T-Birds stumble late in 7-3 opening-night loss to Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. – While the final score wasn’t indicative of how close the game was, the T-Birds came out with a disappointing start to the 2016-17 season.

The home-standing Portland Winterhawks busted open a tie game midway through the third period on route to a 7-3 opening-day win at the Moda Center on Saturday. Seattle erased a one-goal deficit three times but ran out of steam late.

Donovan Neuls was the offensive star for Seattle with two goals, while new goalie Rylan Toth allowed six goals on 35 shots. Ryan Hughes had a goal and two assists for Portland, which was victorious in the first game back for head coach Mike Johnston.

“We made the mistake at the wrong time,” Seattle head coach Steve Konowalchuk said after the game. “There’s no excuses, you can break it down but it’s a 3-3 hockey game. We need to be better than that. Our leaders turned the puck over twice there, veteran defensemen didn’t take care of the house; we can’t make those mistakes when the game’s on the line.”

The big blow came 12 minutes into the third period with the score knotted up at three. Portland’s Evan Weinger was forced wide of the Seattle net but nobody turned and took care of Cody Glass, who was alone in the slot.  Weinger found Glass for an easy score, which gave the Winterhawks a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

“It’s tied and we didn’t get the puck in twice,” Konowalchuk said. “That’s why they came in on the rush, we don’t pick up anybody in front of the net.”

The T-Birds had come back on three earlier occasions and down one looked like they would get a chance on the power play. Cavin Leth stole the puck at his own blue line and was en route to race down the ice on his own. He was grabbed by a Portland defender and tripped to the ice in what appeared to be a clear-cut penalty.

Unfortunately for the T-Birds, no referee’s arm went up and play continued. A few moments later, the T-Birds were called for too many men on the ice and it was Portland who ended up on the power play.

Brendan De Jong scored on the man advantage to give Portland a 5-3 lead and put the game essentially out of reach. The Winterhawks added an empty-net goal, as well as a late tally to make the game look like the blowout it wasn’t.

“Starting with our vets, down through our young guys, we have to learn how hard we have to play,” Konowalchuk said. “Or we have to remember, we know how to do it. We have to remember and be willing to do it.”

Early on, the T-Birds were able to create a number of chances but either missed the net or hit the post.

Instead of getting a lead, they fell behind late in the first period when Keoni Texeira fired a power-play slap shot past a well-screened Toth.

“I thought we had a chance to get a lead, that’s a big part of it always,” Konowalchuk said. “We didn’t get the lead and that can change the game. But, it was 3-3, in their building. We didn’t play hard enough.”

The T-Birds didn’t wait long in the second period to get the game square as Scott Eansor turned the puck over at his own blue line and was off to the races. He moved in on Michael Bullion and ripped a shot that the Portland goalie stopped. Neuls raced down the ice with Eansor and was in position to knock it home for his first goal of the season.

Portland would take the lead back when Alex Overhardt deflected a shot from out front that squeezed through Toth’s five-hole. The T-Birds fought back just more than a minute later when Bryan Allbee found Luke Ormsby behind the Portland defense. Ormsby tried a quick shot that the goalie stopped but followed up and knocked it home with one hand on his stick.

A defensive lapse cost the T-Birds later in the period when they got caught watching Glass behind the net. Nobody checked Hughes, who was flying into the slot. Glass found him and Hughes buried it to reinstate the Winterhawks’ one-goal lead heading into the third period.

Seattle again tied early in the third period when Eansor fed Neuls in front of the net from his knees for Neuls’ second of the night.

The T-Birds will now lick their wounds and take a week of practice as they prepare for next weekend. They will be in Vancouver on Friday before coming home for another crack at the Winterhawks. They’ll have some things to work on and judging by Konowalchuk’s tone, will have some spirited practices.

“We can make a bunch of excuses,” the coach said. “Carry over from camp, last year’s hangover, whatever you want to say. We didn’t play as hard and as desperate as we needed to, we didn’t play winning hockey.”

Notes                                                                                                                                              

• Both teams were missing key players Saturday night as NHL camps are underway. Portland was without Caleb Jones, Rodrigo Abols and Keegan Iverson. Seattle was missing Mathew Barzal, Ethan Bear and Keegan Kolesar.

• Saturday marked the second straight year that Seattle dropped its season opener on the road. Last season the team lost in Vancouver to the Giants.

• Despite the loss, the line of Eansor, Neuls and Nolan Volcan was special Saturday night. They were flying all over the ice and responsible for two of Seattle’s goals.

• Ormsby’s goal was the first of his WHL career and had to be a big moment for the Monroe native who grew up dreaming of being a T-Bird. At first the puck was taken out of play by the officials, but Turner Ottenbreit retrieved it and skated it back to the Seattle bench.

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