O'Brien has two goals, two assists in 6-1 win over Winter Hawks
Published on November 22, 2008 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Seattle Thunderbirds News Release
Seattle, WA - Seattle Thunderbirds left wing Prab Rai celebrated his 19th birthday Saturday night at KeyArena with a five- point night to lead the T-Birds to a 6-1 victory over the Portland Winter Hawks.
Rai, born on November 22 in 1989, had two goals and three assists and leads the T-Birds in scoring with 29 points on 16 goals and 13 assists.
Seattle (10-13-1-2) took a 1-0 lead 57 seconds into the game. Jonathan Parker worked the puck out of the left corner to Rai at the hash marks on the left boards. Rai carried the puck into the left circle and with Jim O'Brien in front of the Portland net Rai put a backhand shot on goal. O'Brien swept the rebound past the outstretched left leg of Winter Hawks goalie Keith Hamilton. The T-Birds took a 2-0 lead at 7:49 of the first on the 15th goal of the year from Rai. Parker centered the puck from the right corner to Rai in the slot. Rai beat Hamilton low on the stick side for the goal.
Brad Ross scored a power-play goal at 10:18 of the first to get the Winter Hawks on the board. Colin Reddin and Killian Hutt had the assists.
Seattle struck for a third time in the first period when Brenden Silvester scored at 12:14. Thomas Hickey had the puck in the Seattle zone a made stretch pass to Silvester streaking up the left wing. Silvester made a move around a Portland defender in the left circle and came in at Hamilton on an angle. Silvester beat Hamilton over the blocker for his third goal of the year. Brad Haber had the second assist on the goal.
Portland (7-19-0-0) replaced Hamilton in net with Kurtis Mucha after Seattle third goal. Hamilton made seven saves on 10 shots and was credited with the loss moving his record to 1-4-0-0.
Seattle outshot Portland 13-10 in the first period.
Rai put the T-Birds up by three goals 1:44 into the second period. O'Brien took a shot from the bottom of the right circle that Mucha stopped. O'Brien got his own rebound to right of the goal and curled back towards the left face off dot with Mucha down. O'Brien quickly centered the puck to Rai who put the puck into an empty with Mucha still on the ice. Hickey had the second assist on the goal.
Seattle went up 5-1 with a five-on-three tic-tac-toe power-play goal at 6:47 of the second. O'Brien won a face off in the right circle in the Portland zone back to David Richard the right point. Richard crossed the puck along the blue line to Hickey at the left point. Hickey immediately sent the puck to Rai in the right circle and Rai made a quick cross slot pass to Greg Scott at the left post. Scott slammed the puck into an empty net for his sixth goal of the year.
O'Brien scored Seattle's sixth goal at 18:28 of the second. Parker centered the puck from the right corner to O'Brien in the slot. O'Brien one-timed Parker's pass but didn't get all of it. The puck fluttered and went over Mucha's right shoulder. Rai also had an assist on the goal.
The T-Birds outshot the Winter Hawks 14-9 in the second period and led 27-19 in total shots after 40 minutes.
Portland outshot Seattle 10-8 in the game but Seattle finished with the advantage, 35-29, in total shots.
Seattle goalie Calvin Pickard made 27 saves on 29 shots and his record improves to 7-7-1-2.
Mucha stopped 22 of 25 shots.
The T-Birds next game is Friday, November 28, against the Kootenay Ice at 7:35 p.m. at KeyArena.
T-Birds season tickets are currently on sale. Season tickets can be purchased by calling the T-Birds office at 253-239-7825. Purchasing a season ticket will ensure fans can attend the T-Birds first game in their new home, the Kent Events Center.
SCORING SUMMARY
Western Hockey League Stories from November 22, 2008
- O'Brien has two goals, two assists in 6-1 win over Winter Hawks - Seattle Thunderbirds
- Hawks Drop Game to Seattle 6-2 - Portland Winterhawks
- Giants Thump Blazers - Sweep the Week - Vancouver Giants
- Oil Kings Perfect Weekend Ends With 4 - 2 Win over P.A. - Edmonton Oil Kings
- Giants take back half of home-and-home - Vancouver Giants
- Blades Lose to Wheat Kings in OT - Saskatoon Blades
- Giants Claim Home-And-Home Opener - Kamloops Blazers
- Giants Bounce Blazers 6-4 on Legends Night. - Vancouver Giants
- Everett Wins Fourth Straight, 5-2 - Everett Silvertips
- Pickard Sets All-Time Wins Record; Tri-City Blanks Bruins, 2-0 - Tri-City Americans
- Everett Defeats Winter Hawks 5-2 - Portland Winterhawks
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