T-Birds Burn Blazers in Overtime
November 21, 2015 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Seattle Thunderbirds News Release
KAMLOOPS, BC - The line of Ryan Gropp, Mathew Barzal and Keegan Kolesar combined for nine points Friday night to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 4-3 overtime victory over the Kamloops Blazers at the Sandman Centre.
Kolesar won the game 58 seconds into overtime when he backhanded the puck past Kamloops goalie Connor Ingram's right pad from the slot. Kolesar also had two assists in the game.
Gropp had a hat trick with three goals in the second period, all of which Barzal had an assist on.
The T-Birds now have a five-game win streak and will play the Portland Winterhawks Saturday at ShoWare Center in a game that is already sold out. This is the second game of the season against the Winterhawks and the first one at ShoWare Center. The puck drops at 7:05pm.
This was the second game of the season against the Blazers. The T-Birds beat the Blazers 7-2 October 16 at ShoWare Center.
Kamloops (9-8-3-0) took a 1-0 lead at 13:51 of the first period on a breakaway goal from Collin Shirley. Ryan Pilon sprung Shirley with a long pass just after the Blazers killed off a T-Birds penalty.
Seattle outshot Kamloops 12-6 the first period.
Seattle (14-6-1-0) tied the game 1:13 into the second period on Gropp's 11th goal of the season. Barzal held the puck behind the Kamloops net. Barzal spotted Gropp in the high slot and hit him with a pass. Gropp ripped wrist shot over Ingram's glove into the top right corner of the net. Kolesar had the second assist on the tying goal.
Gropp struck again at 5:37 of the second on the power play to give the T-Birds a 2-1 lead. Kolesar took a shot from the left circle through traffic that hit Ingram and went to Gropp to the right of the net. Gropp backhanded the puck over a diving Ingram to give the T-Birds the lead. Barzal had the second assist on the go-ahead goal.
The T-Birds took a 3-1 lead on Gropp's third goal at 14:12 of the second. Sahvan Khaira stole the puck from a Kamloops forward near the Seattle blue line. Khaira pushed the puck to Barzal who skated up ice. Barzal passed the puck to Gropp as he came into the left circle. Barzal toe-dragged the puck around a Kamloops defenseman and beat Ingram through the legs.
Seattle outshot Kamloops 12-11 in the second period and led 24-17 in total shots after two periods.
Kamloops cut the lead to one goal when Patrik Maier scored at 3:34 of the third period. Maier followed up his own shot and beat Seattle goalie Taz Burman on the glove side. Conner McDonald had the only assist.
The Blazers tied the game 3-3 at 5:44 of the third. Matthew Campese put back the rebound of a Nolan Kneen shot. Dawson Davidson had the second assist.
The T-Birds had a 40-26 lead in shots after outshooting the Blazers 16-7 in the third period.
In overtime Eansor forced a turnover in the neutral zone and battled the puck into the Kamloops zone. Kolesar got the puck along the left boards and passed it back to Jerret Smith. Smith held the puck while Kolesar went to the Kamloops net. Smith then hit Kolesar with a pass and he backhanded it past Ingram for his 15th goal of the season.
Burman had 24 saves on 27 shots improve his record to 5-3-0-0.
Ingram made 37 saves on 41 shots and his record is now 8-5-3-0.
T-Birds single game tickets for the 2015-16 season are available online at the T-Birds website and at the ShoWare Center box office. The ShoWare Center Box Office is open Monday through Friday 10 am to 5 pm Saturday game days at 10 am and Sunday game days at noon.
T-Birds season tickets are currently on sale. Season tic kets can be purchased by calling the T-Birds office at 253-239-7825.
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