Saturday . . .

The Alexander Pechurskiy fairytale continued Saturday night.
Pechurskiy, a 19-year-old goaltender from Magnitogorsk, Russia, joined the Tri-City Americans over Christmas and has gone 4-1-0-1 with two shutouts.
His most-recent WHL appearance was Friday night when he helped the Americans post a 3-2 victory over the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds of Kent.
Earlier Friday, Pechurskiy was on the receiving end of a phone call from Pittsburgh Penguins star centre Evgeni Malkin. The two share the same hometown and Malkin just wanted to see how Pechurskiy was doing. Little did he know that the two would be teammates come Saturday.
After Friday’s game, Pechurskiy was informed that the Penguins, who had selected him in the fifth round of the NHL’s 2008 draft, wanted him in Vancouver for Saturday night’s game against the Canucks.
The Penguins, it seems, had almost run out of goaltenders. Starter Marc-Andre Fleury had a broken finger. Backup Brent Johnson, although eligible to return off the injured list, hadn’t played in a while because of an undisclosed injury. That left John Curry, who had been recalled earlier in the week from the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Pechurskiy, along with his billet, Michel Pelletier, got to Vancouver in time to take part in the morning skate and to sign a one-game pro tryout agreement. (By the way, Cpl. Pelletier used to be a techncian with the Canadian Forces Snowbirds, the world-renowned Canadian demonstration team.)
Well . . . Curry started against the Canucks, and he got the hook early in the second period having given up five goals on 14 shots.
That means that Pechurskiy got to make his NHL debut in front of 18,810 fans at GM Place in the second game of a Hockey Night in Canada doubleheader. And he did it while wearing a pair of pads belonging to Fleury; it seems that Pechurskiy’s pads don’t meet NHL requirements.
He also did it while wearing No. 40 and with his name spelled ‘Pechurski’ on the back. And his name wasn’t in the game program, so the chances are the fans had no idea who he was when he left the bench and headed for the net.
“We needed a change, regardless of who was the backup,” Pittsburgh head coach Dan Bylsma told reporters after the game. “I think that’s the definition of being thrown into the fire.”
Pechurskiy finished up with 12 saves on 13 shots -- he had no chance on the Ryan Kesler tip of a point shot with the Canucks on the PP -- and was saluted as the game’s third star. Pittsburgh star Sidney Crosby also was seen giving Pechurskiy the game puck after the final buzzer.
Matthew Sekeres of The Globe and Mail wrote: “In the post-game dressing room, Pechurskiy’s emotions were clear, even though he doesn’t speak any English. He hugged a friend and patted his heart several times.”
The Canucks won the game, 6-2, but the Russian goaltender turned out to be the story.
Later, with D Sergei Gonchar translating, Pechurskiy told reporters: "I was very surprised. I didn't know I would play, but at the same time I was happy that I had a chance to play. It's like a dream come true, playing in the NHL."
Pechurskiy was to return to the Americans after the game. He’ll be ready when the Kamloops Blazers come calling on Tuesday.
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D Ben Gallacher, the son of Portland Winterhawks owner Bill Gallacher, has committed to attend Ohio State and play for the Buckeyes beginning in the fall of 2011. Ben, 17, is in his second season with the AJHL’s Camrose Kodiaks. He played for Team Canada West at the 2009 World Junior A Challenge in Summerside, P.E.I., earlier this season. His side won the silver medal. He also was named to the AJHL’s South Division all-star team. Gallacher was a fifth-round pick by the Medicine Hat Tigers in the 2007 WHL bantam draft. . . . “Ben has made huge strides for us this year” Boris Rybalka, Camrose’s general manager and head coach, said in a press release. “He is just beginning to round into shape again after his injury and we look forward to great things from Ben in the second half of the season. We are not surprised that he is on the NHL Central Scouting Bureau’s Players to Watch list for the 2010 draft.”
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SATURDAY:
In Cranbrook, B.C., the host Kootenay Ice ran its winning streak to a franchise record-tying 11 games with a 4-3 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Ice (27-15-1-2) got a big night from captain Dustin Sylvester, who had a goal and two assists. The goal was Sylvester’s 24th of the season and the 100th of his career. . . . The Chiefs (26-16-3-1) had won three in a row. . . . Spokane took a 2-1 lead into the second period on a shorthanded goal by F Blake Gal and a power-play score by D Stefan Ulmer. . . . The Ice scored three times in the span of 4:29 in the second period to take control. . . . F Steele Boomer got his 16th and F Max Reinhart his 14th before Sylvester got the eventual winner on the PP at 12:07. . . . Attendance was 3,326. . . . This edition of the Ice shares the franchise record for longest winning streak with the 2004-05 and 2006-07 clubs. The Ice plays the Hitmen in Calgary on Sunday.
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In Saskatoon, D Tomas Kundratek’s goal 22 seconds into overtime gave the Medicine Hat Tigers a 3-2 victory over the Blades. . . . F Joey Frazer of the Tigers forced OT with his 12th goal at 5:24 of the third period. . . . Kundratek has two goals this season. . . . The Tigers (27-15-3-5) had lost their last two games. . . . The Blades (32-9-2-3) had won three in a row. . . . F Walker Wintoneak got his 20th goal of the season for the Blades. . . . Medicine Hat G Tyler Bunz stopped 27 shots, while the Blades’ Steven Stanford turned aside 28. . . . Medicine Hat was 0-for-3 on the PP; the Blades were 0-for-1. . . . Attendance was 5,936.
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In Brandon, F Brayden Schenn had three points the Wheat Kings dumped the Edmonton Oil Kings, 5-1. . . . Schenn had a goal, his 16th, and two assists as Brandon improved to 30-15-0-3. . . . F Matt Calvert got his 31st goal for Brandon. . . . Edmonton got its goal from F Klarc Wilson, who was acquired earlier in the month from the Wheat Kings. . . . The Oil Kings (10-26-4-7) have lost 10 in a row. . . . Brandon G Jacob De Serres stopped 20 shots, 15 fewer than Edmonton’s Cam Lanigan. . . . Attendance was 5,147. . . . The Oil Kings continue to be without D Mark Pysyk (flu).
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In Everett, the Silvertips got two goals from each of F Byron Froese and F Chris Langkow as they dumped the Chilliwack Bruins, 5-1. . . . The Silvertips had beaten the Bruins 3-2 in Chilliwack on Friday. . . . Everett (27-16-2-1) has won eight straight and has yet to taste defeat in 2010. The push has lifted the Silvertips into second in the U.S. Division, one point ahead of the Portland Winterhawks and Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Bruins (20-22-1-5) have lost four in a row. . . . Froese, who also had an assist, has scored in a franchise-record six straight games. The previous record of five had been shared by F Zach Hamill, F Kyle Beach and F Shane Harper. . . . Froese also has points in seven straight games. He has nine points, including seven goals, over that stretch. . . . Chilliwack F Ryan Howse opened the scoring with his WHL-leading 35th, but Everett then scored five in a row. . . . Langkow has 15 goals this season. . . . Attendance was 6,012. . . . Chilliwack GM/head coach Marc Habscheid was tossed from the proceedings at 13:04 of the third period. According to Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald, Habscheid was ejected “after criticizing the officials for being slow to break up a fight.”
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In Kelowna, F Willie Coetzee scored twice as the Red Deer Rebels scored a 4-3 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . The Rebels (20-24-1-2) are 2-1-0-0 in a four-game tour into B.C. . . . The Rockets (19-25-1-2) have lost six in a row and 11 of 12. . . . Red Deer F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had three assists. . . . Red Deer G Darcy Kuemper stopped 14 shots but left with a sore groin early in the third period. Kraymer Barnstable came on to make 14 saves in relief. . . . G Mark Guggenberger stopped 21 shots for Kelowna. . . . Attendance was 6,108. . . . The Rebels scratched F Brett Ferguson and D Brad Haber, both of whom were decisive losers in fights in a 6-3 loss to the Blazers in Kamloops on Friday.
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In Lethbridge, G Martin Jones stopped 22 shots to help the Calgary Hitmen to a 3-0 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . Jones has two shutouts this season and 10 in his career. . . . The Hitmen got a goal, his 12th, and an assist from F Kris Foucault, while F Jimmy Bubnick picked up two assists. . . . The Hitmen (29-14-1-1) had lost two straight. . . . The Hurricanes (15-25-3-2) had been 2-0-0-0 against Calgary this season. . . . Lethbridge G Linden Rowat stopped 34 shots. . . . Attendance was 3,574.
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In Moose Jaw, F Danny Gayle scored the game’s only goal as the Warriors got past the Prince Albert Raiders, 1-0. . . . Gayle’s third goal of the season came at 18:22 of the third period as he tipped in a point shot by D Kendall McFaull. . . . Moose Jaw G Jeff Bosch stopped 41 shots for his fourth shutout of the season and the sixth of his career. . . . Raiders G Garrett Zemlak stopped 24 shots. . . . The Warriors were 0-for-8 on the PP; the Raiders were 0-for-6. . . . Attendance was 2,307. . . . The victory lifted the Warriors (24-15-2-3) into sole possession of sixth place in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of the Raiders (24-21-1-2), who had won four straight.
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In Prince George, F Craig Cunningham and F Tomas Vincour each scored twice to lead the Vancouver Giants to a 7-2 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . F Brett Breitkreuz added a goal and two assists. . . . Vincour and Breitkreuz were acquired last weekend from the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . The Breitkreuz actually opened the scoring with back-to-back goals, Brett scoring his 11th of the season 22 seconds into the game and Clarke getting his first for the Cougars at 2:30. . . . Cunningham has 29 goals this season. . . . Vincour is up to 20. . . . The Giants are 29-16-1-2. . . . The Cougars (9-35-1-1) have lost seven in a row. . . . Vancouver G Mark Segal stopped 28 shots, 11 fewer than Prince George’s Kyle Jahraus. . . . Attendance was 2,076. . . . KA-CHING! . . . The teams combined for 204 penalty minutes, with 107 of those going to the Cougars. Most of the penalties came out of a multi-fight situation at 5:22 of the third period.
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In Regina, the Swift Current Broncos overcame a 3-0 first-period deficit and beat the Regina Pats, 4-3, in a shootout. . . . The Pats (20-24-3-1) got two first-period goals from F Jordan Eberle, who has 34, one shy of Chilliwack’s Ryan Howse. . . . Broncos F Cody Eakin got his 33rd to start the comeback in the second period. . . . D Travis Bobbee forced OT with his fifth at 19:40 of the second period. . . . Eakin and F Brad Hoban both scored for the Broncos to win the shootout, 2-0. . . . Regina had won three in a row, while the Broncos (24-21-0-2) had lost three straight. . . . Attendance was 5,641.
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In Kent, Wash., G Jon Groenheyde stopped 45 shots and F Brendan Ranford scored twice to help the Kamloops Blazers to a 3-2 victory over the host Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Ranford, who has 17 goals, scored shorthanded and on the power play during the second period. . . . Kamloops was outshot 22-10 in the second period but got two of the three goals. . . . The Blazers (22-20-2-3) have won five in a row, their longest such streak this season. . . . Seattle (14-25-3-4) has lost three in a row. . . . F Jordan DePape gave Kamloops a 3-1 lead in the third period before Seattle F Prab Rai got his 25th with G Calvin Pickard on the bench for the extra attacker. . . . Pickard stopped 20 shots. . . . Kamloops was 1-for-1 on the PP; the Thunderbirds were 0-for-5. . . . Attendance was 4,682.
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In Kennewick, Wash., F Johnny Lazo scored three goals for the third time this season as the host Tri-City Americans dropped the Portland Winterhawks, 6-2. . . . The Americans (34-11-0-1) have won four in a row. They are 20-4-0-0 at home. . . . The Winterhawks are 27-18-1-1. . . . Lazo, who has 28 goals, scored twice in the first period and again in the third. . . . Tri-City got two goals from F Mason Wilgosh and another from F Patrick Holland, who had all three of his club’s goals Friday in a 3-2 victory over the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . F Nino Niederreiter had one of Portland’s goals, his team-leading 26th. He has goals in six of his last seven games. . . . The Americans are 6-0-0-0 against Portland this season. . . . Attendance was 5,613.