T-Birds to Face Portland in First Round of Playoffs
March 22, 2015 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Seattle Thunderbirds News Release
KENT - The Seattle Thunderbirds defeated the Portland Winterhawks 6-3 Saturday night in front of a season-high 6,220 fans. The win, coupled with the Everett Silvertips earning a point in their game against the Victoria Royals, sealed the T-Birds first round playoff matchup.
Seattle will play the Portland Winterhawks in the first round, with the series' first game coming in Portland on Saturday, March 28 at 6:00 pm. The T-Birds' first home game will be Tuesday, March 31 at 7:05 pm.
Seattle vs. Portland First Round Series Schedule
Game 1- Seattle @ Portland, March 28 6:00 pm (VMC)
Game 2- Seattle @ Portland, March 29 5:00 pm (Moda)
Game 3- Portland @ Seattle, March 31 7:05 pm
Game 4- Portland @ Seattle, April 2 7:05 pm
Game 5- Seattle @ Portland, April 4 6:00 pm* (VMC)
Game 6- Portland @ Seattle, April 7 7:05 pm*
Game 7- Seattle @ Portland, April 8 7:00 pm* (VMC)
*If necessary
Tickets for Game 3 and Game 4 are on sale on the T-Birds website 7kyuvzNo7krZ0M3Ps4bNzCLgKs2K4sfxOKNyIGbXw==] and at the ShoWare Center box office. The ShoWare Center Box Office is open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday game days at 10 a.m. and Sunday game days at noon.
Game 3 of the first round will be Tuesday, March 31, at ShoWare Center at 7:05pm. The first home playoff game for the T-Birds will be a Director's Mortgage 2-for-Tuesday game. All tickets for Game 3 are 2-for-1 and ShoWare Center will feature concession specials including $2 beer, $2 hot dogs, $2 soda and $2 popcorn for all fans.
The T-Birds have a special ticket offer for Game 4 of the series on Thursday, April 2. Fans can get 10 tickets for Game 4 for $200. Anyone that purchases this playoff ticket package will also receive two additional playoff tickets to Game 4, a T-Birds t-shirt of their choice from the Hockey Store in ShoWare Center and $10 in Chuck-a-Pucks. Fans can purchase this package on the T-Birds website. xOKNyIGbXw==]
The T-Birds finished the season with a 38-25-4-5 record after their victory.
Logan Flodell got the start for the T-Birds in net and stopped 35 of 38 to earn his third win of the season. Portland's Adin Hill stopped 29 of 34 and took the loss, falling to 31-11-1-0.
Oliver Bjorkstrand scored 38 seconds into the game to give Portland a 1-0 lead. Anton Cederholm and Layne Viveiros assisted on the goal.
Ryan Gropp tied the game back up after several minutes of pressure from the T-Birds. Gropp's goal came at 5:42. The winger took the puck on the sideboards from Turner Ottenbreit and cut in through the faceoff circle to the center of the crease. Gropp's shot went over Hill's shoulder and into the net for his 29th goal of the season. Mathew Barzal had the secondary assist.
Seattle's pressure continued after the goal. Shea Theodore made a nifty move down the wing to beat the defense and find Calvin Spencer in the slot for a backhanded flip toward the net which Hill was able to catch against his chest. Alexander True also had a few chances denied, tipping a point shot and following up on the rebound.
Three penalties in a row on Portland gave Seattle the opportunity to keep their attack going. Seven shots on goal followed, as well as five shots wide, but the T-Birds couldn't quite take the lead until Cory Millette pushed the puck home after a wrist shot from the blue line by Jared Hauf. Hauf's shot looked to be going wide before Millette redirected it past Hill to make it 2-1 at 16:33.
Seattle led 17-13 in shots in the first period.
A dust-up after the whistle in the first meant that the T-Birds started a man down in the second period. Seattle only managed one clearance during the penalty kill but also kept Portland from recording a single shot before even strength hockey returned.
Another Gropp goal extended the lead at 4:31. This time, Barzal and Roberts Lipsbergs fought the puck out of the corner, with Lipsbergs eventually gaining full control and finding Gropp. Gropp cut to the net again, regaining control of the puck after he beat three defenders and waiting long enough to find an opening for his shot. The goal gave Gropp an even 30 on the season and six in his last four periods of play spanning two games.
The goals kept coming for Seattle, with Hauf adding one at 6:26. Hauf's point shot stayed low and wriggled under Hill as Donovan Neuls set a screen in front. Nolan Volcan and Scott Eansor earned the assists.
Portland's Bjorkstrand scored for the second time at 13:03, cutting Seattle's lead to two goals. Bjorkstrand stole the puck at the blue line as the T-Birds attempted to push forward. With the defense hustling to react, Bjorkstrand circled back down into the zone and beat Flodell.
Shots were 11-10 Portland in the second.
Bjorkstrand completed his hat trick with a penalty shot goal at 12:50. Bjorkstrand stole the puck and had no one in front of him on a breakaway, only to have a T-Bird defenseman hustle back and knock the puck away. Bjorkstrand's skates were caught up during the break up, however, and a penalty shot was awarded. The goal was Bjorkstrand's 61st.
Just 20 seconds later, Jerret Smith scored to push Seattle's lead back to two goals. Lipsbergs won the puck on the boards in the corner. Smith cut into the slot awaiting a pass and got just that from Lipsbergs before beating Hill over the glove. The power-play goal was also assisted by Gropp, giving him three points on the night and pushing him past Barzal for the team lead in points with 58.
Theodore scored an empty net goal with 1:19 left in the game to seal the victory. Neuls and Theodore passed the puck back and forth as they worked it up the ice against just one defender before Theodore bounced it off the diving defender's body into the net for the goal.
Shots in the final period of play were 14-8 Portland.
The T-Birds held their annual team awards after the game. Evan Wardley won the Humanitarian Award for his work in the community this season. Keegan Kolesar won the Scholastic Award for his academic work. The Most Improved Player Award went to Luke Osterman. Ryan Gropp was the team's top scorer, finishing with 58 points. Donovan Neuls was voted the Most Dedicated Player by his teammates, as well as the Rookie of the Year. The Top Defenseman this season was Shea Theodore, who set the record for most career points and goals for a defenseman in franchise history. Taran Kozun was the team's Most Valuable Player this year.
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