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WHL Seattle Thunderbirds

T-Birds Fly Past Winterhawks

February 20, 2022 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Seattle Thunderbirds News Release


Portland, OR. - Reid Schaefer scored twice, Thomas Milic made 26 saves and the Seattle Thunderbirds skated past the Portland Winterhawks, 5-1, Saturday at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum. It was the T-birds seventh straight win as they moved within two points of Portland for second place in the U.S. Division. Seattle next sees action next Friday when they travel to Spokane to face the Chiefs.

The game started off ominously for Seattle as Matt Rempe was assessed a five-minute major penalty, for kneeing Portland's Jack O'Brien, two minutes into the opening period. T-birds head coach Matt O'Dette didn't agree with the call. "I don't think it was a major penalty. It was incidental. It was along the wall not open ice. Rempe's arms were compact, he didn't stick out a leg."

Seattle weathered most of the Portland five-minute power play but with four seconds left on the penalty, the Winterhawks struck on a Robbie Fromm-Delorme goal at 6:52. Despite the goal O'Dette liked how his team limited Portland's chances. "They didn't get much, kind of a seeing-eye goal at the end of the power play. The PK did a good job."

Seattle (30-11-4-1) got a couple of power play opportunities of their own later in the first period. While they didn't score, they quashed any momentum the Winterhawks got from the early goal. The T-birds ended up outshooting the Winterhawks in the period, 14-11.

The T-birds took the game over in the second period, scoring four times, including three power play goals. Skating 5-on-4, Jared Davidson tied the game at 1-1 with his team leading 24th of the season, assisted by Kevin Korchinski.

"Keep pounding away," said O'Dette about the goal that got the T-birds offense going. "I thought our power play moved it well. We created lots of chances. Really nice play by Korch to spring our stretch guy there, Davy, and a great shot."

Back on the man advantage just past the midway point of the period, the Thunderbirds took the lead for good when Schaefer took a feed from Sam Popowich and snapped home the first of his two on the night. 54-seconds later Gabe Ludwig and Korchinski set up Lukas Svejkovsky in the slot to make it 3-1 Seattle with an even strength goal.

With time winding down on the second period and the T-birds back on the power play, Conner Roulette's centering pass found the stick of Lucas Ciona, who tapped home his 15th. Schaefer then quashed any hopes of a Portland comeback when he scored an unassisted, shorthanded breakaway goal at 2:23 of the third period.

Milic earned his 19th win of the season in goal. In his last three starts, all wins, he is sporting a 1.00 GAA and a .948 save percentage.

The T-birds will be busy next weekend. In addition to the game in Spokane Friday, they host Everett Saturday at Climate Pledge Arena then return to the accesso ShoWare Center on Sunday to play the Kelowna Rockets.

T-BIRDS EXTRAS

Jeremy Hanzel was held off the scoresheet thus ending his point streak at eight games.

Korchinski finished the night with three assists.

By limiting Portland to just one goal on five power play chances, Seattle leapfrogged over the Winterhawks and now have the WHL's top rated penalty kill. Meanwhile, by going 3-for-6 on the power play the T-birds are a season best sixth in the league with the man advantage.

T-birds defenseman Sam Knazko, playing for Slovakia, won the bronze medal in Men's Hockey at the Winter Olympics in Beijing

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Western Hockey League Stories from February 20, 2022


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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