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WHL Seattle Thunderbirds

T-Birds Tear Apart Moose Jaw

January 12, 2019 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Seattle Thunderbirds News Release


MOOSE JAW, SK - Andrej Kukuca and Noah Philp each had three points Friday night at the Mosaic Place to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a dominating 7-2 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors.

Kukuca had two goals and an assist and Philp had three assists. Jarret Tyszka and Nolan Volcan each had a goal and an assist and Henrik Rybinski and Tyrel Bauer each had two assists.

Seattle goalie Roddy Ross was very good in net making 24 saves on 26 shot to get his third win of the season in as many starts. Ross stopped Justin Almeida on a shorthanded breakaway in the second period and Tristin Langan on a power-play breakaway in the third period.

This was the fifth game of a six-game road trip through the East Division. The T-Birds are 3-2-0-0 on the road trip, which continues Saturday against the Swift Current Broncos at 5pm.

Moose Jaw took a 1-0 lead at 5:15 of the first period on a goal by Brayden Tracey. Alek Sukunda and Dalton Hamaliuk had the assists.

Both teams had eight shots on goal in the first period.

Seattle erupted for four goals in the second period, the first just 1:24 into the period, to take a 4-1 lead.

Kukuca took a shot from the right circle that came off Moose Jaw goalie Brodan Salmond's left pad to Volcan just inside the left circle. Volcan banged the rebound into the empty net as Salmond was still on the ice from the Kukuca save. Simon Kubicek had the second assist.

Just under eight minutes later the T-Birds took a 2-1 lead on a power-play goal from Kukuca. Philp had the puck on the right boards and centered it to Jarret Tyszka. Tyszka crossed the puck to Kukuca in the left circle. With Matthew Wedman screening Salmond Kukuca took wrist shot that hit the top right corner of the net for his 10th goal of the season.

Sean Richards scored his first goal as a T-Bird at 13:39 of the second to make it a 3-1 Seattle lead. The line of Richards, Philp and Rybinski were cycling the puck efficiently in the Moose Jaw to set up the goal. Philp came out from behind the net at the left post and crossed the puck through the crease to Richards at the right post. Richards roofed the puck over a diving Salmond for the goal.

Wedman set up the T-Birds fourth goal 58 seconds after their third goal. Wedman carried the puck down the left wing and took a shot from a sharp angle. The puck rebounded off Salmond's pads to Keltie Jeri-Leon skating hard to the right post. Jeri-Leon chipped the rebound over Salmond for his first goal as a T-Bird. Tyrel Bauer had the second assist.

The T-Birds had a 17-15 advantage in shots after two periods by outshooting the Warriors 9-7 in the second period.

Moose Jaw cut the T-Birds lead to two goals at 2:49 of the third period on a power-play goal by Langan. Josh Brook and Jett Woo had the assists.

The response from the T-Birds after the second Moose Jaw goal was to score three times in 6:38 to take a 7-2 lead they wound not relinquish.

Bauer flipped the puck out of the defensive zone down the right wing. Rybinski chased the puck down and at the bottom of the right circle backhanded the puck off the boards back to Tyszka trailing the play. Tyszka skated into the right circle and beat Salmond with a wrist shot on the short side at 8:13 for his third goal of the season.

Kukuca scored his second goal of the game on the power play at 13:49 to make it a 6-2 lead. Volcan sent the puck from the right wall to Philp at center ice who crossed it to Kukuca in the left circle. Kukuca beat Salmond with a wrist over the right shoulder.

Just 1:01 later Brecon Wood won a puck battle along the left boards to set up the T-Birds seventh goal. The puck came off Wood's stick to Tyler Carpendale in the left circle. Carpendale beat Salmond over the goalie's glove with a wrist shot for his fifth goal of the season.

Seattle outshot Moose Jaw 27-26 in the game.

Salmond finished with 20 saves on 27 shots.

The T-Birds next home game is Saturday, January 19, against the Victoria Royals at 6:05pm at accesso ShoWare Center. 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, Moose Jaw, Tracey 16 (Sukunda, Hamaliuk), 5:15. Penalties - Woo, MJ (interference), 2:13. Wedman, Sea (roughing), 20:00. Woo, MJ (roughing), 20:00.

Second period - 2, Seattle, Volcan 16 (Kukuca, Kubicek), 1:24. 3, Seattle, Kukuca 10 (Tyszka, Philp), 9:18 (pp). 4, Seattle, Richards 11 (Philp, Rybinski), 13:39. 5, Seattle, Jeri-Leon 6 (Wedman, Bauer), 14:31. Penalties - Hamaliuk, MJ (checking to the head), 8:51. Kjemhus, MJ (unsportsmanlike conduct), 14:31. Langan, MJ (hooking), 15:00.

Third period - 6, Moose Jaw, Langan 32 (Brook), 2:49 (pp). 7, Seattle, Tyszka 3 (Rybinski, Bauer), 8:13. 8, Seattle, Kukuca 11 (Philp, Volcan), 13:49 (pp). 9, Seattle, Carpendale 5 (Wood), 14:51. Penalties - Philp, Sea (interference), 1:26. Volcan, Sea (high-sticking), 8:39. Bauer, Sea (hooking), 10:09. Langan, MJ (tripping), 12:50. Wood, Sea (elbowing), 18:36.

Shots on goal - Seattle 8-9-10 27, Moose Jaw 8-7-11 26. Goalies - Seattle, Ross 26 shots-24 saves (3-0-0-0); Moose Jaw, Salmond 27-20 (12-4-3-1). Power plays - Seattle 2-5; Moose Jaw 1-4. A - 3,286. Referees - Trevor Peluk, Sean Raphael. Linesmen - Ryan Lundquist, Tarrington Wyonzek.

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