Game 48: Thunderbirds lose big in Portland as they drop their fifth straight
Jan 22, 2011, 5:20 PM | Updated: Apr 6, 2011, 11:23 am
(31-14-0-3) Portland Winterhawks 5, (18-21-4-5) Seattle Thunderbirds 1
Cunningham with two goals..Rattie with a goal and two assists
PORTLAND– The Birds are handed their fifth straight loss after being manhandled by the Winterhawks 5-1.
The Winterhawks drew first blood at 6:41 of the first period. Craig Cunningham (15) continued his dominance of the Birds and Calvin Pickard (18-19-3-5) to put the Hawks up 1-0.
Four on four play at 7:58 when Ryan Johansen went for Roughing and Tyler Alos for USC. The Birds got an extra bench minor to put the Hawks on the power play. They did not convert.
At 10:24 the Birds went on the power play. Taylor Aronson went off for Slashing. They didn’t convert.
At 14:09 Burke Gallimore went to the box for Goaltender Interference. The Hawks went up 2-0 on a power play goal by Johansen. It was his 21st goal of the season at 15:05.
After 20 minutes the Birds found themselves down 2-0. Shots were 21-7 in favor of Portland.
Right at the start of the second period it looked as though the Birds had scored when Portland goalie Keith Hamilton (9-3-0-2) swept the puck into his own net but the goal was waved off. Later it was said that the official blew the whistle, but apparently too early.
The Birds went on the power play at 1:59 when Sven Bartschi was called for Interference.
With two seconds left on the power play Portland took another penalty when Taylor Peters was called for Tripping at 3:58. The Birds couldn’t convert.
Four on four play at 6:59. Austin Frank went off for High Sticking and William Wrenn for Holding.
The Birds went to the power play at 8:46. Nino Niederrieter went to the box for Interference. They didn’t convert and were 0 for 4 on the power play.
Portland went up 3-0 on another goal by Cunningham. It was his second goal of the game and 16th of the season. Time of the goal was 16:28.
The Winterhawks went to the power play at 17:50. Travis Toomey was called for Hooking. They didn’t convert and were 1 for 3 on the power play.
The Birds were down 3-0 after two periods. Shots in the second were 15-12 in favor of the Birds. Overall the Hawks led in shots 33-22.
Portland went up 4-0 at 3:05 of the third period. Peters scored his fifth goal of the season.
The Hawks went up 5-0 when Ty Rattie knocked in his 19th goal of the season at 4:20 off a D-zone giveaway by Dave Sutter.
Portland went on the power play at 15:37 when Toomey and Joe Morrow each got five for Fighting and Toomey got an extra two minutes for Roughing.
Marcel Noebels scored a shorthanded goal to make it a 5-1 game. It was his 17th goal of the season. It was unassisted at 16:33.
Portland did not convert on the power play.
The Birds went on the power play at 18:06 as Niederreiter went off for Roughing.
Connor Sanvido and Troy Rutkowski dropped the gloves with just 14 seconds left in the game. It was Sanvido’s first fighting major of his WHL career.
Jacob Doty and Wrenn went at it after the final buzzer and that’s the way it would all end with the Birds losing 5-1.
Shots in the third period were 16-12 in favor of Portland who also out shot the Birds 49-34 overall.
Not much can be said at this point. We have talked lately about things looking like last season at this same time and that is exactly the case. This even resembled the kind of game the Birds played last season against Portland. Too many defensive zone mistakes and not being able to get traffic in front of the opposing net lead to a lopsided loss.
Portland was able to rest goalie Mac Carruth with the short turnaround and start Hamilton who made 33 saves on 34 shots. The Birds decided to start Pickard again instead of giving Michael Salmon a start. They seem to feel at this point that no matter what Pickard gives them their best shot at winning. However I’m not quite sure why Pickard was left in after the Hawks took a 5-0 lead early in the third.
The Birds have had trouble scoring five on five all season and now they aren’t scoring on the power play either. Their PK has also struggled lately.
It has lead to a five game losing streak and a six game road losing streak.
The Thunderbirds next game will be on Friday night in Everett. Game time is 7:30 pm and all of the action can be heard live at MyNorthwest.com.
Game Notes:
– D Travis Bobbee (shoulder) and D Ryan Button (shoulder) did not play.
– Seattle drops to 3-11-0-1 since the break.
– The Birds road record falls to 11-11-3-2.
– The Thunderbirds drop to 8-13-0-3 against the U.S. Division.
– Seattle was 0 for 5 on the power play. Portland was 1 for 4.
Game Summary: (courtesy of the WHL website)
1st Period-1, Portland, Cunningham 15 (Rattie, Aronson), 6:41. 2, Portland, Johansen 21 (Morrow, Ross), 15:05 (PP). Penalties-served by Hickman Sea (bench), 7:58; Alos Sea (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 7:58; Johansen Por (roughing), 7:58; Aronson Por (slashing), 10:24; Gallimore Sea (inter. on goaltender), 14:09.
2nd Period-3, Portland, Cunningham 16 (Wrenn, Rattie), 16:28. Penalties-Bartschi Por (interference), 1:59; Peters Por (tripping), 3:58; Frank Sea (high sticking), 6:59; Wrenn Por (holding), 6:59; Niederreiter Por (interference), 8:46; Toomey Sea (hooking), 17:50.
3rd Period-4, Portland, Peters 5 (Swenson), 3:05. 5, Portland, Rattie 19 (Bartschi), 4:20. 6, Seattle, Noebels 17 16:33 (SH). Penalties-Toomey Sea (roughing, major-fighting), 15:37; Morrow Por (major-fighting), 15:37; Niederreiter Por (roughing), 18:06; Elliot Sea (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 18:53; Johansen Por (roughing), 18:53; Sanvido Sea (major-fighting), 19:46; Rutkowski Por (major-fighting), 19:46; Doty Sea (instigator, major-fighting, game misconduct), 20:00; Wrenn Por (major-fighting), 20:00.
Shots on Goal-Seattle 7-15-12-34. Portland 21-12-16-49.
Power Play Opportunities-Seattle 0 / 5; Portland 1 / 4.
Goalies-Seattle, Pickard 18-19-3-5 (49 shots-44 saves). Portland, Hamilton 9-3-0-2 (34 shots-33 saves).
A-7,395
Referees-Ryan Benbow (62), Matt Kirk (4).
Linesmen-Brock Gallien (110), Chris Sweeting (137).
