T-Birds Reign in the Royals

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T-Birds Reign in the Royals

November 30, 2024 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Seattle Thunderbirds News Release


VICTORIA, B.C. - For the third consecutive game the T-Birds went past overtime to get a win, defeating the Victoria Royals in a shootout, 3-2, Friday at Save On Foods Memorial Centre. The win was just the second on the road this season for the Thunderbirds. The same two teams will meet again in Victoria Saturday.

"I thought we had better habits, especially through the first forty minutes, then we did last game," commented head coach Matt O'Dette. "It was a smart road game. We're starting to see some good maturity from the team, playing the game the right way with good habits that you need on the road."

The game was scoreless through the first period before Victoria got on the board five minutes into the second, a lead that would carry into the second intermission.

The Thunderbirds (9-13-2-1) tied it and then took the lead in the first five minutes of period three. Arjun Bawa got it started with his fourth of the season at 2:45, assisted by Nishaan Parmar. "Obviously we were down,1-nothing, going into that third period," explained Bawa of his first goal in 13 games. "We needed some momentum. He (Parmar) made a good hit, I saw a loose puck so I went to the front of the net, got it, and what do you know it went in."

Just under two minutes later the T-Birds took the lead on Owen Boucher's first goal of the season, with a shot from the left point. "It was a fortunate bounce," he explained. "The puck was kind of bouncing up to me at the point and I just kind of funneled there and it went in."

A misplay of the puck behind the Seattle goal led to the Royals tying the game back up at with twelve minutes remaining. After neither team scored through the rest of regulation or five minutes of overtime, Nathan Pilling scored the only goal of the shootout to earn the T-Birds the win.

"I think our body of work through the course of the game helped us," said O'Dette of the result. "We pushed through in the third. Really happy with the progress as far as our buy in and playing the game the right way to give ourselves the chance to win."

T-BIRDS EXTRAS

The last time the T-Birds played three straight games that went past sixty minutes was in December of 2021 (Dec. 3rd, 4th and 7th) when they lost overtime games to Victoria and Spokane then defeated Kelowna in a shootout.

Radim Mrtka made his WHL and T-Birds debut Friday against the Royals. The 6'6" Czech defenseman is considered a first round prospect for the 2025 NHL Draft. "he was really good. Very impressive for his first game," remarked O'Dette. "Dealing with jet lag, not having been on the ice for a while before getting here. For a guy to be that smooth with his skating and puck movement at that size is really impressive."

Forwards Will Jamieson and Kyren Gronick have left the team. Gronick's departure means the T-Birds are down to two 20-year-olds.

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