T-Birds Push Past Portland
February 16, 2025 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Seattle Thunderbirds News Release
KENT, Wash. - Scott Ratzlaff came up with 40 saves and the Seattle Thunderbirds defeated the Portland Winterhawks, 4-2, Saturday at the accesso ShoWare Center. The win was the third in a row as Seattle holds on to the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. This was the first of three games in three days for the Thunderbirds. They travel to Wenatchee Sunday to play the Wenatchee Wild at the Town Toyota Center. Monday afternoon they are in Portland for a rematch with the Winterhawks.
"With guys out of the lineup, another going down during the game, we needed every guy to step up, contribute, and I thought that happened," said head coach Matt O'Dette of his team's second win over Portland in the last eight days. "The power play goal early for us was huge and then the late penalty kills were just as important. We got it done. Bent but didn't break."
The teams traded power play goals in the game's first five minutes. Seattle (21-28-2-1) struck first, just 53 seconds in. Nathan Pilling earned his team leading 24th of the season, assisted by Radim Mrtka and Coster Dunn. Portland tied it at 4:54.
The Thunderbirds regained the lead with an unassisted goal from Matej Pekar at 6:01 and made it 3-1 when Colton Gerrior scored just over a minute later. Brendan Rudolph and Sam Charko earned the assists. For Gerrior, it was his first goal since he scored twice on opening night back in September. "Good play by Rudolph and Charko to get me the puck there. I felt good when I saw it go in."
The Winterhawks closed to within 3-2 with a goal just past the midway point of the opening period. There was just one goal scored in the second period, and it came off the stick of Pekar at 14:46, assisted by Antonio Martorana. Pekar now has nine goals in his last nine games and says he's feeling confident in his shot. "Yeah, a little bit," said the rookie winger from Czechia. "But I'm getting more greasy goals in front of the net. I'm trying to keep that up."
The T-Birds protected their lead in the third thanks to two penalty kills and 15 saves from Ratzlaff who has now won nine of his last 11 starts. "He was really good tonight," said O'Dette of his netminder. "Calm, cool, just making the big saves when we need them. Your goalie is your best penalty killer, and he certainly was that tonight."
T-BIRDS EXTRAS
T-Birds leading scorer Braeden Cootes missed the game with a lower body injury. Meanwhile the T-Birds lost third leading scorer Coster Dunn in the second period after he blocked a shot.
Seattle was awarded just one power play goal in the game, and it came in the very first minute. Portland got the game's last five power plays but after scoring on their first, the T-Birds killed off their last four.
The T-Birds now lead the season series over Portland, 3-2 with five games remaining between now and March 22nd.
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