Patrick Dea finished off the Western Hockey League regular season in style, earning the Canadian Hockey League鈥檚 goaltender of the week award.

Much to the chagrin of the 91大黄鸭 Rockets, the 20-year-old Tri-City Americans鈥� stopper rode that momentum right into the playoffs.

Dea stopped all 39 shots he faced Thursday at Prospera Place to lead the Americans to a 5-0 victory over the Rockets in Game 1 of the best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinal series.

Morgan Geekie and Michael Rasmussen each scored twice for the Americans who made the most of their power play opportunities, going a perfect 3-for-3, while 91大黄鸭 was 0-for-4.

Down 2-0 late in the second period, Rockets forward Dillon Dube was handed a five-minute major and game misconduct for charging鈥攔aising the ire of more than 5,100 fans at Prospera Place鈥攁fter going hard to the net and crashing into Dea.

Dube was being pursued by Ams defenceman Jake Bean who made contact with the 91大黄鸭 forward just prior the collision.

The Americans would put the game away with three straight power play goals early in the third, the first two on Dube鈥檚 five-minute major.

Rockets head coach Jason Smith said the call on Dube represented a key turning point in the game.

鈥淭he refs made the call, it is what it is, can鈥檛 say much about it,鈥� said Smith. 鈥淥bviously it changed momentum in the game, refs made the call based on what they saw, it is what it is.

鈥淲e did some good things on that PK, but we made one mistake and it turned into three and the puck ended up in our net, that鈥檚 what happens when momentum changes in junior hockey. Now it鈥檚 about how we change the momentum and get ready for the next one.鈥�

The Rockets started strong and fired 19 shots at the Ams net in the opening but couldn鈥檛 get one past Dea, a recurring theme throughout the game

鈥淔or the next game of the series, we鈥檙e going to want to get in this guy鈥檚 face, make sure we鈥檙e in front, not let him see all the pucks flying at him,鈥� said Rockets captain Cal Foote. 鈥淚t was a good start to the game, but we鈥檝e just gotta find a way to finish it off.鈥�

James Porter stopped 27 shots in the 91大黄鸭 net.

Game 2 goes Saturday night at Prospera Place, with face off at 7:05 p.m.

Games 3 and 4 set for next Wednesday and Thursday in Kennewick, WA.

Series schedule:

Game 1鈥擳ri-City 5, 91大黄鸭 0, Thursday, March 22 7:05

Game 2鈥擳ri-City @ 91大黄鸭, Saturday, March 24 7:05

Game 3鈥�91大黄鸭 @ Tri-City, Wednesday, March 28 7:05

Game 4鈥�91大黄鸭 @ Tri-City, Thursday, March 29 7:05

Game 5鈥�* Tri-City @ 91大黄鸭, Saturday, March 31 7:05

Game 6鈥�* 91大黄鸭 @ Tri-City, Sunday, April 1 5:05

Game 7鈥�* Tri-City @ 91大黄鸭, Tuesday, April 3 7:05