Thunderbirds Advance to WHL Championship Series
June 1, 2022 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Seattle Thunderbirds News Release
The Seattle Thunderbirds have booked their ticket in the 2022 WHL Championship series after defeating the Kamloops Blazers 3-2 in Game 7 of the Western Conference Championship Tuesday.
Jared Davidson scored twice, while linemate Lukas Svejkovsky chipped in with three assists as the Thunderbirds captured the Western Conference crown for the third time in the past seven seasons.
Seattle forced a Game 7 with a come-from-behind victory on home ice Sunday, and fell behind in period one when Blazers forward Fraser Minten snapped a shot from the left wing past Thomas Milic for his first goal of the series.
The Thunderbirds found an equalizer just over seven minutes later on a power-play, when Davidson one-timed a shot home from the right circle, evening the score at 1-1.
Davidson, who recorded 42 goals during the regular season, scored his team-leading 11th marker of the playoffs 2:27 into the middle frame, accepting a pass from Svejkovsky before wristing the puck past Kamloops goaltender Dylan Garand from the right wing.
Washington Capitals prospect Henrik Rybinski added a third goal for Seattle with 5:04 remaining in period two when he deflected a point shot past Garand for his fourth goal of the playoffs.
The Blazers outshot Seattle 15-9 in the third period, finding the scoresheet in the final minute of regulation time through forward Daylan Kuefler.
Goaltender Thomas Milic, though, turned in a 33-save performance for the Thunderbirds, who earned their second Game 7 win away from home in the 2022 WHL Playoffs.
Seattle moves on to face the Edmonton Oil Kings in the 2022 WHL Championship series, which begins Friday, June 3 in the Alberta capital.
The Thunderbirds and Oil Kings have been represented in five of the past eight WHL Championship series, though this year will mark the first time the two Clubs have met in the WHL Playoffs.
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Western Hockey League Stories from June 1, 2022
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