THUNDERBIRDS

Thunderbirds lead evaporates in third period against Winterhawks

Feb 22, 2020, 7:15 AM | Updated: 7:26 am

Payton Mount had three points for the Thunderbirds but it wasn't enough to beat the Portland Winter...

Payton Mount had three points for the Thunderbirds but it wasn't enough to beat the Portland Winterhawks Friday night. (Keith Dwiggins/Winterhawks)

(Keith Dwiggins/Winterhawks)

It felt like it was just a blink of the eye, but it took nearly three minutes for a Seattle Thunderbirds lead to evaporate at the start of the third period Friday night in Portland.

Three goals in 2:51 of play swung the momentum as the Winterhawks scored four in the final period on their way to a 5-3 win at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

“They’re a tough team to keep down,” Seattle head coach Matt O’Dette said. “(Blake Lyda) played really well and our dam, so to speak, broke in the third.”

Seattle (22-28-3-3) had built a 2-1 lead heading into the fateful third period thanks largely to the play of goaltender Blake Lyda. The rookie goalie faced 54 Portland shots on the night – 20 of which were in the first period – and turned away 49 of them.

The chances to start the third were too much for him to fight off.

Portland (40-8-3-4) tied the game at 2-2, 51 seconds into the third when Reece Newkirk poked home a loose puck in the crease. That was followed by Mason Mannek scoring after an errant Seattle breakout pass. On the ensuing shift, Seth Jarvis collected his second goal of the night, and 35th of the season, by scoring from in tight.

When the whirlwind had settled, the Thunderbirds were down 4-2.

“It was one of our keys before the game, managing momentum and knowing when the key shifts are,” O’Dette said. “We had a great start to the game in the first and settled into the game by playing smart early. We didn’t have that to start the third. They’re a tough team to keep down.”

Seattle’s Payton Mount and Andrej Kukuca each ended the game with a goal and two assists while rookie Conner Roulette scored his 19th of the season to extend his point streak to seven games.

Kukuca and Roulette scored their goals in the first period to stake the Thunderbirds to a 2-0 lead early.

The Thunderbirds could not beat Joel Hofer for an important insurance goal however and Jarvis would provide a spark in the second to cut the lead. While killing off a Seattle power play, Jarvis was initially stopped by Lyda on a breakaway, but he managed to fight for the puck and fired off a couple of shots, the latter of which found the net.

It was the 10th shorthanded goal allowed by the Thunderbirds this season.

“The shortie was obviously something that we needed to avoid,” O’Dette said. “I thought that was a turning point in the game. We were holding them off and they got a spark from that.”

Seattle and Portland play contrasting styles. The Winterhawks like to play a fast-paced, up and down game while Seattle prefers to get the puck deep and work the cycle in the offensive zone.

Whichever team is able to exert their will the most, usually ends up winning when the two rivals match up.

Friday night, that was Portland.

“It was a track meet at times out there,” O’Dette said. “I thought when we did get into their end and got the play down low we had some good shifts and created chances. I think the puck management could be tightened up.”

Saturday was the fourth time in the season series that Portland has topped the 50 shot mark as the Thunderbirds record against the Winterhawks fell to 3-4-0-1.

The two teams will match their styles again Saturday night when the Winterhawks come to the accesso ShoWare Center for a rematch.

“Do what works for us,” O’Dette said about the keys for Saturday. “It’s not chasing them up and down the ice. That’s not the formula to beat these guys. It starts with managing the puck and getting into our forecheck…we regroup and get back at home. We’ll have to create some energy and get momentum right off the bat.”

Game notes

• Mount’s marker was his 12th of the year and came on a third-period power play. Seattle ended the night 1-for-5 with the man advantage while Portland was 0-for-3.

• The 10 shorthanded goals allowed by the Thunderbirds are the second-most in the WHL this season. The Moose Jaw Warriors – who surrendered a shorthanded goal to Seattle’s Max Patterson on Tuesday – lead the league with 11.

• The Thunderbirds maintained their nine-point lead on the last playoff spot in the Western Conference but did fall four points back of the Kelowna Rockets for the top wildcard slot.

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