Game 65: Thunderbirds rolled over in Portland
Mar 4, 2011, 10:08 PM | Updated: Apr 6, 2011, 11:23 am
(44-17-0-3) Portland Winterhawks 9, (24-32-4-5) Seattle Thunderbirds 1
Ross and Niederrieter register Hat Tricks….Portland with 58 shots
PORTLAND– The Thunderbirds latest “must win” game was a total bust as the Winterhawks dominated from start to finish. The Birds remain five points out of a playoff spot with only seven games remaining.
Brad Ross (25) put the Winterhawks up 1-0 knocking one past Calvin Pickard (24-30-3-5) at 2:38.
Portland went on the power play when Erik Bonsor was called for Slashing at 8:52. Ross scored his second goal of the night and 26th of the season to put the Hawks up 2-0. Time of the goal was 9:28.
They went back to the power play at 10:46. Shea Theodore was called for Slashing. They did not convert.
The Birds went on the power play when Taylor Jordan was called for Goaltender Interference at 13:19. They did not convert.
Portland went up 3-0 when Craig Cunningham (26) scored at 16:13.
Seattle got a power play opportunity at 17:22. Jason Trott went to the box for Slashing. They didn’t convert.
After 20 minutes the Birds were down 3-0. Portland out shot the Birds 22-6.
Seattle didn’t seem ready to play this one. They couldn’t get any traffic in front of Keith Hamilton (12-4-0-2) who was a last minute starter after a lower body injury sidelined Mac Carruth and Portland also dominated in puck possession.
Portland came right at the Birds who were back on their heels for most of the period.
The Winterhawks went on their third power play at the 2:52 mark of the second period. Mitch Elliot was called for Checking from Behind. Troy Rutkowski (9) put Portland up 4-0 at 4:27.
Halfway through the game the Birds were being out shot 30-8.
Rob Sumner took his timeout early after the Birds iced the puck.
The Birds went on a power play at 15:41 when Seth Swenson was called for Roughing. They didn’t convert.
With only 26 seconds left in the period Ross (27) finished off the Hat Trick and put the Hawks up 5-0.
After two periods the Birds found themselves down 5-0 and they were out shot 20-9 in the period and 42-15 overall.
Michael Salmon began the third period in net.
The Hawks got a power play chance 31 seconds into the period. Colin Jacobs went to the box for Holding. They didn’t convert.
Portland went up 6-0 when Ross scored his fourth goal of the night and 28th of the season at 5:28.
Nino Niederrieter (32) made it 7-0 at 7:09.
The Birds finally got on the board when Luke Lockhart notched his 20th goal of the season at 10:13. Dave Sutter and Marcel Noebels got the assists. Portland led 7-1.
Portland struck back quickly to go up 8-1 at 11:12. Niederreiter (33) scored his second straight goal of the night.
Travis Toomey went to the box for Roughing at 11:55. Portland didn’t convert on the power play.
Jordan went to the box for Hooking at 16:52. The Birds didn’t convert on the power play chance.
Portland went up 9-1 at 19:39. Trott registered his second goal of the season.
The Birds lose 9-1.
They were out shot 16-5 in the period and 58-20 overall.
Not much can be said about this tilt as the Birds were out played in every aspect of the game for sixty minutes.
They only question is whether it was just a matter of playing a far superior team or are the Birds feeling the affects of having to play so many “must win” games down the stretch.
Seattle was a minus 6 overall tonight. Jacobs was a minus 5 and several players were a minus 3. Not a good night to say the least. It was the Birds sixth straight loss to Portland.
The Thunderbirds will try to rebound Saturday night at the ShoWare Center against Everett. Game time is 7 pm.
Game Notes:
– F Burke Gallimore was not with the team. He was home due to the death of his grandfather. He was expected to be back Saturday.
– D Shea Theodore and D Jared Hauf were called up and played in the game.
– D Mitch Spooner was a healthy scratch.
– The Thunderbirds road record falls to 13-16-3-2.
– Seattle was 0 for 4 on the power play. Portland was 2 for 5.
Game Summary: (courtesy of the WHL website)
1st Period-1, Portland, Ross 25 (Leipsic, Johansen), 2:38. 2, Portland, Ross 26 (Johansen, Rutkowski), 9:28 (PP). 3, Portland, Cunningham 26 (Bartschi, Leipsic), 16:13. Penalties-Bonsor Sea (slashing), 8:52; Theodore Sea (slashing), 10:46; Jordan Por (inter. on goaltender), 13:19; Trott Por (slashing), 17:22.
2nd Period-4, Portland, Rutkowski 9 (Johansen, Morrow), 4:27 (PP). 5, Portland, Ross 27 (Niederreiter, Cunningham), 19:34. Penalties-Elliot Sea (checking from behind), 2:52; Swenson Por (roughing), 15:21.
3rd Period-6, Portland, Ross 28 (Johansen), 5:28. 7, Portland, Niederreiter 32 (Cunningham, Bartschi), 7:09. 8, Seattle, Lockhart 20 (Sutter, Noebels), 10:13. 9, Portland, Niederreiter 33 (Bartschi, Rutkowski), 11:12. 10, Portland, Trott 2 (Swenson), 19:39. Penalties-Jacobs Sea (holding), 0:31; Toomey Sea (roughing), 11:55; Jordan Por (hooking), 16:52.
Shots on Goal-Seattle 6-9-5-20. Portland 22-20-16-58.
Power Play Opportunities-Seattle 0 / 4; Portland 2 / 5.
Goalies-Seattle, Pickard 24-30-3-5 (42 shots-37 saves); Salmon 0-2-1-0 (16 shots-12 saves). Portland, Hamilton 12-4-0-2 (20 shots-19 saves).
A-10,947
Referees-Trent Knorr (42), Sean Raphael (28).
Linesmen-Jarrod Boman (116), Brian Fortin (40).
