T-Birds thump Winterhawks for 2-1 series lead | WHL playoffs

For the Reporter

The Seattle Thunderbirds defeated the Portland Winterhawks 5-2 Tuesday night in Game 3 of their first-round Western Hockey League playoff series at the ShoWare Center.

The win gives Seattle a 2-1 lead with Game 4 is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Thursday at the ShoWare.

Taran Kozun made 35 saves, giving up just two goals in the process. Adin Hill took the loss for Portland after stopping 24 of 28 shots he faced in the game.

Scott Eansor scored on the second shot of the game for the T-Birds. Eansor cut inside around a Portland defenseman to give himself a path to the net. The shot from Eansor beat Hill glove-side as it flew along inches off the ice to make it 1-0. Donovan Neuls and Jerret Smith assisted on the goal at 3:28.

Roberts Lipsbergs scored his first goal of the playoffs at 8:48 to widen the gap to two goals in Seattle’s favor. Lipsbergs was cutting hard to the front of the net and was in the right place at the right time when Ryan Gropp got the puck in front. Lipsbergs was able to tip it past Hill’s outstretched leg for the goal. Mathew Barzal had the secondary assist.

Shots were 9-7 Seattle in the first.

The Winterhawks cut the lead to one goal when Dominic Turgeon scored at 1:37 of the second period.

A slashing call gave the T-Birds their first power play of the game, which paid off nicely with another goal. Gropp flipped a backhand pass to Ethan Bear, who had cut down to the high slot. Bear’s shot was tipped by Alexander True past Hill for the power-play goal that made it 3-1 Seattle.

Shots were 14-6 Portland in the second period.

Smith made it 4-1 for Seattle at 4:06 of the third period. Smith’s shot came from the middle of the blue line and wound around several bodies before it ended up in the net. Hill was unable to get a good look at the puck until it was too late. Shea Theodore and Neuls assisted on Smith’s first goal of the playoffs.

Nic Petan closed the gap with a goal at 16:15, making it a two-goal game with 3:45 left. Off an offensive zone faceoff, Petan fired away high in the faceoff circle. Kozun couldn’t get a piece of the puck as it flew over his stick-side.

Portland pulled their goalie with 1:45 left in the game to try and make up the deficit. Smith scored into the empty net at 18:34 to seal the victory with his second goal of the night, making it 5-2. Smith stole the puck near the blue line and calmly tossed it into the net before any defender could get in the way.

Portland led in shots 16-14 in the third period.

Game 4

The T-Birds have a special ticket offer for Game 4. Fans can get 10 tickets for $200.

Anyone who purchases the playoff ticket package also will receive two additional playoff tickets to Game 4, a T-Birds T-shirt of their choice from the Hockey Store in ShoWare Center and $10 in Chuck-a-Pucks.

Fans can purchase this package on the T-Birds website.

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SERIES GLANCE

Seattle vs. Portland

Game 1 – Seattle 4, at Portland 3
Game 2 – At Portland 3, Seattle 0
Game 3 – At Seattle 5, Portland 2
Game 4 – Portland @ Seattle, April 2, 7:05 p.m.
Game 5 – Seattle @ Portland, April 4, 6 p.m. (Veterans Memorial Coliseum)
Game 6 – Portland @ Seattle, April 7, 7:05 p.m.*
Game 7 – Seattle @ Portland, April 8, 7 p.m.* (VMC)

*If necessary

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GAME 3 SCORING SUMMARY

First period – 1, Seattle, Eansor 2 (Neuls, Smith), 3:28. 2, Seattle, Lipsbergs 1 (Gropp, Barzal), 8:48. Penalties – Neuls, Seattle (goaltender interference), 5:04. Millette, Seattle (checking from behind), 9:28.

Second period – 3, Portland, Turgeon 2 (Weinger), 1:37. 4, Seattle, True 1 (Bear, Gropp), 4:12 (pp). Penalties – Cederholm, Portland (slashing), 2:25. Bittner, Portland (tripping), 4:32. Petan, Portland (interference), 7:28.

Third period – 5, Seattle, Smith 1 (Theodore, Neuls), 4:06. 6, Portland, Petan 2 (Viveiros), 16:15. 7, Seattle, Smith 2 (unassisted), 18:34 (en). Penalties – Lipsbergs, Seattle (elbowing), 4:23. Gropp, Seattle (hooking), 12:12. Petan, Portland (embellishment), 12:48. Wardley, Seattle (roughing), 12:48. Iverson, Portland (roughing, unsportsmanlike conduct), 17:54. Hauf, Seattle (roughing, unsportsmanlike conduct), 17:54. Schoenborn, Portland (roughing), 19:44. Cederholm, Portland (roughing, 10-minute misconduct), 20:00. Millette, Seattle (goaltender interference, roughing, 10-minute misconduct), 20:00.

Shots on goal – Seattle 9-6-14 29, Portland 7-14-16 37. Goalies – Seattle, Kozun 37 shots-35 saves (2-1); Portland, Hill 28-24 (1-2). Power plays – Seattle 1-4; Portland 0-4. A – 6,119. Referees – Jeff Ingram, Ryan Benbow. Linesmen – Zach Brooks, Ryan Gibbons.