Tri-City Americans Goalie on Threshold of Career Shutout Record

With Wednesday night's stoning of the Vancouver Giants,  this Americans goalie has put together a streak unlike any other in the teams' long history of famous, skilled netminders.

If we told you this goalie now has 7 career shutouts (2nd all time in team history), is tied for the WHL lead in that catagory this season, and had four donuts in five games in December, you'd probably think it was Eric Comrie.  But it's not.

Certainly no disrespect to the player who backstopped Canada to the World Junior Championships in December, but the guy who filled in has done quite well.

Evan Sarthou, who's considered by many to be the heir apparent in net when Comrie leaves for the pros, is one scoreless performance away from tying Carey Price for the all-time career shutout mark in franchise history with 8.

Sarthou filled in for Comrie during the December during the World Games, and all he did was post donuts in four out of 5 straight games.  Then after both he and Comrie missed time in February due to injuries, he returned Wednesday night and looked brilliant in stopping 33 shots in a much needed 3-0 win over Vancouver.  It is believed no other Americans goalie ever put together four shutouts in just five games. He is in his second season with the club.

The Americans have probably had the most players miss time with injuries in the entire WHL this season, and found out this week standout defenseman Riley Hillis will join Forward Parker Bowles and defenseman Carter Cochrane as being out for the rest of the season. Hillis suffered an upper-body injury.

Although bantam draftees Beck Warm and Nicholas Sanders - as well as emergency netminder Casey Kaiser - performed well in fill-in efforts, Sarthou backstopped the huge win Wednesday.  The victory keeps the Americans in 7th place in the Western Conference,  one point ahead of surging 8th place Prince George, who upset Calgary the same night.  The win also puts a four point (two game) cushion over Kamloops and Vancouver.  The top 8 make the post season between the U.S. and British Columbia Divisions - the Western Conference.

With at least another season or two ahead of him,  Sarthou seems likely to at least tie the mark set by the player who now leads the Montreal Canadiens in net, Carey Price.