when leading after two periods with the defeat.

They've lost all four meetings with Tri-City (39-12-1-2) this season by one goal.

Chilliwack (23-24-3-3) had thought they had won the game when Oscar Moller fired a shot past Pickard right just as the buzzer was sounding to end the five-minute overtime session, but, after some deliberation, referee Matt Kirk ruled that the Bruins star centre's try was too late.

The crowd of 3,771 jeered Kirk after that.

The Bruins also survived a high-sticking penalty to centre Brandon Campos in the extra frame.

Goaltender Mark Friesen finished with 38 stops for the Bruins and sparkled in the shoot-out, making successive glove stops on forwards Colton Yellow Horn, Jason Reese and Shaun Vey.

Pickard, who bettered Brian Boucher's 1995-96 team mark with his 34th win this season, finished with 26 saves. Goal scorers for Chilliwack were Moller, Howse, winger Mark Santorelli, and defenceman Nick Holden.

Moller, who is now centring Jadon Potter and Evan Pighin, had one goal and one helper. It was his first goal in nine games.

Fast, the Los Angeles Kings prospect who is the lone NHL draft on the Americans, had two goals in regulation. Yellow Horn had the other, stretching his league-leading tally total to 37 in the process.

Yellow Horn now has 15 points, including seven goals, in eight career games with Chilliwack.

The Bruins host the Kootenay Ice on Friday.