Blazers blow out Thunderbirds behind seven unanswered goals

KENT – The Seattle Thunderbirds had a second period problem Friday night against the Kamloops Blazers.

After a first period that saw Seattle score twice and take a 2-1 lead, the Thunderbirds would then get out of sorts as the Blazers erupted for three second-period goals to build a lead that they would not surrender.

“They out-competed us, kind of bullied us on the ice which shouldn’t happen to our team,” Seattle head coach Matt O’Dette said.

The Thunderbirds malaise carried over into the third period as they would get blown out by a 7-2 score for their third straight loss. It was another game in which they struggled with puck management and play in their own end.

Kamloops (4-6-0-1) was led by Zane Franklin’s hat trick, Nolan Kneen’s two goals and 31 saves by goalie Dylan Ferguson. The Vegas Golden Knights prospect was at his best late in the second period when he made four tough saves to keep the Thunderbirds from tying the game on a power play.

Seattle (6-3-2-0) would welcome back Dillon Hamaliuk and Payton Mount to the lineup but couldn’t generate any offense while playing five-on-five.

“I think maybe because we’re healthy, maybe we were overconfident, checking the record there,” O’Dette said. “It sure seemed that way. They’re a big, heavy team. We like to think we are as well, but they implemented their will more than we did.”

The troubles for Seattle started in the second period.

A big momentum shift came when Kamloops forward Orrin Centazzo caught Matthew Wedman with a hit just inside the Kamloops’ zone. The hit stunned Wedman and the big center would have to leave the ice.

Wedman would return later in the period but there was no penalty called on Centazzo.

“Obviously it did change things,” O’Dette said of the hit. “I don’t know what era that’s not a penalty. You can’t crack back from the back check like that from the blind side. I don’t know what world we’re living in for that not to be a penalty in today’s hockey. I can find ten different suspendable hits that are like that, if not as bad. I don’t know, it’s bizarre to me.”

Things wouldn’t be the same for Seattle after that.

Up a goal, a bad turnover would lead to a Jermaine Loewen goal at 7:25 of the second to tie the game at two. It was Loewen’s third of the year and the 100^th career point for the Dallas Stars prospect. Franklin scored his first of the night just over a minute later, after a near miss for Seattle at the other end. He snapped a shot past Liam Hughes after a scramble behind the Thunderbirds net and gave Kamloops its first lead of the evening.

Looking to escape the second just down one the Thunderbirds would allow another Franklin score with 16 seconds left in the period, putting Seattle in a two-goal hole it couldn’t get out of.

“They’re a back breaker but the way we’re playing five on five, you’re not going to win like that,” O’Dette said about the two late second-period goals allowed. “I don’t think momentum was a big issue tonight. They just overwhelmed us. I thought we struggled in our own end. Our D got caught flat-footed multiple times off the rush. We’re working on that and we need more work.”

After two strong Thunderbirds shifts to start the third were shut down by Ferguson, the Blazers were back to scoring. They would blow the game open with three more goals scored by Connor Zary, Franklin, and Kneen.

Hughes was lifted for back up Corey Scwebius after the sixth Blazers goal and ended the night with 21 saves.

The night started promising for Seattle as it scored two power-play goals in the first period to take a 2-0 lead. The first came off the stick of Noah Philp for his eighth of the season and was followed up less than a minute later by Simon Kubicek who would score on a wrist shot.

The Blazers would cut the lead in half before the first ended however when Kneen scored his first of the evening.

Seattle won’t have a lot of time to straighten things out as they’ll be on the road Saturday night to play a good Vancouver Giants club. The young Thunderbirds will have to find a way to quickly correct the mistakes that plagued them Friday.

“Better be ready to compete,” O’Dette said about Saturday’s game. “That’s unacceptable for us to happen to us on home ice. Its a gut check.  Guys have to take a look in the mirror. I thought we played very timid tonight.”

Notes

• All seven goals Seattle allowed came at even strength. The Thunderbirds penalty kill was the lone strong point of the night, killing off seven Kamloops’ power plays, including an extended five-on-three in the first period.

• The Seven goals allowed by the Thunderbirds were the most allowed this season and the most allowed at home since March 4^th of last year in a 7-4 loss to the Portland Winterhawks.

• Philp’s eight goals this season is the second-highest total in his WHL career. He scored eight in 2016-2017 while playing for the Kootenay Ice. Last season he set a career high with 14.

• Seattle came into the game Friday in a 0-for-13 power-play slump. They were 2-for-5 in the loss.

Follow @AndyEide