WHL Seattle Thunderbirds

T-Bird March Past the American

March 4, 2023 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Seattle Thunderbirds News Release


KENT, Wash. -The Seattle Thunderbirds stretched their winning streak to a season best eleven games with a 4-1 win over the Tri-City Americans Friday at the Toyota Center. Kyle Crnkovic led the way with a goal and an assist. The win moved Seattle's record on the season to 46-9-1-1. The Thunderbirds second game of the weekend is Saturday at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett. They face the Everett Silvertips at 6:05 p.m.

Thunderbirds head coach Matt O'Dette was happy with the way his team played. "I thought we played a really good game, a tidy game, we didn't give up much." He added everyone played the right way. "They're a physical team, we're a physical team. It was similar to what we're going to see in the playoffs."

After a scoreless opening period, Seattle got the game's first goal at 8:44 of the second period. Crnkovic scored his 28th of the season with Dylan Guenther and Brad Lambert assisting. Tri-City tied it at 1-1 less than two minutes later with a Jordan Gavin goal at 10:52.

The Thunderbirds regained the lead just over four minutes later when Gracyn Sawchyn took advantage of a Tri-City mistake. As the Americans skated the puck out of their end of the ice, Tri-City goalie Tomas Suchanek left his crease to retrieve his stick. Sawchyn stripped the puck from the Americans at center ice and fired it into the unguarded net.

O'Dette called it a smart read by Sawchyn. "It was an odd play there. But you have to have awareness on the ice. Out guy did on that occasion. He picked his head up and saw that their goalie was retrieving his stick and he took advantage of it."

After killing off a nearly four-minute Tri-City power play midway through the third period, the Thunderbirds would salt the game away with two goals in the final two minutes. Lucas Ciona finished off a 2-on-oh rush with Colton Dach with his 26th of the season. Jordan Gustafson had the second assist, earning a point in his first game back after spending six weeks out with an upper body injury.

"If felt fun to be back," he commented. "It was definitely nice to be playing in the game rather than watching from up top, and the team did a really good job." He said the team stuck with it and eventually broke on top. "It took all game to get the result we needed but we stayed dialed in and came out with the two points."

Reid Schaefer closed out the scoring with an empty net goal at 18:52 with Crnkovic assisting. Scott Ratzlaff earned his 22nd win in goal with a sixteen save night.

It was the sixth straight game Seattle held their opponent to one or fewer goals and the ninth time holding the opposition to a goal or less in their current winning streak. "We're playing well defensively," said O'Dette. "Our goalies are certainly playing well. They've stepped it up and been really stingy. We're playing with the puck more in the O-zone which means less time in the D-zone. It's a combination of all those things."

Seattle begins a five game homestand Sunday. They host the Tri-City Americans at 5:05 p.m. at the accesso ShoWare Center.

T-BIRDS EXTRAS

With his two-point game Kyle Crnkovic now has 280 points in his WHL career. Jordan Gustafson's assist was his 99th point as a Thunderbird.

Seattle has surrendered just 17 goals in their last thirteen games while scoring 63.

This was the Thunderbirds 22nd road win of the season, one shy of their total road wins last year. Seattle has four road games left this season.

Jared Davidson missed his third straight game with an upper body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

Kevin Korchinski saw his ten-game point streak come to an end, but Gracyn Sawchyn now has points in his last six games and Reid Schaefer has scored a goal in four straight.

Box Score: WHL Network

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