Jared Davidson Scores in Final Minutes to Lead T-Birds over Winterhawks
May 3, 2021 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Seattle Thunderbirds News Release
KENT - Jared Davidson scored the game-winning goal, unassisted, with 1:52 left Sunday night to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 5-4 victory over the Portland Winterhawks at accesso ShoWare Center.
Davidson gathered a loose puck at the defensive blue line and skated up the left wing. Davidson entered the offensive zone and from the left circle beat Portland goalie Dante Giannuzzi low on the glove side for his seventh goal of the season.
The T-Birds have four games remaining in the 2020-21 season. The next two games are on the road, at the Everett Silvertips on Wednesday at 7:05pm and at the Tri-City Americans on Friday at 7:05pm. They host the Silvertips on Saturday at 6:05pm and the Spokane Chiefs on Sunday at 5:05pm. The game against the Chiefs will be broadcast on JOEtv Cable 22/Channel 110.
Seattle jumped on the board first 1:40 into the first period on Ryan Gottfried's first goal of the season. Tyrel Bauer sent the puck from the right point around the net to Henrik Rybinski in the left corner. Rybinski found Gottfried at the left point. Gottfried put a wrist shot on goal that beat Portland goalie Dante Giannuzzi over the left shoulder.
Portland took a 2-1 lead on goals by Kyle Chyzowski at 6:07 and Jaydon Dureau on the power play at 7:40 of the first.
Cade McNelly tied the game 2-2 at 9:48 of the first. Jeri-Leon passed the puck to Jordan Gustafson on the right wall. Gustafson skated into the circle and found McNelly pinching down from the left point. McNelly took the pass and beat Giannuzzi through the legs for the goal. McNelly has goals in his last two games and a three-game point streak.
Lucas Ciona put the T-Birds in front 3-2 early in the second period on the power play. Jeri-Leon got a loose puck in the neutral zone and carried it into the offensive zone. Jeri-Leon passed the puck to Rybinski below the goal line who quickly fed Ciona in the left circle. Ciona snapped the puck past Giannuzzi glove side for his second goal of the season.
Portland tied the game 3-3 with a 5-on-3 power-play goal by Dureau at 7:32 of the second period and took the lead on a goal by Reece Newkirk at the 12-minute mark.
Jeri-Leon tied the game 4-4 at 15:39 of the second after successive solid plays from Jeremy Hanzel and Kevin Korchinski. Hanzel dove at the blue line to keep the puck in the offensive zone. Korchinski got the puck inside the puck blue and being pressured made a quick pass to Rybinski in the left circle. Rybinski dropped the puck to Jeri-Leon in the left circle and he wristed it past Giannuzzi for his 13th game of the season.
The T-Birds faced adversity in the third period before Davidson scored the game-winner.
First, Portland's Simon Knak was awarded a penalty shot after he was hooked on a partial breakaway at 5:25 of the third period. Knak came in on Seattle goalie Jackson Berry but lost control of the puck and didn't get a shot off.
Then at the 11-minute mark, McNelly was called for elbowing followed by a T-Birds too many men on the ice call. The T-Birds killed off 1:10 of a Portland five-on-three power play and then 50 seconds of a power play to keep the game tied.
Berry had 22 saves to get the victory.
SCORING SUMMARY
First period - 1, Seattle, Gottfried 1 (Rybinski, Bauer), 1:40. 2, Portland, Chyzowski 5 (Kozak), 6:07. 3, Portland, Dureau 6 (Hanus), 9:48 (pp). 4, Seattle, McNelly 2 (Gustafson, Jeri-Leon), 9:48. Penalties - Gottfried, Sea (holding), 7:14. Hanus, Por (tripping), 15:09. Bateman, Sea (cross-checking), 18:14. Mannek, Por (cross-checking), 19:59.
Second period - 5, Seattle, Ciona 2 (Rybinski, Jeri-Leon), 1:08 (pp). 6, Portland, Dureau 7 (Giannuzzi), 7:32 (pp). 7, Portland, Newkirk 9 (Knak, Smythe), 12:00. 8, Seattle, Jeri-Leon 13 (Rybinski, Korchinski), 15:39. Penalties - Ciona, Sea (major-fighting), 6:27. Cicek, Por (major-fighting), 6:27. Popowich, Sea (checking to the head), 7:07. McNelly, Sea (checking to the head), 7:07. Cicek, Por (cross-checking), 17:12.
Third period - 9, Seattle, Davidson 7, 18:08. Penalties - McNelly, Sea (elbowing), 11:04. Bench, Sea (too many men-served by Myatovic), 11:54. Ciona, Sea (high-sticking), 20:00.
Shots on goal - Seattle 11-9-7 27, Portland 10-7-9 26. Goalies - Seattle, Berry 26 shots-22 saves (3-7-0-0); Portland, Giannuzzi 27-22 (6-7-3-0). Power plays - Seattle 1-3; Portland 2-7. Referees - Jarrod Bowman, Eric McLaughlin. Linesmen -Josh Rosenbaum, Cameron Wetmore.
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