T-Birds Streak Ends in Portland
February 17, 2025 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Seattle Thunderbirds News Release
PORTLAND, Ore. - Simon Lovsin scored once and added an assist but the Seattle Thunderbirds were edged out by the Portland Winterhawks, 4-3, Monday afternoon at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The loss snapped the T-Birds four game winning streak. Seattle is back on the road Friday when they travel to Wenatchee to play the Wild.
The Thunderbirds end up taking two of the three games played over three days this weekend. "Maybe with the short bench, we ran out of gas," opined head coach Matt O'Dette. "Portland was opportunistic on their chances and they made the most of them. We really wanted the sweep, but came up just short,"
Three times in the game Seattle (22-29-2-1) built one goal leads. They opened the scoring with a first period goal from Hayden Pakkala at 6:42, assisted by Brayden Holberton. Portland tied it less than two minutes later.
The T-Birds pushed back ahead when Lovsin scored his sixth of the season at 2:53 of period two, assisted by Nathan Pilling. After Portland scored at 6:39 to tie it back up at 2-2, Lovsin helped get Seattle the lead back, assisting on Pilling's 25th of the season at 10:51.
"The forecheck was big for us," said Lovsin of his play to set up the T-Birds third goal. "I saw an opportunity to lay a big hit, came up with the puck and slid it on net and Pills was their to pick up the garbage."
The crucial point in the game was at 14:09 of the second period when Pilling was assessed a five minute major and match penalty for intent to injure. The Winterhawks used the ensuing powerplay time to tie the game once again at 3-3.
"When we play in these 3-in-3 games, we have keys to the way we need to play," explained O'Dette. "One of them is being disciplined, especially against a team that is very good on the power play. We gave them one and also lost one of our best players at an inopportune time. That was the turning point in the game.
The winning goal for Portland came at 7:29 of the third period after the T-Birds failed on a power play of their own. After killing off the penalty, the Winterhawks were able to flip the puck past the Seattle defense and score on a breakaway.
T-BIRDS EXTRAS
With the Kamloops Blazers losing to Spokane Monday, the T-Birds maintain there three point lead for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
The season series with Portland is tied at three wins apiece with four more head-to-head games remaining.
Seattle played all three games this weekend with out their leading scorer, and captain, Braeden Cootes, in the lineup. The T-Birds still outscored their opponents in the three games, 11-6.
Western Hockey League Stories from February 17, 2025
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- Spokane Clinches Playoff Spot After Monster 2nd Period Sees off Kamloops - Spokane Chiefs
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- Game Day Hub: February 17 vs. Seattle - Portland Winterhawks
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- Oil Kings Head Back to Red Deer for Family Day Meeting with Rebels - Edmonton Oil Kings
- Broncos Host Hitmen in Family Day Game - Swift Current Broncos
- Preview: Americans at Rockets - February 17, 2025 - Tri-City Americans
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