THUNDERBIRDS

Game 18: Thunderbirds pull off another comeback to defeat the Pats

Nov 12, 2010, 7:55 PM | Updated: Apr 6, 2011, 11:23 am

(9-4-2-3) Seattle Thunderbirds 5, (6-11-2-1) Regina Pats 4

Birds score four unanswered goals for win…Jacobs with two goals

REGINA– The Thunderbirds come back from down 4-1 to defeat the Pats 5-4. They used their superb power play to get back in the game before Luke Lockhart netted the eventual game winner. It was the second time in the last three games that they came back from a deficit of at least two goals to win the game.

The Pats and Thunderbirds would get to skate four on four early on as Myles Bell and Colin Jacobs were assessed penalties for roughing at 1:34. The Pats got on the board first with a goal from Mikael Jung (4) at 5:09 that Calvin Pickard (9-4-2-3) nearly made the save on as the puck just trickled behind him. It looked like the puck may not have totally crossed the line but after video review it was deemed to be a goal.

The Birds tied it quickly as Travis Toomey (3) shot one from about 50 feet out that beat Regina goalie Damien Kelto (3-8-1-1). The goal came at 5:47 and it was assisted by Brenden Dillon. The Birds would be the first team to go on the power play when Dane Muench was called for boarding at at 13:03. The Birds got off two shots and did not score. There was to be an initial penalty against Dillon for Kneeing at 16:36 but after Ricard Blidstrand retaliated he was given an instigator penalty along with a 10 minute misconduct to even things out. Both he and Dillon were each given five minutes for fighting as well. At 17:01 Erik Bonsor was called for High Sticking putting the Pats on the power play for the first time. Just as the penalty had expired Travis Bobbee was called for Slashing and Regina went right back on the power play. At 19:21 Carter Ashton (9) put the Pats back in front 2-1 on another contested goal that was allowed. That’s the way it would go into the first intermission. Regina led 14-10 in shots. The Birds didn’t seem totally ready to play the first period as a couple of defensive breakdowns and bad penalties led to losing the period.

The Pats made it a two goal game only 41 seconds into the second period when Colin Reddin (5) was all alone in front of the net and chipped one past Pickard and Regina had a 3-1 lead. At 7:53 the Pats went up 4-1 as Ashton (10) netted his second goal of the game. Rob Sumner called his timeout as his team was simply not awake. Sumner looked upset as he shouted directions to his players.

At 11:22 Jacob Doty was called for checking from behind. Doty also got a double roughing and a 10 minute misconduct. Reddin got a double minor for roughing as well as a 10 minute misconduct. The Pats didn’t score on the power play and at 15:11 Tyler Pavkovich was called for Elbowing and the Birds took advantage when Burke Gallimore (11) scored a power play goal at 16:07. It was assisted by Dillon and Marcel Noebels. Dave Sutter took a holding penalty at 18:38, giving Regina a power play of which 38 seconds would carry over into the third period. The Birds would find themselves down 4-2 and out shot 28-19 after 40 minutes of play. The late power play goal gave the Birds a little life after an under whelming period. At one point they were being out shot 26-13.

The Birds killed off the penalty to start the third period. The teams would skate four on four at the 6:28 mark when Art Bidlevskii and Chance Lund were called for roughing. When Jordan Weal was called for interference at 6:31 it gave the Birds a four on three power play and Jacobs (7) with some hard work in front of the net made it a 4-3 game with the Birds second power play goal of the game. The assists were from Bobbee and Dillon at 7:13. When the Pats took a too many men on the ice penalty at 9:14 it gave the Birds their fourth power play of the game and for the second game in a row they would score three power play goals as Jacobs (8) rocketed one past Kelto to tie the game 4-4. There were assists from Noebels and Lockhart.

The Birds took their first lead of the night as they went up 5-4 when Lockhart (10) knocked one in at 14:20. It was assisted by Charles Wells and Gallimore. With just under a minute to go the Pats pulled Kelto to get the extra attacker on the ice. There were 15 seconds remaining when Gallimore was tripped up as he raced for the puck to try and put it in the empty net, putting the Birds on the power play.

They killed off the remaining seconds and went on to win, coming back from a three goal deficit to score the last four goals.

“There’s a lot of belief and character (on this team) and they were able to come back,” said Head Coach Rob Sumner. When asked about the Birds lackluster first 30 minutes Sumner felt that Regina had something to do with that “Give them credit, they were strong. We didn’t get our game to the competitiveness level it needed to be in the early part of the game.”

There is no doubt that the timeout Sumner called almost halfway through the game woke his team up and he said the message was simple. “Shorten the shifts, pick the pace up, be stronger on your one on ones.. our kind of game, it just took us longer to get there.”

The power play which is now ranked 1st in the league at 30 % has really been a catalyst for the Birds and it helped them get back in this one. Sumner said the formula is simple. “We’re winning pucks, making good plays..a little bit of confidence, and good decision making.”

When asked if Michael Salmon would be his starting goaltender Saturday night in Swift Current, Sumner simply said, “Yes, he is.”

The final game of the road trip will begin at 5 pm and will be streamed on MyNorthwest.com and can be heard on the radio at 710 ESPN.Game Notes:

– D Erik Fleming was back in the lineup after recovering from an MCL sprain.

– The Thunderbirds improve to 3-1-0-1 on the road trip and 6-3-1-2 overall on the road.

– Attendance at the Brandt center was announced as 5,150.

Game Summary:

1st Period-1, Regina, Jung 4 (Pavkovich, Stevenson), 5:09. 2, Seattle, Toomey 3 (Dillon), 5:47. 3, Regina, Ashton 9 (Weal, Davidson), 19:21 (PP). Penalties-Jacobs Sea (roughing), 1:34; Bell Reg (roughing), 1:34; Muench Reg (boarding), 13:01; Dillon Sea (kneeing, major-fighting), 16:36; Blidstrand Reg (instigator, major-fighting, 10-minute misconduct), 16:36; Bonsor Sea (high sticking), 17:01; Bobbee Sea (slashing), 19:00.

2nd Period-4, Regina, Reddin 5 (Frazee, Stephenson), 0:41. 5, Regina, Ashton 10 (Davidson, Blidstrand), 7:53. 6, Seattle, Gallimore 11 (Dillon, Noebels), 16:07 (PP). Penalties-Sutter Sea (holding), 0:00; Doty Sea (checking from behind, roughing, roughing, 10-minute misconduct), 11:22; Reddin Reg (roughing, roughing, 10-minute misconduct), 11:22; Pavkovich Reg (elbowing), 15:11; Sutter Sea (holding), 18:38.

3rd Period-7, Seattle, Jacobs 7 (Bobbee, Dillon), 7:13 (PP). 8, Seattle, Jacobs 8 (Noebels, Lockhart), 10:56 (PP). 9, Seattle, Wells 5 (Lockhart, Gallimore), 14:20. Penalties-Lund Sea (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 6:28; Bidlevskii Reg (roughing), 6:28; Weal Reg (interference), 6:31; served by Reddin Reg (too many men), 9:14; Bell Reg (hooking), 19:45.

Shots on Goal-Seattle 10-9-13-32. Regina 14-14-14-42.

Power Play Opportunities-Seattle 3 / 4; Regina 1 / 4.

Goalies-Seattle, Pickard 9-4-2-3 (42 shots-38 saves). Regina, Ketlo 3-8-1-1 (32 shots-27 saves).

A-5,150

Referees-Trent Knorr (42), Chad Williams (60).

Linesmen-Derrick Fox (61), Mathew Lawrence (34).

mike.caccioppoli@yahoo.com

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