It seemed like an alien landscape, both geographically and culturally, when defenceman Dylan Coghlan of Nanaimo and forward Jordan Topping from Salt Spring Island first got to the Tri-City area of Washington state to begin their Western Hockey League careers with the Americans in 2014-15.
But now it seems like old home as the over-age 20-year-old Island products, surrounded by their high-round NHL draft pick teammates, have the Americans on form with a 2-0 lead in their Western Conference semifinal series against the Victoria Royals heading into the third and fourth games tonight and Wednesday in Kennewick, Washington.
Everything Islanders are used to about visiting Seattle 鈥� the water, mountains and liberal politics 鈥� changes in the arid semi-desert and more sparsely-populated and conservative-leaning eastern part of the state.
鈥淭here is no ocean and no mountains . . . it is kind of like the area around Kelowna. And you try not to schedule games against high school football, which is really big,鈥� said Coghlan.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a different environment and feel than growing up on the Island.鈥�
But Coghlan has more than grown into it. He was overlooked in the NHL draft, but progressed steadily as a mobile blue-liner, and was signed earlier this season by the Las Vegas Golden Knights to a three-year entry-level NHL contract.
鈥淚 was disappointed not to hear my name called for the draft, but I put it behind me and just focused on getting better,鈥� he said.
The journey has been made with Topping and Americans head coach Mike Williamson, who all arrived in Tri-City at the same time.
鈥淢ike has become a special friend,鈥� said Coghlan.
鈥淚t seems like we鈥檝e grown with him.鈥�
And now Williamson, Coghlan and Topping seem on the verge of advancing to the Western Conference final. The Americans swept a loaded Kelowna Rockets team in the opening round and are 6-0 in the playoffs after outscoring the Royals 11-1 in the opening two games of the second round at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
It doesn鈥檛 get any easier for the Royals.
鈥淥ur fans are great and we have a loud building,鈥� said Coghlan, who has followed up his 17 goals and 63 points in the regular season, with a goal and eight points so far in the playoffs.
The Americans were on many people鈥檚 lists as the pre-season favourite in the Western Conference, but long stretches of injuries to key players resulted in an under-achievers label in the regular season and a wildcard berth into the playoffs.
鈥淲e had lots of injuries in the regular season, but it鈥檚 coming together for us at the right time,鈥� said Topping, who has followed up his 38 regular-season goals, with two goals and eight points in six playoff games.
Siblings Jordan and Kyle Topping came up through the Cowichan Valley minor hockey system: 鈥淭here were a lot of ferry rides from Salt Spring Island,鈥� recalled Jordan.
Jordan Topping helped eliminate brother Kyle of the Rockets in the first round: 鈥淚t got pretty hot . . . but we鈥檙e talking again,鈥� quipped Jordan.
The Americans鈥� situation is the opposite of the Royals, whose relatively-healthy regular season, has been followed by a horrendous run of injuries in the playoffs to crucial players such as all-time franchise scoring leader Tyler Soy, St. Louis Blue-signed centre Tanner Kaspick and Montreal Canadiens third-round blue-line draft pick Scott Walford. Also out are forwards Dino Kambeitz and now perhaps Jeff de Wit.
鈥淲e have plenty of guys who can play centre,鈥� said Victoria coach Dan Price, about de Wit leaving Saturdays鈥� 4-1 loss to the Americans to possibly join centres Soy and Kaspick on the shelf.
About the Royals鈥� increasingly dire predicament, Price added: 鈥淲e challenged our group to rally and do whatever it takes to win. We believe we can play to a higher standard. We have more to give. And we鈥檝e got to bring it out like we did [in rallying from a 3-2 games deficit to beat the Vancouver Giants in the first round].鈥�
Nobody is in denial about the difficulty of the path ahead for the Royals.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got to win road games. That鈥檚 just the reality of it,鈥� said Victoria captain Matthew Phillips, who has just one assist against Tri-City after scoring six goals with 16 points in the first round against Vancouver.
鈥淎nd Tri-City has a wild, crazy crowd. It will be hard. But that鈥檚 what the playoffs are about. We have played well in spurts, but we have more to give. We need to be more consistent and apply sustained pressure.鈥�
Over-ager Patrick Dea of the Americans was named WHL goaltender of the week for stopping 52 of 53 Victoria shots in the first two games of the series.
鈥淒ea has been sharp when he鈥檚 had to be,鈥� said Phillips, who is under an NHL entry-level contract to the Calgary Flames.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got to make life more difficult for him. He is seeing too many of our pucks. We have to get bodies in front of him.鈥�
Large-wingspan forward Michael Rasmussen of the Americans, selected ninth overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the first round of the 2017 NHL draft, was named WHL player of the week for his four goals and seven points against the Royals in the two games on Blanshard.
ICE CHIPS: The Royals will wear Humboldt Broncos stickers on their helmets for the rest of the WHL playoffs. Royals equipment-manager Matt Auerbach, early in his career, worked as equipment manager for the Broncos.
