T-Birds Trip up 'Tips
March 6, 2022 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Seattle Thunderbirds News Release
EVERETT, Wash. - Thomas Milic pushed out 37-shots and the Seattle Thunderbirds squeezed past the Everett Silvertips, 4-3, Saturday at Angel of the Winds Arena. The win clinched a playoff spot for the T-birds who won their third straight. The Thunderbirds wrap up the weekend Sunday when they host the Tri-City Americans at the accesso ShoWare Center. Game time is 5:05 p.m.
The T-birds were outshot 40-32 and gave Everett seven power plays but T-birds head coach Matt O'Dette called his team's performance solid. "It's never easy winning in this building. The guys never got down, even after they (Everett) came back in the second. There are always ups and down in games and it's how you manage them that matters. I thought the guys managed that part well."
Seattle (33-14-4-1) got off to a good start, scoring twice in the first period and killing off three Everett power plays in the opening period. In fact, it was the T-birds' special teams that won the period. Conner Roulette scored on the power play at 12:47 to open the scoring and Matt Rempe followed less than two minutes later with a shorthanded goal.
"It's always good to get off to a strong start and scoring first on the road helps, especially in this building," said O'Dette.
The T-birds extended their lead to 3-0 when Lukas Svejkovsky scored at 8:30 of the second period. The goal chased Everett starter Braden Holt, who was replaced in net by Koen McInnes. Everett would then score three times over a seven-minute span to forge a 3-3 tie. That included a 5-on-3 power play goal.
Seattle settled down and just before the period ended, regained the lead when Lucas Ciona jammed home a puck at the side of the Silvertips net. It stood as the game winner. Ciona joked it was a definitely a greasy goal, "Luckily it went off five things and off my butt or something like that and in."
The T-birds clamped down on Everett in the third period, limiting them to just eight shots on goal and killing off two more Silvertips power plays. Ciona said the team came out ready to go in the third. "We were ready to get pucks in deep, ready to play the hard game. We got pucks in deep and went to work."
The win in net was the 22nd of the season for Milic and second on the weekend. O'Dette had nothing but praise for his netminder. "He was fantastic. He really wanted this. He knows there are two good goalies at the other end, and he was ready for the challenge."
The game Sunday at the accesso ShoWare Center against Tri-City marks the start of a four-game homestand for Seattle.
T-BIRDS EXTRAS
Henrik Rybinski missed his fourth consecutive game dealing with an upper body injury suffered last Saturday versus Everett. He is listed as day-to-day.
The win was Seattle's first in Everett since March 7th, 2020 when they beat the Silvertips 5-2.
Roulette's first period goal was his 19th of the season, tying his WHL career best, set in the 2019-20 season.
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