Thunderbirds dominate puck possession to take 2-0 series lead over Prince George

The Seattle Thunderbirds stuck to a similar script in Saturday’s Game 2 against the Prince George Cougars as they did in the series opener, and it paid off.

As they did Friday, the T-Birds dominated puck possession Saturday and rode that to a 4-1 win, giving them a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven opening round series.

Keegan Kolesar scored twice for Seattle and Mathew Barzal added three assists in a game. The T-Birds outshot the Cougars 44-18 and once again saw contributions from all four of their lines.

“I thought all our lines were working hard,” head coach Steve Konowalchuk said. “Guys contributed, good tough win and the team played hard tonight.”

A night after being shutout, the T-Birds top line got going on Saturday.

Barzal drove the play most of the night and set up three of the team’s four goals.

“We’re just working hard,” Barzal said. “Playing mostly against (Kodi) McDonald and (Luke) Harrison, they’re a really good shutdown line and play physical. We’ve got to play hard against those guys ‘cuz we know they can bury us.”

After a scoreless opening period, Barzal got the T-Birds going in the second. He worked the puck off the boards and made a nice flip pass to Kolesar, who was in the zone with him. The big winger fired a wrist-shot that Prince George goalie Ty Edmonds couldn’t catch up to.

This weekend was Kolesar’s first real playoff experience, after missing all of last year’s postseason with an injury, and seeing limited ice time two years ago as a 16-year-old. He said he was glad to get some real playoff experience and contribute.

With Seattle’s leading goal-scorer, Ryan Gropp, still out with an injury, getting goals from Kolesar was key.

“I didn’t play last year at all so this year I’m playing and enjoying it,” Kolesar said. “They’re a team that’s not going to give you an inch. We’re fighting hard for whatever we get, luckily it’s going our way.”

The T-Birds held Prince George to only six shots in the second period, but much like it did in Friday’s third period, the Cougars found a way to get the game even. Just as a Prince George power play was ending, Chase Witala had a puck carom off his skate at the side of the Seattle net and in.

Goalie Landon Bow protested and the play was reviewed by video. Officials ruled that Witala did not kick the puck in, meaning the goal counted.

The goal also counts as an even-strength goal. However, since the penalized Seattle player was not yet in the play,it was, in essence, a power-play goal. Prince George surprisingly stayed in both games this weekend with their middle-of-the-road power play finding success against Seattle’s league-best penalty kill.

That marker could have been a big momentum changer, but on Seattle’s next shift Barzal would help restore the lead.

He picked the puck up and cruised behind and around the Cougar net. He put the breaks on along the half-boards and found Ethan Bear wide open in the high slot. He passed the puck and Bear buried it to give Seattle a 2-1 lead.

“That’s big, especially when it’s 1-1,” Barzal said. “Next goal’s huge right? They score there and maybe we don’t come out with the win so it’s big to bounce back and get a big goal.”

Early in the third period, Barzal and Kolesar hooked up again, only this time in a less conventional way. The play started with Barzal driving to the net with a defender hanging on him. The two fell to the ice in front of the goal and Edmonds poke-checked the puck to what he must of thought was a safe spot along the side boards.

Edmonds apparently didn’t realize Kolesar was parked in that spot and the puck hit his stick on the tape. With the goalie on his stomach, Kolesar flung the puck into a mostly empty net to give Seattle a big insurance goal.

“I just put it on net,” Kolesar said. “He lifted his belly and it slid right under. It was good timing.”

Scott Eansor, who’s line once again did a great job of slowing down Prince George’s top line of Witala, Jansen Harkins and Jesse Gabrielle, added an exclamation point with 33 seconds left when he potted an empty-net goal to seal the win.

Through the first two games, the line match-up game has not really factored. While Konowalchuk mostly had Eansor out against Harkins, other lines have won their shifts. That’s a big factor as the two teams head into Prince George, where the Cougars will have last change.

“I’m really happy with the way our lines are playing,” the coach said. “Whichever line is more fresh I’ll put out there and let them play. I trust all our lines.”

The T-Birds built this early series lead with two strong efforts. It hasn’t all been perfect, however, as they have yet to capitalize on the power play. Prince George came into the series as the most penalized club in the WHL but they also feature a top penalty kill.

Pressuring all over the ice, the Cougars have stymied Seattle’s power-play unit that is currently missing Gropp. Seattle is 0-for-11 with the man advantage and it’s something they will need to work on moving forward.

“They’re pressuring hard,” Konowalchuk said of the Prince George penalty kill. “We’ve had some chances but not as many as I’d like. We’ve got to look to shoot more. You’re not always going to hold it against these guys for very long.”

Seattle has kept Prince George silent while at even strength, but cashing in on the power play would go a long way to helping put games away.

The two clubs will now both get on the bus and make the long journey up north for two games at Prince George.

“It’s been two grind games and we’re just happy we got two wins,” Barzal said. “We know they’re going to come out with a big push. Both games have been tight, they’ve played strong hockey so we’ve got to bear down.”

Game 3 will be played Tuesday night starting at 7 p.m.

Notes

Puck possession and shots have been lopsided so far in the series. Seattle threw 44 more shots at Edmonds on Saturday and has outshot Prince George 94-47 in the first two matchups.

Landon Bow has been solid in net for the T-Birds but has yet to be under too much fire. Still, he’s made several key saves when the club has needed them.

Seattle had a scare in the second period when Friday night’s hero Cavin Leth was taken hard into the boards. He lay on the ice for several moments and had to be helped off to the dressing room. The good news is that he returned in the third period and didn’t miss a shift.

Gropp is still day-to-day while he nurses an injury. WHL teams remain tight-lipped when it comes to injury status in the playoffs so no further details have been released.

In the other U.S. Division playoff series, the Everett Silvertips took a 2-0 series lead over the Portland Winterhawks behind a 3-1 victory Saturday night. That series will now shift to the Rose City for Games 3 and 4.