Rylan Toth, T-Birds blank Tri City 3-0 to end first half

KENT – Looking to snap a three-game losing streak, the Thunderbirds played the role of the Grinch against the Tri City Americans on Saturday night.

Seattle goalie Rylan Toth made 26 saves to pick up his first shutout with the club as the T-Birds skated to a 3-0 win. Three different players scored goals for the T-Birds, who out-hit a physical Tri City club all night.

“It was a physical game,” Seattle head coach Steve Konowalchuk said. “Even though it’s the day before everyone’s going home, neither team was in position where they could look past this game. They came out physical and our guys answered the bell.”

Both teams were looking to hit on Saturday and Seattle proved it can play that kind of game as it matched the Americans at each step. Newcomer Tyler Adams was especially physical, as was big winger Keegan Kolesar. Room on the ice came at a cost and it led to a grinding game with limited shots.

For Adams, it was just his second game with Seattle since being traded by Swift Current, and he’s still adjusting.

“I just wanted to stick with my game,” Adams said. “You see my stats, I don’t put the puck in the net very often. I’m the energy guy, get pucks out, keep pucks out of my own net.”

He was playing on a line with Mathew Wedman and Luke Ormsby, and they gave the T-Birds strong and tough minutes. They created havoc on the forecheck, caused turnovers and came close to scoring on a number of occasions.

“(Adams) has played two solid games for us,” Konowalchuk said. “Its something that we needed and a nice addition for two games for sure.”

The two teams slugged it out in a first period that saw no goals and only 10 shots, six coming from T-Bird sticks.

In the second period, Seattle would get on the board and would do it with their struggling power play. Coming into the game the T-Birds had failed on 16 straight chances and were facing the league’s sixth-best penalty-killing unit.

Their first chance came in the second period and they blitzed Tri City goalie Rylan Parenteau. The Americans almost had a clear but Ethan Bear managed to keep the puck in the zone and found Jarret Tyszka, who had room in the high slot. He fired a wrist shot that beat Parenteau up high for his third goal of the season.

“Our power play at times has had chances,” Konowalchuk said about the power play. “But we didn’t put it in the net. It was good to get one there, a real good shot by Tyszka.”

The T-Birds would extend their lead on special teams in the third period.

This time it came while killing off a Tri City power play. The Americans feature the third-best power play in the WHL, but the T-Birds turned it against them and scored while short-handed. Donovan Neuls made a strong play along the boards at center ice. He fought off a Tri City player and chipped the puck to the middle of the ice where Sami Moilanen was streaking. The Finnish import took the puck and was in alone on Parenteau. He made one move and slid the puck in for his 11th of the year.

At the end of the night, the T-Birds had killed off all five Tri City power-play opportunities.

“We want to be quick on the points,” Konowalchuk said about the penalty kill. “They were finding some seams on us and Toth had to make some saves but it’s a good power play over there. Getting the short-handed goal was huge and the penalty kill was huge.”

Toth would make the two-goal lead stick.

He picked up his seventh career white-washing, and it sent the team home for the holiday break feeling good.

“That’s a good feeling, a good way to end off for sure,” Toth said. “Defense, forwards, this team is great for blocking shots and keeping guys to the outside. They had some chances, I was there when the team needed me and vice versa, they made some good shot blocks.”

It also helped that Toth’s counterpart at the other end of the ice is a friend of his.

“Those are fun games,” Toth said. “Rylan (Parenteau), we’re both from Saskatoon and I know him. Its always fun when you’re playing against a guy at the other end that you know. It adds a little more fuel to the fire for sure.”

The Americans would pull the goalie for the extra skater with three minutes left but Seattle defenseman Brandon Schuldhaus banked a clearing attempt off the boards, down the ice and in the empty net. It was Schuldhaus’ third of the year and started the holiday celebration at the ShoWare Center.

The T-Birds players will now head home for the Christmas break and won’t play again until Dec. 27, when they host the Spokane Chiefs.

“Be smart,” Konowalchuk said about his message to the team. “It’s a little bit of a mental break but if you can, hit the gym. Use it to get stronger a little bit.”

Notes

• Forward Layne Bensmiller, who Seattle picked up in a trade from Prince Albert just before the start of the season, is no longer with the club. The Alberta native played in seven games for the T-Birds before being injured, and he will spend the remainder of the season rehabbing.

• The Tri City Americans will hit the break with a bad taste in their mouth. The shutout on Saturday was their fourth straight defeat.

• Moilanen’s goal was his fourth in his last four games as the rookie from Finland continues to have an impressive rookie season.

• Adams said the trade to Seattle was a surprise to him and he had no idea a move was coming. The Regina product said that he knew Turner Ottenbreit and Ethan Bear growing up in Saskatchewan.

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