THUNDERBIRDS

Thunderbirds score four straight in giant comeback to even series with Vancouver

Mar 27, 2019, 11:53 PM

Matthew Wedman celebrates his late game-winning goal Wednesday as Seattle evened their series with ...

Matthew Wedman celebrates his late game-winning goal Wednesday as Seattle evened their series with Vancouver (Brian Liesse/T-Birds)

(Brian Liesse/T-Birds)

KENT – Seattle Thunderbirds winger Henrik Rybinski stole the puck deep in the Vancouver Giants zone as the clock worked under five minutes to go in Wednesday’s Game 4 at the accesso ShoWare Center.

He took it behind the Vancouver net, looked up and saw that Matthew Wedman had position in front. Rybinski hit Wedman’s stick and the big center banged it home to put the Thunderbirds up 4-3 with 4:14 to go.

“He was all over the puck,” Wedman said about the play. “I got it down low and beat my D-Man to the net and he found me in the slot there. Managed to squeak it five-hole.”

The goal gave the Thunderbirds an improbable comeback win that saw them erase a 3-0 deficit with four straight goals to even their best-of-seven, first-round series at 2-2. The series will head back to Langley for Game 5 on Friday night.

Seattle fell behind 3-0 two minutes into the second period when Davis Koch converted a two-on-one. It looked like the Thunderbirds were going to be on the brink of elimination.

“I think with some of the things that were happening in the game, maybe some doubt started to creep into the guys’ minds,” Seattle head coach Matt O’Dette said. “Credit to the leaders in the room, they righted the ship there quickly and we, I guess, re-bought into the game plan.”

A healthy scratch in Game 1 of the series, Keltie Jeri-Leon would spark the Seattle comeback three minutes later. Nolan Volcan lugged the puck deep on a Seattle power play and drug two defenders with him. Jeri-Leon picked it up behind the Vancouver net, swung out in front to the slot and fired.

Vancouver goalie David Tendeck never saw it and Jeri-Leon picked up his first WHL playoff marker.

“I just picked up the puck and saw everyone was in front of the net,” Jeri-Leon said. “It was a big scramble so I just thought if I could (get) in front and maybe get an open lane. I just found one and put it in the corner.”

Seattle picked up some much-needed momentum from the goal and started buzzing. Jeri-Leon nearly tied it up himself but hit the post on a couple of good chances.

The Thunderbirds headed into the dressing room after 40 minutes with some momentum and life, but also with a big hole to climb out of. It was time for the head coach to pull out the big speech to avoid falling behind 3 games to 1.

“We’ve been down and out so many times this season,” O’Dette said of his intermission speech. “Just time to tap into that character again, that we’ve shown time and time again.”

Noah Philp would score first in the third period to get Seattle closer.

The 20-year-old had yet to register point in the series but at 7:11 of the third period he cut the Vancouver lead to 3-2 when he loosed a shot from the circle for his first of the series and first playoff goal of his career.

“It was the tail end of a power-play shift and I tried to hit Andrej (Kukuca) in the middle and it popped back to me,” Philp said of the play. “I wasn’t really thinking, I just ripped it as hard as I could, and it went in. It was nice to get that off my chest… I was frustrated not being able to produce, and it felt good to get that one.”

After setting up Philp to draw closer, Kukuca would then strike to tie the game four minutes later.

It came on a Seattle power play and started with Philp taking a shot that Wedman tipped on net. The puck rebounded off Tendeck to Kukuca who wasted no time to shoot and score his third of the playoffs. All three players involved in the marker ended the night with a goal and an assist while Seattle went 2-for-4 with the man advantage.

That goal set up Wedman’s heroics to win a game that got off to a troublesome start for Seattle in the first five minutes.

Sean Richards was assessed a five-minute major for checking from behind 4:16 into the first period when he took Vancouver’s Aidan Barfoot into the boards. The penalty also carried with it a game misconduct as Barfoot was injured and did not return to the game.

Facing a Vancouver power play that had already scored five times in three games, the Thunderbirds were able to fight through the extended power-play time and avoid any damage.

“Just commitment,” Philp said of the key kill. “Just blocking shots and doing what’s necessary. We had guys diving around face first like, not taking anything. Just putting yourself on the line for your team.”

Vancouver, who boasts one of the league’s top power plays would end the night 0-for-2.

Despite not scoring on the power play, the Giants would score twice in the first to take a lead. First it was Dylan Plouffe who floated a shot from the point that hit Philp and got past Roddy Ross. Later, Brayden Watts would roof a shot to extend the lead.

Seattle got better as the game wore on and after being out shot 12-9 in the first period would go on to out shoot the Giants 25-17 the rest of the way.

“We just needed to get pucks deep,” Wedman said. “Get on their D. It showed, their D started slowing up going back to pucks. We started picking up the pace.”

The back-and-forth series will now head back to Vancouver for a pivotal Game 5 on Friday night. While Wednesday’s win was big, the players all said they would enjoy it for 24-hours and then begin to prepare for the next challenge.

“We’re ready to go the long haul,” O’Dette said. “We expected it to be a long, drawn out battle and that’s what it is. Obviously, a huge game coming up on Friday.”

Notes

• Seattle got Jake Lee back in the lineup after he served a two-game suspension for a cross-checking major late in Game 1. With one defenseman back in the fold, they were without Cade McNelly for Wednesday’s Game 4. McNelly was suspended two games by the league for a threatening gesture made from the penalty box during Tuesday night’s Game 3.

• Ross turned in a strong game Wednesday night. He picked up the win by turning away 26 saves. He made a huge, point-blank save on Calgary Flames prospect Milos Roman with time running out.

• Wednesday was Volcan’s 53rd career playoff game with Seattle which ties his former linemate Scott Eansor for most ever in franchise history.

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