The Tri-City Americans played better on Saturday night, but not well enough in losing 4-1 to the Calgary Hitmen in game two of the WHL Finals. The Hitmen now lead the series 2-0.
The key was a 1:13 segment of the second period in which the Hitmen turned a 1-0 lead into a decisive 3-0 advantage,Peter Kosterman scored what proved to be the game winner at the 2:40 mark of the period to make it 2-0, and Del Cowan scored seventy-three seconds later to make it 3-0. The third goal chased Drew Owsley, who was benched in favor of Alexander Pechurskiy for the second straight game. Owlsey made twelve saves on the fifteen shots he faced. Pechurskiy allowed just one goal the rest of the way.
Johnny Lazo scored the only goal for the Americans, making it 3-1 at the 4:34 mark of the second. Tyler Fiddler finished the scoring with a goal with 2:54 left in regulation.
The Americans power play was 0-7, and has yet to connect in the series. Calgary was 0-4 on the power play. Hitmen goalie Martin Jones stopped 21 of the 22 shots he faced--Jones has now won fifty games this season, thirty-six in the regular season and fourteen in the playoffs.
The Americans Brendan Shinnimin received a game misconduct in the second period for a hit on the WHL's leading scorer, Brandon Kozun, in front of the benches in the second period.
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Courtesy WHL
