THUNDERBIRDS

Thunderbirds strike first with overtime win in Game 1 against Regina

May 5, 2017, 10:35 PM | Updated: May 6, 2017, 12:00 am

Carl Stankowski makes one of his 31 saves during Seattle's 2-1 overtime win in Game 1 (Keith Hershm...

Carl Stankowski makes one of his 31 saves during Seattle's 2-1 overtime win in Game 1 (Keith Hershmiller/ Pats)

(Keith Hershmiller/ Pats)

Playing in front of friends and family in Regina, Donovan Neuls scored the biggest goal of his career Friday night in Game 1 of the WHL Championship series.

The game was in overtime after the Regina Pats tied it at one late in the third period. Neuls, who was playing on Seattle’s top line due to the suspension of Keegan Kolesar, wasted no time to end things. An Ethan Bear slap shot just 14 seconds into the period rang off the cross bar of the Regina net and into the crease. Neuls was there to poke it home.

The goal gave Seattle a thrilling 2-1 overtime win as they take the early lead over the Pats and the Thunderbirds have stolen home ice advantage in the best-of-seven Championship Series.

“That’s probably number one,” Neuls said about where the goal ranked in his career during the post-game press conference. “Not too often to you get to score an overtime winner in a WHL Final.”

Last year, Seattle dropped the first three games of the WHL Championship Series to the Brandon Wheat Kings, all of them in overtime. The team has talked a great deal about lessons learned from that series, and they wasted no time to show that they have done just that.

Instead of overtime heartbreak, they got overtime elation.

“It’s nice to change the pattern a little bit,” Seattle head coach Steve Konowalchuk said. “We have a resilient bunch in our locker room and you’d like to think that you can overcome a lot. It’s certainly nice to get a win here and kind of really close out that memory of last year.”

Resilient is the proper word to describe Bear’s play in Game 1.

The defenseman missed the last two games of Seattle’s series with the Kelowna Rockets due to what was reported as a broken hand. He took warm ups before those games but wasn’t able to properly grip his stick and didn’t go.

He was in the lineup Friday and looked no worse for the wear.

Not only did he get the assist on the game-winner but he opened the scoring for Seattle in the second period. While on a four-on-three power play, Bear took a slap shot that beat Regina goalie Tyler Brown for his sixth of the post season.

“Pretty impressive,” Konowalchuk said of Bear. “It looked like he didn’t miss any time. You could see his confidence building from the start of the game to the end. He’s a real valuable player for us.”

The Edmonton Oilers prospect admitted it took him a bit of time to feel like he was truly back.

“It felt like I was fine,” Bear said. “It took a couple of shifts to get into it but once I got into my groove it was good from there. I was confident and shooting.”

Rookie goalie Carl Stankowski was outstanding again for Seattle. He raised his post season record to 13-2 by making 31 saves against the top scoring team in the WHL. Twice he stopped Regina’s Austin Wagner on breakaways and made a number of scrambling saves.

The two teams wasted no time dialing up the physical play on Friday night.

Despite only having played once this season, the game began to resemble a grudge match between two long time rivals.

The physicality hit its crescendo in the second period when Seattle defenseman Turner Ottenbreit caught Regina star Adam Brooks with a heavy hit at the Seattle blue line. Brooks was down and bloody from the hit, which was not penalized, and did not return to play.

Brooks scored 43 goals on 130 points during the season for Regina and is the team captain.

“It’s sucks obviously but you can’t let one player dictate how the rest of the team is going to play,” Regina’s Connor Hobbs said. “Obviously, Brooksy was out before in the playoffs and we found a way to battle and that’s what we have to do moving forward here.”

Brooks had missed time during Regina’s second round playoff series with the Swift Current Broncos.

The officials felt the hit was clean although the 6,484 fans at the Brandt Centre disagreed and booed Ottenbreit the rest of the game.

“I don’t think it was necessarily that high but it was a Scott Stevens hit,” Regina head coach John Paddock said. “That’s what I see and believe.”

Paddock was referring to Stevens, a former New Jersey Devils and Hall of Fame defenseman who was known for devastating hits on opponents. Hits that didn’t always sit well with the guys on the other end of them.

The Thunderbirds would take the lead shortly after the hit on Bear’s power-play goal, adding insult to injury.

Seattle held onto the lead into the third period but the Pats were pushing.

Regina got the game even while on a four-on-three power play of their own when former Everett Silvertip Dawson Leedahl spotted Hobbs pinching in from the corner. He got Hobbs the puck and the defenseman buried it.

Seattle had a late push to try and win the game in regulation but Ryan Gropp was stopped late on a nice save by Brown and the two teams skated off the ice to prepare for overtime.

With a strong sense of déjà vu from last year’s finals, Neuls and the T-Birds scored on the first shift. It started with a Mathew Barzal play to get an initial shot. That shot rebounded out to Bear who fired and set up Neuls for the winner.

“I just saw Barzy make a good play and he took into the zone and put a puck on net,” Neuls said of the play. “It came out right to Bear and he blasted one. It hit the bar and I was able to poke it in, it’s a great feeling to get the first one.”

As the T-Birds celebrated on the ice, they had exercised one demon from last year’s loss to Brandon, but you get the feeling they want three more. Game 2 will be Saturday night in the Brandt Center at six o’clock.

Notes

• Barzal picked up assists on both of Seattle’s goals. Bear ended the night with a goal and an assist while Gropp chipped in with an assist as well.

• When asked in the post-game press conference about Brooks’ condition, Paddock didn’t know and didn’t want to elaborate so we’ll have to see if the Regina star will be able to play on Saturday.

• Both teams scored power-play goals while on a four-on-three chance. Regina ended the night 1-for-3 on the power play while Seattle went 1-for-4.

• Kolesar will be back in the lineup for Seattle on Saturday as the T-Birds will try to take a commanding two-game lead.

Thunderbirds

Thunderbirds GM Bil La Forge has some moves to make this offseason. (Brian Liesse/T-Birds photo)...

Andy Eide

Thunderbirds GM Bil La Forge dishes on the upcoming offseason

Thunderbirds general manager Bil La Forge will make some moves this summer to improve his club. Will they be big ones?

3 years ago

Seattle’s Keltie Jeri-Leon celebrates his final WHL goal Sunday against Spokane. (Brian Liess...

Andy Eide

Thunderbirds end strange and hard season on a high note with dominating win over Spokane

The Seattle Thunderbirds dealt with a lot of adversity this season but end on a high note.

3 years ago

Keltie Jeri-Leon plays his final WHL game for the Thunderbirds Sunday night. (Brian Liesse)...

Andy Eide

Keltie Jeri-Leon set to play his final WHL game as Thunderbirds face Spokane Sunday

After five seasons, Seattle's lone over-aged player, Keltie Jeri-Leon will play his final junior game Sunday night.

3 years ago

Seattle rookie Scott Ratzlaff won his first WHL game in his first start. (Judy Simpson/TC Americans...

Andy Eide

Scott Ratzlaff earns first WHL win as Thunderbirds beat Tri-City

Behind a rookie goalie, the Thunderbirds kicked off the season's final weekend with a 5-2 win in Kennewick against the Tri-City Americans.

3 years ago

The Seattle Thunderbirds celebrate after snapping a six-game losing streak Sunday night. (Brian Lie...

Andy Eide

Thunderbirds enjoy winning again after snapping six-game losing streak

The Seattle Thunderbirds have been scuffling but battled against a good Portland Winterhawks club to snap a six-game losing streak.

3 years ago

Thunderbirds forward Reid Schaefer fights for position Sunday in Portland. (Megan Connelly/Winterha...

Andy Eide

Dealing with adversity, young Thunderbirds drop pair of games in Portland

Injuries and penalties have thrown a ton of adversity at the young Thunderbirds which showed up in a pair of losses at Portland this weekend.

3 years ago

Thunderbirds strike first with overtime win in Game 1 against Regina