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WHL Seattle Thunderbirds

T-Birds clich playoff berth with 4-3 win over Winter Hawks

February 22, 2009 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Seattle Thunderbirds News Release


Portland, OR - Jonathan Parker had two goals and two assists Saturday night to help lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 4-3 win over the Portland Winter Hawks at Memorial Coliseum.

With the win the T-Birds clinched a berth in the playoffs. Seattle improves to 29-29-1-3 and is now tied with the Kamloops Blazers for fifth in the Western Conference playoff standings. Seattle has one game in hand on the Blazers. The T-Birds finish out the weekend against the Vancouver Giants on Sunday at 5:05 p.m. at ShoWare Center.

Seattle went in front 1-0 at 8:51 of the first period on Parker's 13th goal of the year. Greg Scott broke up on ice on a three-on-two with Thomas Hickey on his left and Parker on his right. Scott passed the puck to Hickey at the Portland blue line and charged down the slot. Hickey held the puck and then centered the puck to Parker cutting the high slot. Parker beat Portland goalie Kurtis Mucha with a quick wrist shot over the glove. Portland's Luke Walker was awarded a penalty shot at 14:18 of the first when the referee ruled defenseman Brad Haber took Walker down on a breakaway. Walker skated down the center of the ice with speed on his penalty shot. He made a move to his left with the puck but Seattle goalie Calvin Pickard made the save to deny Walker.

Chris Francis scored at 16:29 of the first to get Portland on the board. Luke Walker had the only assist on the goal.

Portland (15-40-2-2) outshot Seattle 11-10 in the first period.

Parker helped the T-Birds take a 2-1 lead in the second period by stealing a Portland clearing attempt up the left boards. Parker skated into the left circle with the puck and then passed it to Prab Rai to the left of the goal. Rai put a shot on goal and Mucha made the save. Scott was standing in front of the Winter Hawks goalie and put the rebound back at 6:18 of the period.

Riley Boychuk scored at 14:03 of the second to tie the game 2-2 for Portland. Travis Ehrhardt and Tayler Jordan has the assists.

The T-Birds took a 3-2 lead with 46 seconds left in the second. Scott pounded home a loose puck in front of Mucha off a scramble in front of the goalie. Both Parker and Rai got a stick on the puck before Scott scored.

The T-Birds led 21-20 in total shots after two periods by outshooting the Winter Hawks 11-9 in the second period.

The Winter Hawks tied the game 3-3 at 2:32 of the third period on a goal by Radim Valchar. Boychuk and Joel Ridgeway assisted on the goal.

Parker put the T-Birds in front for good when he scored a power-play goal with 1:18 left in the third period. Jim O'Brien tapped the puck to Parker in the high slot. Parker made a move around a Portland defender and came down the slot towards Mucha. Parker made a quick left at the top of the crease and beat the Portland goalie with a backhand shot high.

Portland outshot Seattle 12-8 in the third period.

Pickard improves to 18-13-1-3 by stopping 29 of 32 shots.

Mucha made 26 saves on 29 shots and his record falls to 11-26-1-2.

T-Birds season tickets are currently on sale. Season tickets can be purchased by calling the T-Birds office at 253-239-7825.

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