THUNDERBIRDS

T-Birds notebook: Home woes, Sami watch, and Silvertips

Nov 16, 2017, 8:54 PM

Thunderbirds forward Sami Moilanen is starting to draw NHL attention (Brian Liesse/T-Birds)...

Thunderbirds forward Sami Moilanen is starting to draw NHL attention (Brian Liesse/T-Birds)

(Brian Liesse/T-Birds)

When the Thunderbirds skated off the Accesso ShoWare Center ice this past Tuesday, they did so dealing with their fifth straight home loss.

Losing at home is a new experience for Seattle and its loud fans.

Last year, the Thunderbirds only lost eight regulation games, along with one overtime loss, at home and have built one of the stronger home-ice advantages in the WHL.

After Tuesday’s loss they are off to a surprising 3-6 record in the friendly confines.

So, what gives? Is this reason for alarm?

Home ice usually gives the home team an advantage. The home coach is allowed last change after whistles and can dictate the match ups, getting his strongest players out on the ice against the visitor’s weaker players. It’s what makes winning on the road tough.

It’s still early, but that advantage has yet to materialize for the Thunderbirds.

The answer may be as simple as the schedule. While the losses to Prince Albert and Kamloops were frustrating for head coach Matt O’Dette and his players, the other four home defeats have come against some tough competition.

Of Seattle’s six home losses, four are courtesy of the Portland Winterhawks, Tri-City Americans, Victoria Royals, and Moose Jaw Warriors. Those are arguably four of the top teams in the league. Moose Jaw is off to a 16-5 start while Portland is just as strong with a 14-4 record. When Tri-City beat Seattle at home last Friday, it was the 11th straight game that the Americans had picked up points – a run that saw them go 10-0-1-0. Victoria is no slouch either and is leading the B.C. division with a 14-7-1-0 mark.

It’s no secret that Seattle is in a rebuilding season, a youth movement, or whatever phraseology you prefer to use. There is a lot of youth and inexperience up front and the team is still searching for some consistent scorers. Early on in the season, that makes for some tough matchups against the top teams — the teams that are where Seattle had been the last couple of years.

O’Dette has his team playing hard each night and while that may not be resulting in wins right now, they should get better as the season wears on. That in turn, should lead to more wins at home.

Here’s the latest surrounding the team.

Sami being watched

It sounds much more ominous than it is, but there are eyes on Sami Moilanen. The NHL’s Central Scouting published its November Players to Watch list Thursday and the Finnish import player showed up with a ‘C’ ranking.

Moilanen was eligible to be drafted this past June but wasn’t selected. His fast start to this season, where he has potted 11 goals, has garnered him some NHL attention it would appear. Unfortunately for Seattle, the 18-year-old’s availability this coming weekend is still unknown as he missed Tuesday’s game with an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day on the league’s injury list.

Spokane’s Ty Smith and Moose Jaw’s Jett Woo were the only WHL players to get ‘A’ rankings on the watch list.

Previewing the ‘Tips

Seattle will get its second look at the Everett Silvertips Friday at the Xfinity Arena to kick off a home-and-home with its I-5 rivals.

The Thunderbirds beat the Silvertips in the teams’ first meeting, back on October 22nd, but it will be a different looking Everett team that Seattle will see on Friday. The Silvertips didn’t have all-world goalie Carter Hart – or their impressive young back up Dustin Wolf – in the lineup due to injury for that first game.

Both goalies are back and since that loss to Seattle, Everett is 5-1-0-1 and Hart has posted two shutouts. His 2-0 whitewash of Prince Albert on Wednesday was the 21st of his career which tied a franchise record set by Leland Irving.

Offensively, the Silvertips are led by overager Patrick Bajkov’s 28 points but these two games could be low scoring affairs. Despite looking to play a more open style this year, the Silvertips are only averaging 2.9 goals-per-game which is tied for the second lowest in the Western Conference. Seattle has struggled at times to score and is averaging 3.16 goals-per-game so goals will be at a premium.

Friday will be the first time that Luke Ormsby will face off against his former team. Ormsby, was traded from Seattle to Everett a couple of weeks ago and figures to be in the lineup Friday.

Everett will be without defenseman Montana Onyebuchi on Friday as he has been suspended by the league for a charging major during the Silvertips win over Prince Albert on Wednesday.

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T-Birds notebook: Home woes, Sami watch, and Silvertips