T-Birds Shut Out in Game 3
June 8, 2022 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Seattle Thunderbirds News Release
KENT, Wash. -The Seattle Thunderbirds dropped a 4-0 decision to the Edmonton Oil Kings in Game 3 of the WHL Championship Series at the accesso ShoWare Center Tuesday. Edmonton now leads the best of seven series, two games to one. Game 4 will be Wednesday, also in Kent. Game time is 7:05 p.m. This will be the last home game in the series for Seattle.
T-birds head coach Matt O'Dette felt his team was playing well, but a Seattle power play late in the second period didn't go as planned and Edmonton broke the scoreless tie as a result. "We were playing a good game up to that point. We pushed our luck at the end of our power play, got overextended and they scored right after."
The first goal of the game came at 17:02 of the second period as the Oil Kings Jakub Demek was able to beat the T-birds defense up ice, cutting across the top of the crease to tuck the puck inside the right post. The goal came about a minute after Seattle goalie Thomas Milic had made an incredible glove save to stop an Edmonton 2-on-0 shorthanded rush.
O'Dette didn't think his team responded well to the opening goal. "One goal shouldn't take us off our game. I thought we hit a rut after that." At the midpoint of the second period the shots were even at 14 apiece, but the Oil Kings outshot Seattle 23-to-7 the rest of the way. "In the third period they clamped down a little bit," said O'Dette, who thought his team passed up some shooting opportunities. "We couldn't mount much of a push. We need to get pucks on net and create some rebounds. Shots can lead to shots."
Edmonton extended their lead with a Simon Kubicek power play goal at 4:10 of the third. Seven minutes later Kaiden Guhle shot a puck through a screen from the high slot to make it 3-0. Carter Souch's goal into an empty net, closed out the scoring.
Seattle is in a familiar position. They trailed their last two playoff opponents, two games to one, after Game 3. In each case they were able to come back to win the series. O'Dette said they will need to duplicate that in Game 4 as they look to even up the series before it shifts back to Edmonton for Game 5 Saturday.
"We've been in this situation before. We've shown our resiliency time and time again. We're in the exact same scenario as the Kamloops series. Win one game and it's an even series again.
T-BIRD EXTRAS
Henrik Rybinski missed his second straight game after being injured in the second period of Game 1.
Should the series go to Game 6, the T-birds will be designated the home team, even though it will be played at Rogers Place in Edmonton.
Former T-bird Simon Kubicek had a good night in his first game back in Kent, assisting on the game winner as well as scoring on the power play. Kubicek played two seasons with the T-birds before being dealt to Edmonton in January of 2021.
Western Hockey League Stories from June 8, 2022
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- Warriors Sign Top Three Picks from 2022 Draft - Moose Jaw Warriors
- Blazers Send Belton to Tri-City for Draft Pick - Kamloops Blazers
- Americans Acquire Reese Belton from Blazers - Tri-City Americans
- Hurricanes Acquire Carrier from Pats - Lethbridge Hurricanes
- Pats Deal Carrier to Lethbridge for Sixth-Round Pick - Regina Pats
- Oil Kings Shutout Thunderbirds in Game 3, Take Series Lead - Edmonton Oil Kings
- Edmonton Oil Kings Shut Out Seattle Thunderbirds in Game 3 of 2022 WHL Championship Series - WHL
- T-Birds Shut Out in Game 3 - Seattle Thunderbirds
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