It was a total team effort Dec. 18 at the ShoWare Center for the Seattle Thunderbirds. Goalie Calvin Pickard stopped 50 of 52 shots and three players had multi-point games to help the T-Birds defeat the Portland Winterhawks 4-2.
Brenden Dillon had four assists and Colin Jacobs and Burke Gallimore each had a goal and an assist in the victory. The T-Birds are now 15-11-3-4 in the US Division.
Pickard improved his record to 15-9-2-4 and was named the game’s first star.
The T-Birds have 10 days off for the holiday break. Spokane will visit the ShoWare Center to take on the T-Birds on Tuesday, Dec. 28, at 7:05 p.m. The first 3,000 fans at the game will receive a Marcel Noebels player magnet, courtesy of State Farm. The following night, the T-Birds will travel to Spokane for the second game of a home-and-home series.
Brendan Rouse put the T-Birds in front 1-0 3:10 into the first period. Dillon moved the puck to Gallimore who sent it behind the Portland net. Rouse got the puck and came out from behind the net at the right post. Rouse put a sharp angle shot from the goal line on the net. The hard shot hit Portland goalie Mac Carruth under the left arm and flew into the net.
The T-Birds took 2-0 lead with 18 seconds left in the first. Charles Wells brought the puck up the left wall and at the top of the left circle made a cross ice pass to Dillon in the right circle. Dillon quickly sent the puck back across the ice to Jacobs to the left of Carruth. Jacobs faked a shot and then slid the puck past the goalie’s left leg for his 15th goal of the year.
Portland (25-9-0-3) outshot Seattle 22-11 in the first period.
Brendan Leipsic scored a power-play goal at 13:24 of the second period to cut the T-Birds lead to one goal. Joe Morrow and Ty Rattie had assists on the goal.
Luke Lockhart got the T-Birds two-goal lead back at 16:37 of the second with a power-play goal. Dillon sent the puck from the right point to Jacobs at the left point. Jacobs put a slap shot on goal with Connor Sanvido screening Carruth. The Portland goalie made the save with the puck rebounding into the slot. Lockhart skated in from the left, got the loose puck and put it past Carruth high for his 13th goal of the year.
The T-Birds outshot the Winterhawks 16-14 in the second period. Portland led 36-27 in total shots after two periods.
Gallimore extended the T-Birds lead to three goals at 3:58 of the third period with a power-play goal. Dillon had the puck at the left point. He crossed the puck along the blue line to the right-handed Gallimore. Gallimore toe-dragged the puck around a Portland defender and then snapped a wrist shot from the high slot over Carruth’s blocker. The goal was Gallimore’s 18th of the year.
Troy Rutkowski scored at 4:58 of the third to cut the T-Birds lead to two goals. Nic Petan and Brad Ross had the assists.
Portland outshot Seattle 16-5 in the third period and 52-32 in the game.
Portland goalie Mac Carruth (16-7-0-1) made 28 saves on 32 shots.
SCORING SUMMARY
First period – 1, Seattle, Rouse 6 (Gallimore, Dillon), 3:10. 2, Seattle, Jacobs 15 (Dillon, Wells), 19:42. Penalties – Jacobs, Sea (kneeing), 10:44. Leipsic, Por (cross checking), 10:44. Ramsay, Sea (double minor-roughing), 20:00. Ross, Por (cross checking, 10-minute misconduct), 20:00.
Second period – 3, Portland, Leipsic 10 (Morrow, Rattie), 13:24 (pp). 4, Seattle, Lockhart 13 (Jacobs, Dillon), 16:37 (pp). Penalties – Bonsor, Sea (cross checking), 4:04. Dillon, Sea (high-sticking), 9:27. Alos, Sea (high-sticking), 11:25. Ross, Por (double minor-roughing), 15:37. Rouse, Sea (roughing), 15:37.
Third period – 5, Seattle, Gallimore 18 (Dillon), 3:58 (pp). 6, Portland, Rutkowski 6 (Petan, Ross), 4:58. Penalties – Burns, Por (goaltender interference), 2:15. Ramsay, Sea (roughing), 2:15. Boychuk, Por (slashing), 2:41. Ramsay, Sea (high-sticking), 5:15.
Shots on goal – Seattle 11-16-5 32. Portland 22-14-16 52. Goalies – Seattle, Pickard 52 shots-50 saves (15-9-2-4); Portland, Carruth 32-28 (16-7-0-1). Power plays – Seattle 2-2; Portland 1-5. A – 4,089. Referee – Brett Iverson, Sean Raphael. Linesmen – Zach Brooks, Chris Carlson.
Talk to us
Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.
To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.
