Blazers/Americans notebook

From The Daily News of Friday, March 21, 2008 . . .

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
KENNEWICK, Wash. — Defenceman Nick Ross’s stay in the Greg Hawgood-operated
Chateau de Bow-Wow was short and not very sweet.
But that’s in the past now and Ross, like his Kamloops Blazers teammates, is
only looking to the Tri-City Americans.
The Blazers open a best-of-seven first-round WHL playoff series against the
Americans tonight in Kennewick, Wash. Game 2 will be played Saturday, with
Games 3 and 4 in Kamloops on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Ross, who turned 19 on Feb. 10, was acquired Jan. 4 from the Regina Pats,
along with defenceman Spencer Fraipont, in a deal that had veteran
defencemen Victor Bartley and Ryan Bender go the other way. A couple of
draft picks also changed hands.
Ross, selected 30th overall by the Phoenix Coyotes in the NHL’s 2007 draft,
arrived in Kamloops with the reputation as an open-ice banger with fine
offensive skills.
Early on, he lived up to that reputation, especially when it came to
quarterbacking the Kamloops power play.
But the Lethbridge native’s play tailed off to the point where Hawgood, the
Blazers’ interim head coach, benched him for a March 8 game in Prince
George. As well, the Coyotes sent scout Rich Sutter into Kamloops to have a
chat with their prospect.
“A part of me being in the dog house . . .,” Ross said before pausing. “I
was trying to be more defensive because for us to be successful me being
offensive hadn’t benefited us.”
Ross reasoned that the struggling Blazers might be better off with him
playing a more defensive game and not leading the rush up ice as often as he
had been.
“If I can . . . just jump up into the play and not lead the rush, just join
the rush. . . .,” Ross said in explaining his train of thought. “I knew that
lately my defensive play hadn’t been good so that’s all I did.”
But in doing that he took himself out of his comfort zone as he changed his
game.
“If I become totally defensive, it almost limits my strong points,” he said.
“I have to try to be both, I guess.”
Ross finished the season with 47 points in 72 games, putting up 19 points in
31 games with the Blazers. However, he was minus-13 with Kamloops.
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The Americans led the WHL in goals scored, with 262 goals. They didn’t get
that many goals by hanging out in their own zone.
“They have a lot of highly skilled players,” Ross said. “For a team like
that, they try to make it a pure offensive game.”
That means the Blazers are going to have to look for the pass or the chip
off the glass to get out of their zone.
“Even if we go off the glass,” Ross said, “because they come really hard so
maybe we can catch them deep.”
Kamloops defenceman Mike Gauthier pointed out that the Americans don’t
hesitate to have both defencemen pinch along the boards.
“So it makes it really hard to break out unless you make two or three good
passes right away,” Gauthier said. “They definitely have one of the more
intense forechecks in the league.”
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Gauthier scored his third goal of the season Sunday, in the Blazers’ 4-2
loss to visiting Prince George.
“It was the last regular-season game of my career,” offered the North
Vancouver native who was acquired from the Prince Albert Raiders early in
the season. “It was nice to end it on a good note.
“Hopefully, I can do a little bit of that in the playoffs.”
Asked how many career goals he had, Gauthier, who played in 304
regular-season games, replied: “Maybe 20.”
Told that someone was going to look it up, he chuckled and added: “Let’s
hope I’m right.”
Actually, Mike, the total is 15, including a career-high five in 2006-07.
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Kamloops goaltender Justin Leclerc faced the Americans on two occasions this
season; however, his first appearance lasted only seven minutes and three
saves.
He suffered a sprained ankle early in a 3-1 Americans victory in Kennewick
onn Oct. 16. The injury caused him to miss two games.
He faced the Americans again on Dec. 8, going the distance and making 20
saves in Kamloops on Dec. 8.
“It seemes they have a really high-powered offence,” Leclerc said. “I expect
their power play will be very good, as well.
“Their defencemen pinch up the wall so they’ll try to hem us in. We are
gonig to have to be chipping pucks out off the glass. If we don’t they’re
going to be playing a lot in our end.”
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Jon Groenheyde, who is with the Blazers as their third goaltender, made his
only WHL appearance of the season against the Americans, turning in a
dazzling 33-save performance in a 3-2 home-ice victory on Jan. 4.
One week later, James Priestner was in goal in Kennewick. He stopped 36
shots as the Americans won, 4-1.
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After a bit of a shaky time, Priestner appears to have rediscovered his
game.
And he says he has Joey Perricone, the Moose Jaw Warriors’ 20-year-old
goaltender to thank.
“I was a matter of changing one little movement in my game,” Priestner said.
“Just making sharper movements. I used to do that and I guess I got away
from it a bit.”
It all came back to him while the Blazers were in Moose Jaw for a game on
Feb. 23.
“I noticed Perricone and the way he was moving,” Priestner said. “I knew I
had to get back to that. “
Priestner talked things over with goaltending coach Steve Passmore and it
wasn’t long before he had his game back.
But now that the Blazers are into the playoffs, Priestner knows his
appearances may be few and far between.
“It’s a little bit frustrating when you know you’re probably not going to
get the chance,” the freshman from Edmonton said, “but I’m going to be ready
and I’m going to keep sharp.”
JUST NOTES: Kamloops D Mark Schneider (knee) missed the last 12 games with
an injury suffered in practice. He has resumed light skating but won’t play
in the first round. . . . Kamloops LW Ivan Rohac will turn 20 on Tuesday as
the teams play Game 3 at Interior Savings Centre, while D Mike Gauthier will
turn 21 the following day. . . . The Americans’ 23-man roster includes just
one player from B.C. — D Jarrett Toll is from Maple Ridge — and 11 from
Winnipeg. Both goaltenders and four defencemen are from the Manitoba
capital. . . . The Blazers will select seventh in the first round of the
2008 bantam draft which is scheduled for May 1 in Calgary. They will pick
sixth in all subsequent rounds.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca