BRANDON, MANITOBA – Chris Cloud and Devon LeBlanc each scored two goals Saturday night at Westman Place to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 5-4 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings.
Seattle improves to 3-1-0-1 on their current seven- game road trip with two games remaining. They face the Moose Jaw Warriors on Tuesday at 5 p.m. and the Swift Current Broncos on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
Andrew Clark scored a power-play goal at 5:21 of the first period to give Brandon a 1-0 lead. Keith Aulie and Matt Lowry had the assists.
Seattle (9-11-1-2) tied the game 1-1 at 8:50 of the first. Greg Scott got to a loose puck in the right face off circle of the Brandon zone and whipped a pass across the slot. LeBlanc was to the left of the goal and redirected Scott’s pass past Brandon goalie James Priestner.
Jay Fehr put the Wheat Kings in front 2-1 at 11:58 of the first. Lowry had the only assist on the goal.
Brandon (12-9-1-0) outshot Seattle 12-7 in the first period.
Cloud tied the game 2-2 for Seattle at 2:13 of the second period. Thomas Hickey took a slap shot from the right point that was blocked in front of the Brandon goal. Charles Wells and Jeremy Boyer got a stick on the loose puck before Cloud backhanded the puck through Priestner’s legs for the goal.
Scott and LeBlanc teamed up a second time to put the T-Birds in front 3-2. LeBlanc fed Scott the puck at the right post. Scott slammed the puck past Priestner at 7:17 of the second for his fifth goal of the year.
Scott Glennie tied the game 3-3 for Brandon with three second left in the second period. Matt Calvert and Brodie Melnychuk had the assists.
Both teams had seven shots on goal in the second period and the Wheat Kings led 19-14 in total shots after 40 minutes.
Cloud gave the T-Birds a 4-3 lead at 7:18 of the third period. Cloud controlled the puck in the center of the Seattle zone. Cloud made a long pass to Boyer streaking up the left side. Boyer had a partial breakaway but the Brandon defender forced him to turn back towards the boards in the left circle with the puck. Cloud was charging after the play and Boyer hit him with a pass. Cloud one-timed Boyer’s pass past Priestner for his second goal of the night. Stefan Warg had the second assist on the go-ahead goal.
Clark scored a power-play goal at 9:51 of the third to tie the game 4-4. Nathan Green and Darren Bestland had the assists.
Seattle went back in front 5-4 at 15:18 of the third. Lindsay Nielsen made a pass up ice from the Seattle zone to LeBlanc coming up the left side. LeBlanc carried the puck into the Brandon zone. At the top of the left circle LeBlanc wound up and unleashed a slap shot that beat Priestner over the glove. It was LeBlanc’s second goal of the night.
Seattle outshot Brandon 9-3 in the third period and finished with a 23-22 advantage in shots.
Seattle goalie Calvin Pickard stopped 18 of 22 shots and his record is now 6-6-1-2.
Priestner made 18 saves on 23 shots and his record falls to 4-3-0-0.
T-Birds’ season tickets are currently on sale. Season tickets can be purchased by calling the T-Birds office at 253-239-7825. Purchasing a season ticket will ensure fans can attend the T-Birds first game in their new home, the Kent Events Center.
SCORING SUMMARY
First period – 1, Brandon, Clark 10 (Aulie, Lowry), 5:21 (pp). 2, Seattle, LeBlanc 6 (Scott), 8:50. 3, Brandon, Fehr 8 (Lowry), 11:58. Penalties – O’Brien, Sea (holding), 4:30. Hickey, Sea (delay of game), 17:30.
Second period – 4, Seattle, Cloud 5 (Wells, Boyer), 2:13. 5, Seattle, Scott 5 (LeBlanc), 7:17. 6, Brandon, Glennie 9 (Calvert, Melnychuk), 19:57. Penalties – Richard, Sea (hooking), 4:53. Schenn, Brn (roughing), 17:45. Lund, Sea (roughing), 17:45.
Third period – 7, Seattle, Cloud 6 (Boyer, Warg), 7:18. 8, Brandon, Clark 11 (Green, Bestland), 9:51 (pp). 9, Seattle, LeBlanc 7 (Nielsen), 15:18. Penalties – O’Brien, Sea (slashing), 9:11. Richard, Sea (high-sticking), 12:20.
Shots on goal – Seattle 7-7-8 22. Brandon 12- 7-3 22. Goalies – Seattle, Pickard 22 shots-18 saves (6-6-1-2); Brandon, Priestner 22-17 (4-3-0-0). Power plays – Seattle 0-0; Brandon 2-5. A – 3,675. Referee – Devin Klein. Linesmen – Cam Kuffner, Derek Nernberg.
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