For the Reporter
Keegan Kolesar had a hat trick and Mathew Barzal had five assists to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 7-2 win over the Brandon Wheat Kings at the ShoWare Center on Tuesday night.
A crowd of 5,057 saw a tight game late into the third period with the T-Birds holding a 4-2 lead. Brandon had back-to-back power plays with 10 minutes left in the third. The T-Birds defense was able to block several shots, and Taz Burman made several key saves to kill off the penalties.
Then the Wheat Kings pulled goalie Jordan Papirny with 3:07 left in the third to try and tie the game. Kolesar scored an empty-net goal then added his hat trick goal with 33 seconds left in the game to seal the win.
Burman ended the game with 27 saves on 29 shots to improve his record to 4-1-0-0.
Kolesar’s hat trick was the first three-goal game this season by a T-Bird.
Seattle (8-2-1-0) took a 1-0 lead 3:41 into the first period. Jared Hauf took a shot from the left point that deflected off a defenseman’s stick and hit the end boards behind the net. The puck rebounded right into the slot to Jamal Watson and he beat Papirny low for his first goal of the season.
Brandon (8-3-0-2) tied the game 1-1 at 17:25 of the first.
Kolesar scored 42 second into the second period to give the T-Birds a 2-1 lead. Barzal crossed the puck from the left boards to Kolesar on the right side of the ice in the neutral zone. Kolesar carried the puck into the right circle and beat Papirny with a wrist shot over the blocker.
Ryan Gropp made it a 3-1 lead at 6:57 of the second. Barzal chased down a puck that went into the Brandon zone along the right board. Barzal centered the puck to Gropp skating into the slot. Gropp faked right, brought the puck back left and beat Papirny. Ethan Bear had the second assist on the goal.
Seattle struck for a fourth goal, on the power play, at 16:42 of the second. Barzal held the puck in the right circle then sent it to Bear in the high slot. Bear one-timed Barzal’s pass and beat Papirny high for his third goal of the season. Gropp had the second assist on the goal.
Brandon cut the lead to two goals at 1:45 of the third period on a goal from Rihards Bukarts.
Kolesar scored his empty-net goal at 18:30 of the third. Barzal got the puck out the Seattle zone to Kolesar in the neutral zone. The puck was deflected to the right boards where Kolesar got to it and whipped at the net hitting the top left corner.
Kolesar scored his third goal at 19:27 of the third. Barzal passed the puck to Nolan Volcan in the right circle. Volcan took a shot that rebounded to Kolesar to the left of Papirny. Kolesar backhanded the puck past Papirny as the goalie slid across the crease.
Kaden Elders scored a power-play goal with one second left in the game to get the T-Birds final goal. Donovan Neuls worked the puck out of the left corner to Elder in the left circle. Elder snapped the puck over Papirny’s glove.
Seattle outshot Brandon 36-29 in the game.
Papirny stopped 29 of 35 shots and his record falls to 6-3-0-2.
On the road again
The T-Birds now embark on a six-game road to the Central Division. They will play the Kootenay Ice at 1 p.m. Saturday to start the road trip.
SCORING SUMMARY
First period – 1, Seattle, Watson 1 (Hauf), 3:41. 2, Brandon, Duke 10 (Erkamps, Patrick), 17:25 (pp). Penalties – Waltz, Brn (interference), 11:37. Holowko, Sea (interference), 16:20. Smith, Sea (roughing), 16:20. Quenneville, Brn (roughing), 16:20. Bukarts, Brn (roughing), Hauf, Sea (slashing), 18:35.
Second period – 3, Seattle, Kolesar 7 (Barzal, Bear), :42. 4, Seattle, Gropp 3 (Barzal, Bear), 6:57. 5, Seattle, Bear 3 (Barzal, Gropp), 16:42 (pp). Penalties – Coulter, Brn (hooking), 2:34. Bear, Sea (tripping), 9:21. Patrick, Brn (hooking), 11:19. Campbell, Brn (boarding), 16:33.
Third period – 6, Brandon, Bukarts 4 (Taraschuk, Kaspick), 1:45. 7, Seattle, Kolesar 8 (Barzal), 18:30 (en). 8, Seattle, Kolesar 9 (Volcan, Barzal), 19:27. 9, Seattle, Elder 2 (Neuls), 19:59 (pp). Penalties – Smith, Sea (boarding), 9:23. Smith, Sea (holding), 11:53. Armour, Brn (major-fighting), 19:41. Waltz, Brn (elbowing), 19:41. Olhaver, Sea (major-fighting), 19:41.
Shots on goal – Seattle 17-8-11 36, Brandon 10-11-8 29. Goalies – Seattle, Burman 29 shots-27 saves (4-1-0-0); Brandon, Papirny 35-29 (6-3-0-2). Power plays – Seattle 2-5; Brandon 1-4. A – 5,057. Referees – Sean Raphael, Ryan Benbow. Linesmen – Adam Brastad, Al Creigh.
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