T-Birds dethrone Prince Albert 6-2

The Thunderbirds wasted no time facing adversity on their season long six-game road trip but were able to fight through it.

After learning that they’d be without leading scorer Mathew Barzal, Seattle erupted for six goals Friday night on the way to an easy 6-2 win over the Prince Albert Raiders. Seattle got goals from six different players along with 33 saves from Taran Kozun in the victory.

Where secondary scoring was going to come from for the T-Birds has been one of the long-standing questions this season. Friday night they got scoring from up and down their lineup – including the first WHL goal for Kaden Elder – and put the game away early in the first period. The T-Birds showed no ill effects of playing without Barzal as Scott Eansor took his place on the top line along with Justin Hickman and Keegan Kolesar.

“Guys were ready to play,” head coach Steve Konowalchuk said. “Obviously the first period was huge for us”

Seattle started well, controlled the puck and got on the board early and often. Lane Pederson started the T-Birds off with his third goal of the year when he picked up a rebound and fired it into the empty Prince Albert net past a helpless Nick McBride. Less than a minute later Elder turned on the jets, split the Raiders’ defense, crashed the net and picked up his first goal of the year. The fans at the Art Hauser Centre barely had time to recover from that goal when Ethan Bear scored Seattle’s third goal with a slap shot from the circle.

Just like that the T-Birds had taken the lead. All without Barzal on the ice.

“We talk about the guys that are going to step up,” Konowalchuk said. “With Matt out a little bit now guys are going to get an opportunity and there is still enough skill there that guys can step up and contribute like they did tonight.”

The T-Birds put any Prince Albert ideas of a comeback to rest 38 seconds into the second period when Keegan Kolesar notched his fifth goal of the year to give Seattle the biggest lead they’ve enjoyed all season – four goals. Kolesar’s goal also meant the end of the night for McBride as he was replaced in the Prince Albert net by Rylan Parenteau. The lead got even bigger half way through the second when Ryan Gropp finished off a Seattle three-on-one for his eighth tally of the year.

Seattle was then in cruise control. Prince Albert made a little noise with two unanswered goals by Sawyer Lange and Jayden Hart but it would not be enough to get them back in the game. In control late, Alexander True banged home a goal with just under two minutes for an exclamation point and gave Seattle a season-high six goal game.

Seattle could not have asked for a better result to start their Eastern Conference swing. With Barzal out they had other guys step up and showed that this team has a lot of skill up and down the lineup. With six players on their roster from Saskatchewan, this road trip may feel like home away from home.

“You kind of feel like you’re at home a little bit,” Konowalchuk said of his Saskatchewan players. “In front of your Mom and Dad and Pederson’s family cooked a nice dinner for everybody last night. I think that was fun for our guys.”

Dinner was fun, so was six goals and now the T-Birds will try to ride that momentum into Saskatoon for a Saturday night affair with the Blades.

Notes

Konowalchuk wasn’t sure the exact time frame for Barzal’s return to the lineup but felt that it would most likely be ‘a couple weeks’. His loss is obviously a blow to the T-Birds but they will get some reinforcements soon. Shea Theodore’s rehab stint is nearly over and he should be joining the club shortly. Seattle will also get Nolan Volcan back next week as the U17 tournament he’s playing in will come to an end.

Perhaps the only thing that the T-Birds did not do well Friday night was score on their power play. They were 0-for-5 on the night and now find themselves in a 1-for-20 power-play slump.

Defenseman Evan Wardley picked up two assists Friday night in what was the first two-point game of his WHL career.

Eansor moved up to center the top line Friday night and played well. He picked up two assists for the T-Birds and help set the tone early.

Follow Andrew Eide on Twitter @andyeide.

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