T-Birds Magic Number to Clinch Playoff Spot Is One
March 13, 2019 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Seattle Thunderbirds News Release
KENT - The Vancouver Giants defeated the Seattle Thunderbirds 5-1 Tuesday night at accesso ShoWare Center.
Seattle is now 28-29-6-2 and has a five point lead on the Kamloops Blazers (26-32-5-2) for the second wild card playoff spot in the Western Conference. Their magic number to secure the second wild card spot is one. A T-Birds win or a Kamloops loss put the T-Birds in the playoffs.
The T-Birds travel to Kennewick to play the Tri-City Americans on Wednesday at 7:05pm. The Blazers host the Victoria Royals on Wednesday.
Vancouver took a 1-0 lead at 14:45 of the first period on a goal by Justin Sourdif. Davis Koch and Aidan Barfoot had the assists.
The Giants made it 3-0 in the second period on a power-play goal by Lucas Svejkovsky at 2:29 and a goal from Alex Kannok Leipert at 7:12.
Seattle cut the Giants lead to two goals at 16:33 of the second. Matthew Wedman won a faceoff in the left circle of the offensive zone where Henrik Rybinski picked it up. Rybinski took a stride a put a wrist shot on goal that beat Vancouver goalie David Tendeck under the right arm.
Svejkovsky scored at 16:56 of the second to make it a 4-1 Giants lead.
Dylan Plouffe scored the Giants fifth goal 43 seconds into the third period on the power play.
Seattle outshot Vancouver 39-24 in the game.
Single game tickets are on sale online on the T-Birds website and at the accesso ShoWare Center box office.
The T-Birds are now taking orders for Flex-24 Ticket packages. Fans that purchase the 24-Flex Ticket Package will be able to select any available premium seat for any game, in any ticket combination, during the 2018-19 season.
SCORING SUMMARY
First period - 1, Vancouver, Sourdif 24 (Koch, Barfoot), 14:45. Penalties - Draffin, Van (hooking), 6:08. Nielsen, Van (high-sticking), 9:17.
Second period - 2, Vancouver, Svejkovsky 8 (Byram, Hines), 2:29 (pp). 3, Vancouver, Kannok Leipert 4 (Watts, Koch), 7:12. 4, Seattle, Rybinski 8 (Wedman), 15:33. 5, Vancouver, Svejkovsky 9 (Valenti), 16:56. Penalties - Wedman, Sea (high-sticking), 1:08. Bulych, Van (boarding), 11:15. Wood, Sea (holding), 19:06.
Third period - 6, Vancouver, Plouffe 7 (Watts, Koch), :43 (pp). Penalties - Kubicek, Sea (roughing), 11:55. Richards, Sea (roughing), 11:55. McNelly, Sea (roughing), 11:55. Patrician, Van (roughing), 11:55. Plouffe, Van (holding), 13:19. Wood, Sea (major-fighting), 14:09. Hines, Van (major-fighting), 14:09. Richards, Sea (unsportsmanlike conduct), 14:09. Byram, Van (unsportsmanlike conduct), 14:09. Bulych, Van (cross checking), 15:09.
Shots on goal - Seattle 15-15-9 39, Vancouver 8-7-9 24. Goalies - Seattle, Ross 17 shots-12 saves (14-5-1-2), Schwebius 7-7; Vancouver, Tendeck 39-38 (24-10-1-1). Power plays - Seattle 0-3; Vancouver 2-2. A - 5,202. Referees - Jeff Ingram, Brett Roeland. Linesmen - Mark Heier, Brett Mackey.
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