Winterhawks clip T-Birds, 5-2 | WHL

The Portland Winterhawks defeated the Seattle Thunderbirds 5-2 Friday night at the ShoWare Center in Kent.

The T-Birds fall to 11-4-0-2 on the season. The loss was only the second at home for the T-Birds, and first in regulation at the ShoWare Center.

Justin Myles started his 10th game, stopping 36 of 40 shots, including 15 in the second period. The loss runs Myles’ record to 6-3-0-0. The Winterhawks’ 41st shot came on an empty net, after Myles had been pulled late in the third in hopes of tying the game. Portland’s Brendan Burke had his 15th start of the season, winning to make his record 12-2-0-1. Burke made 20 saves on 22 shots.

A big hit along the boards gave Portland the first power play of the game at 3:18, a situation made even worse by a tripping call only seconds later. The visiting Winterhawks had 1:44 of 5-on-3 hockey, which they capitalized on almost immediately, scoring 10 seconds into the advantage. Brendan Leipsic had the goal, with Oliver Bjorkstrand and Nic Petan earning the assists.

Seattle’s kill remained on the ice for the next 1:50, successfully ending Portland’s power play without any more damage. The pressure took its toll on the home team, however, leading to Portland’s second goal of the game at 7:21. The goal was Leipsic’s second of the game and came from Petan and Keoni Texeira.

Portland scored again a minute later, when a point shot from Garrett Haar made its way through to the back of the net to make it 3-0. Dominic Turgeon and Keegan Iverson had the assists.

A forecheck off a faceoff win by the T-Birds led to a power play when Portland was called for embellishment. Multiple offside calls marred the man advantage, and Seattle was unable to score. Neither team was able to create an offense for the rest of the period. Jared Hauf shut down the last Winterhawk chance of the period with a monstrous hit in the neutral zone. Shots were 15-2 in Portland’s favor.

The second period began with a Portland breakaway up the ice. Myles stood stalwart, stopping the shot and keeping the score 3-0. The T-Birds were put up against the wall once again at 2:31, when a major penalty and game misconduct for charging to Evan Wardley gave Portland a five minute power play. Myles’ netminding made the difference in the penalty’s first two minutes, stonewalling numerous chances. Portland scored with 30 seconds left in the penalty after a failed shorthanded chance by Seattle.

The home team was able to get their first goal not long after, with Jaimen Yakubowski taking the puck away on a shorthanded forecheck and sending it home. It was Yakubowski’s first goal as a T-Bird and came unassisted, making the score 4-1.

Portland’s Alex Schoenborn earned his second embellishment call of the game at 14:35, giving Seattle another crack at the man advantage. While they didn’t score, the T-Birds attack was much livelier, creating shots and holding the puck for much of the two minutes. A Seattle penalty came not long after their advantage expired to give the Winterhawks a power play of their own. Even with Portland controlling of the puck in the offensive zone for over a minute, the best chance of the power play came for Seattle, though the score remained 4-1 when the game returned to even strength.

The period expired not long after, with Portland outshooting the home team 17-6 in the second.

Portland controlled the early going in the third, making Myles work to keep the margin at three. An offside call turned the tide in the T-Birds favor, however, leading to their second goal of the game. Justin Hickman scored after a drop pass from Branden Troock left the captain with space on the wing. The secondary assist went to Shea Theodore.

Even with the increase in physicality, the third period saw no penalties. Portland’s offense was short-circuited by offside calls and icings created by the T-Birds’ aggression. The puck control by the home team didn’t lead to the ever-important goals, forcing Seattle to pull its goalie with two minutes left in hopes to overcome the two-goal deficit. Six attackers weren’t enough, as Leier stole the puck away in Seattle’s zone and scored an unassisted empty net goal to put the score final at 5-2.

The next game for the T-Birds is Saturday at Everett at 7:05 p.m. This is the first meeting between the teams this season.

SCORING SUMMARY

First period – 1, Portland, Leipsic 9 (Bjorkstrand, Petan), 3:45 (pp). 2, Portland, Leipsic 10 (Petan, Texeira), 7:21. 3, Portland, Haar 2 (Turgeon, Iverson), 8:20. Penalties – Troock, Seattle (interference) 3:18. Swenson, Seattle (tripping) 3:34. Schoenborn, Portland (embellishment) 15:59.

Second period – 4, Portland, Leier 10 (Bjorkstrand, De Leo), 7:01 (pp). 5, Seattle, Yakubowski 2, 7:28 (sh). Penalties – Wardley, Seattle (major-charging, game misconduct) 2:31. Hauf, Seattle (unsportsmanlike conduct) 8:04. Price, Portland (unsportsmanlike conduct) 8:04. Schoenborn, Portland (embellishment) 14:35. Delnov, Seattle (checking to the head) 17:14.

Third period – 6, Seattle, Hickman 4 (Troock, Theodore), 2:55. 7, Portland, Leier 11, 19:02 (en). Penalties – None.

Shots on goal – Seattle 2-6-14 22, Portland 15-17-9 41. Goalies – Seattle, Myles 40 shots- 36 saves (6-3-0-0); Portland, Burke 22-20 (12-2-0-1). Power plays – Seattle 0-2; Portland 2-4. A – 3,557. Referees – Steve Papp, Kevin Bennett. Linesmen – Zach Brooks, Kevin Boris.