T-Birds’ win streak ends at six with 4-0 loss in Portland

With a six-game winning streak on the line, the Thunderbirds were unable to generate any offense, falling 4-0 to the Winterhawks Sunday evening at the Moda Center in Portland, Ore.

The first significant action of the game came just 3:06 into the first period as Luke Osterman and Keegan Iverson dropped the gloves in a spirited bout. The big news came after, however, as Iverson was sent to his locker room following a lengthy discussion amongst the officials. Iverson, who had taped his wrist and part of his thumb prior to the game, received a match penalty after Osterman was cut during the altercation. WHL rules state that any player wearing tape or other materials below the wrist who cuts or injures a player during a fight will receive a match penalty in addition to the penalties that would be assessed otherwise.

Seattle received a 5-minute power play as a result of Iverson’s transgression but was unable to capitalize. The T-Birds started the advantage strong and were able to generate a couple of chances, but the pressure eventually dwindled and the Winterhawks came out of the lengthy shorthanded trial unscathed.

A few minutes after Portland killed the match penalty, the T-Birds once again had another opportunity to score as Alex Schoenborn was called for charging. The power play lasted for 1:50, as Scott Eansor was called for slashing with 10 seconds remaining on Seattle’s advantage. Once again, the T-Birds were unable to convert, but they were also able to kill off Eansor’s infraction.

With just 32.5 seconds left at the end of the first, the Winterhawks were able to get on the board, the first time in six games that Seattle was scored against first.

Portland forward Paul Bittner gained control of the puck in the neutral zone and showed impressive speed to beat T-Birds defenseman Jared Hauf up the right side. Bittner entered the zone on a two-on-one with Miles Koules and was able to back-hand a pass across the front of the net that Koules buried.

Seattle outshot Portland 8-5 during the first period but did not generate a shot after the 5-minute power play, which expired with 11:54 remaining in the period.

The Winterhawks made it 2-0 5:35 into the second period as Schoenborn won a race to the puck in the corner of the T-Birds’ zone to goalie Taran Kozun’s right. Schoenborn immediately centered the puck to Alex Overhardt, who was able to tip it past Kozun and give Portland a two-goal advantage.

The T-Birds had a chance to cut the lead to one when Skylar McKenzie was called for interference at 6:43 of the second period, but they were once again unable to convert, making them 0 for 3 on the evening.

The Thunderbirds once again outshot the Winterhawks during the second period, this time by a count of 10-9, giving them an 18-14 overall advantage, but Portland was the only team able to make one of its chances count.

With plenty of work to do heading into the third period to keep its six-game winning streak alive, Seattle gave up an early goal to Koules, his second of the night. Koules was fed by Layne Viveiros at the top of the left circle and blasted a one-timer past Kozun for his 16th of the season, putting the Winterhawks up 3-0 just 41 seconds into the game’s final frame.

Portland sealed the victory when Koules scored the hat-trick goal on an empty net with 1:50 left in the third period. The goal, which was shorthanded after a Keoni Texeira checking from behind penalty, came from a tough angle, as Koules was standing at the goal line along the far boards.

The big story for the T-Birds was their failure to convert on their power-play chances. The box score will show that they had the advantage five times, but one of those opportunities was 5 minutes long. During the winning streak, Seattle was 7 for 25 with the man advantage, a 28 percent conversion rate that is far higher than the T-Birds’ season-long average.

Their next game is on Friday, when they will travel to Kennewick to play the Tri-City Americans, whom they defeated 3-2 in a shootout last Friday in Seattle.

The T-Birds’ next home game is next Sunday, Jan. 11 against the Americans. The contest was originally scheduled for Saturday night but was moved to Sunday to allow Seattle fans to watch the Seahawks’ playoff game versus Carolina.

Notes

• The T-Birds’ six-game win streak was their longest of the season and their longest since winning seven in a row between Jan. 7 and Jan. 21, 2014.

• The T-Birds defenseman Shea Theodore scored his first goal of the World Junior Championship for Canada in their 5-1 victory over Slovakia. Portland forward Nic Petan registered a hat trick for the Canadians as well.

• Alexander True, who was playing for Denmark at the World Junior Championships before being eliminated by Theodore’s Canadian team, returned to Seattle’s lineup after a nearly month-long absence. Portland’s Oliver Bjorkstrand, who also played for Denmark, was in attendance but did not dress for the Winterhawks.

• The T-Birds were once again without a number of their top players. In addition to the aforementioned Theodore, Mathew Barzal and Ryan Gropp were out with injuries and Justin Hickman served the second of his two-game suspension.