The Kent-based Seattle Thunderbirds took another step toward a potential first-round upset with a 6-3 win against the Everett Silvertips in the Western Hockey League playoffs.
Seattle trailed 3-1 in the second period before scoring five unanswered goals Tuesday night, April 1 with a crowd of 3,659 at the accesso ShoWare Center. The win gives the T-Birds a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Everett is the top seed in the Western Conference. The T-Birds are the eighth seed and finished the regular season strong just to grab the final playoff spot.
Braeden Cootes and Nathan Pilling each had a goal and two assists for Seattle.
“When we got down 3-1, we knew we were doing some good things,” said Seattle coach Matt O’Dette of the comeback. “We just stuck with it, slowly chipping away and we climbed our way back.”
Pilling scored at 9:23 in the second period to cut the Everett lead to 3-2. Ashton Cumby scored to tie it at 15:21. Cootes scored the go-ahead goal less than two minutes later. Antonio Martorana and Simon Lovsin each scored in third period.
“They’re a heck of a team,” said O’Dette of Everett. “It’s a battle of attrition over the course of a game, the course of the series. Both teams try to wear each other down. That’s what a playoff series is. They’re going to push back, we know that. We’re just going to get ready for the next game.”
The series resumes at 7:05 p.m. Friday, April 4 at the ShoWare Center. The teams split the first two games of the series in Everett.
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