T-Birds declaw Prince George Cougars 4-1 in home opener

KENT – The Seattle Thunderbirds got some home cooking Saturday night and picked up their first win of the season.

Playing at home for the first time, Seattle struck early and late to upend the Prince George Cougars 4-1 in front of a rowdy ShoWare Center crowd. The T-Birds got a big night from their captain Jerret Smith, who scored twice while adding an assist.

Smith’s two goals will look better in the box score than they did on the ice as he got lucky bounces on both. With Seattle (1-1-0-0) up 1-0 in the first period, he dumped the puck into the Cougars zone from center ice. What should be a normal play turned funky as the puck bounced through goalie Ty Edmond’s pads and into the net.

It was such a strange goal that Smith didn’t even realize he had scored.

“Honestly, I kind of got lucky I think,” he said. “The first dump in I didn’t even know it went in, I was skating to the bench.”

After feeling like they let one get away on opening night last Friday in Vancouver, the T-Birds played solid hockey on Saturday. They played smart on offense, shut down the Cougars’ big guns and goalie Logan Flodell was sharp picking up the win while making 27 saves.

“It was a good win and the guys worked hard,” head coach Steve Konowalchuk said. “I thought the first and third period we played smart hockey … We played at a pretty good pace.”

The T-Birds played a solid game at both ends of the ice. They shut down Prince George’s top line that features two NHL draft picks in Jansen Harkins and Jesse Gabrielle. Seattle generated chances of its own, and unlike last Friday, it would cash in.

The T-Birds got on the board first, halfway through the first period when Nick Holowko found a streaking Jarret Tyszka in the circle. Tyszka fired the puck past Edmonds for the first WHL goal of the defenseman’s career.

Holowko and Tyszka are roommates off the ice and the goal might bring some peace to that relationship.

“That will keep him quiet for a few days now,” Holowko said with a smile.

It was the second strong outing for Holowko, who has two points to start the year. Now in his second season in the league and with the team, things are coming easier for the Burnaby, British Columbia, native.

He is another player on the roster who can be used in any situation the team needs him in.

“That’s what I rally take pride in,” Holowko said. “Obviously defense first and just make sure I make the right play.”

Smith’s fluky goal gave the T-Birds a two-goal lead but the Cougars would cut that in half in the second period. With Seattle on the power play, Gabrielle stole the puck and raced down the ice all alone. He was able to get it past Flodell for his third goal of the year.

The short-handed goal gave Prince George (1-2-0-0) a bit of life and it controlled the play for the majority of the period. After regrouping in their dressing room, the T-Birds came out in the third determined to not let the game slip away. They outshot the Cougars 20-11 and scored two big power-play goals to secure the victory.

Smith would score again in the third when he flung a puck at Edmonds and once more the goalie couldn’t handle it. Less than a minute later Seattle was back on the power play and Scott Eansor tapped a rebound past Edmonds for his second goal of the season.

“It was just about getting back to the way we played in the first,” Konowalchuk said of the third period. “If we manage the puck we have good speed and we can use it. If we turn it over we don’t get a chance.”

The T-Birds were still missing key players as Ryan Gropp was out again with an injury. Of course, the club is also still waiting for the return of Mathew Barzal from the New York Islanders and Jamal Watson from the St. John’s Ice Caps.

For now, they are moving forward with the players they have.

“Just not worry about it and play our game,” Smith said of the guys who are gone. “I think with the lineup we have right now we can beat any team in the league, if we’re playing the right way.”

Seattle now travels to Kennewick for a Sunday evening tilt with the Tri City Americans.

Notes

• Flodell made his 11th career start and his fourth against Prince George. He is now 3-1 against the Cougars and had a strong game in general. “He had some good saves there,” Konowalchuk said. “A couple of timely saves. Both goalies should be feeling pretty strong.”

• Konowalchuk did say that Taz Burman will rotate back into the T-Birds’ net Sunday in Kennewick.

• Seattle ended the night 2-for-4 with the power play which was a big improvement over the opening night. Prince George was only awarded one power play on the night and failed to score.

• Seattle will face a desperate Tri City Americans club on Sunday. The Americans have started 0-2 with both losses coming to their rivals in Spokane.

As the Seattle Thunderbirds celebrate their first win of the season against the Prince George Cougars, the atmosphere in the ShoWare Center was electric with excitement. The team’s captain, Jerret Smith, played a pivotal role in the victory, showcasing the importance of leadership on the ice. Similarly, students preparing for college entrance exams can benefit from strategies to manage pre-test anxiety and improve performance. Just as the Thunderbirds focus on teamwork and resilience to secure their wins, students can adopt effective techniques to navigate the pressures of academic challenges, ensuring they perform at their best when it matters most.

Follow Andy Eide on Twitter @andyeide.

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