T-Birds power past Chiefs 4-1

KENT – Coming off of a lackluster loss, the Thunderbirds were looking to play with more energy and emotion Sunday night against Spokane. Despite playing their third game in three nights, they were able to get up for a big divisional game and pick up their second win in three games.

Seattle’s struggling power play scored three times in the win as the T-Birds snapped Spokane’s five-game win streak with a 4-1 victory. Ryan Gropp potted two goals and rookie Sahvan Khaira picked up his first WHL goal in the win.

“It was good smart energy,” head coach Steve Konowalchuk said of his team’s effort. “Guys were on board to make sure they do what it took what it takes to win. It was a good win.”

The power play has been a problem for Seattle (11-12-2-2) this year. Coming into Sunday the T-Birds had only scored one power-play goal in their last 17 attempts. It was a different story Sunday against Spokane (14-8-3-0).

“I think we were just working hard,” Ryan Gropp said of the power play. “We changed our set up a bit and changing things around a lot this past week and it was working for us tonight.”

The T-Birds probably should have had four power-play goals as they just missed on their first opportunity 8 minutes into the game. They did score, however, as Turner Ottenbreit fired a slap shot just after a Seattle power play had ended. It was Ottenbreit’s first goal with Seattle and his second on the year.

Gropp gave the T-Birds a two-goal lead a couple of minutes later after firing a great feed from Justin Hickman past Spokane goalie Garret Hughson. For Gropp, it was his 11th goal of the year and his first in seven games.

“It was big,” Gropp said about scoring. “It was something that was kind of bothering me lately. To be able to get a couple tonight was big.”

Playing on tired legs, building an early two-goal lead was key as it allowed the T-Birds to play from ahead instead of having to fight back.

“It is big when you’re not chasing in the three-in-three,” Konowalchuk said. “Then you can play smart and as long as you play smart and keep putting the pucks in the right areas and not get in trouble you can give yourself a chance to win.”

Down two goals, Spokane fought back to cut the lead on a power play of its own late in the first period. Calder Brooks deflected a point shot past Taran Kozun for his 11th of the season. Seattle’s penalty kill has also been a story but only allowed the one goal on seven attempts. Seven attempts is still a lot and Seattle has now given up 28 power-play chances in its last five games.

“We’ve still got to work on the penalty thing,” Konowalchuk said. “We do have to play hard that’s part of our game … we will work with that.”

The previous five games for the T-Birds were one-goal affairs – they lost four of them – but Sunday they worked to avoid that from happening for a sixth straight time. On the power play, rookie Sahvan Khaira fired a shot from the point that beat a screened Hughson to give Seattle a 3-1 lead. It was Khaira’s first career WHL goal.

“It was a pretty good experience,” Khaira said. “I didn’t know I scored until everybody came to me. I was more surprised than anything.”

Gropp put any ideas of a Chiefs comeback to rest a minute into the third when he banged home a loose puck for his second goal of the game. From there the T-Birds held on with solid play in their own end and a good forecheck and cruised to their second win on the weekend.

“It was huge,” Gropp said. “Last night was a very tough one for us, we were all pretty upset. It was important for us to respond and it was big for us.”

Notes

• Taran Kozun’s excellent season continues and he was solid on Sunday, making 20 saves. He now is the WHL’s top-rated goalie with a minuscule 2.25-goals-against average.

• How much better would Kozun’s numbers be if the T-Birds stayed out of the box? With Spokane’s power-play goal in the first period, eight of the T-Birds’ last 13 goals have been power-play tallies. Over that five-game stretch, the T-Birds have only allowed five even-strength goals and a timely kill here or there probably would have won them more games.

• Konowalchuk switched up his lines Sunday night looking for more consistent scoring. Most notable in the changes was returning Scott Eansor to a line with Donovan Neuls and Nolan Volcan. “They can be a hard line to play against but they can also put the puck in the net and they had some chances tonight,” Konowalchuk said.

• Due to injuries and illness, Evan Wardley was once again tasked with moving from defense to playing right wing. In the three games he has played up front he has performed well. He’s a force on the forecheck, can skate and is a tough presence in front of the net. “He’s a good defenseman, but he’s playing some good forward right now,” Konowalchuk said. “You see the line he plays on has had success.”

• Ethan Bear picked up an assist on the first Gropp goal and now has points in three straight games. He has added two goals over that span.

• The T-Birds will be off this week but will have to endure another tough three-in-three weekend starting Friday night when the host the Tri City Americans.

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