Thunderbirds
Game 16: Thunderbirds come back to defeat the Blades
(7-4-2-3) Seattle Thunderbirds 5, (13-5-0-1) Saskatoon Blades 4 (shootout)
Lockhart with a hat trick, Noebels with a goal and game winner
SASKATOON– Behind three goals from Luke Lockhart the Thunderbirds rallied from a two goal third period deficit to defeat the first place Saskatoon Blades in the shootout.
Lockhart got the Birds the early lead at the 2:53 mark on just the second shot of the game. The goal was assisted by Brenden Dillon. It was his sixth goal of the season. The Blades picked up the first power play when Mitch Elliot was called for checking from behind at 5:20. When Erik Bonsor was unable to clear the puck out of the zone, just inches from the blue line, Curtis Hamilton (9) took advantage and put one past Calvin Pickard (7-4-2-3) to score a power play goal at 7:02 and get the Blades even at 1-1. At 9:16 Dillon was called for delay of game and Saskatoon went on the power play for the second time. The Birds successfully killed off the penalty. The first Saskatoon power play and ensuing goal seemed to take a little bit of the sail out of the Birds who were having their best start to a game in a long time. Scott Ramsay was called for interference at 16:32 as the Blades went on the power play for third time in the period. The Blades did not convert with the man advantage. The period would end with the game tied 1-1. Shots were 8-7 in favor of the Blades. The birds out shot the Blades 5-2 in the early part of the period however since Saskatoon’s first goal the Birds were out shot 6-2.
The Blades came out of the gate very strong to start the second period and Lukas Sutter had a breakaway chance that was denied by Pickard. The teams skated four on four at 5:17 as Ramsay and Darian Dziurzynski were called for roughing. Stefan Elliot (7) took advantage of the open ice and put the Blades up 2-1, scoring from a sharp angle against Pickard. The goal was scored at 6:44. The Birds went on the power play for the first time when Marek Viedensky was called for tripping at 7:56. A very effective power play ended with Lockhart (7)netting his second goal of the game to tie the game 2-2. The goal was scored at 8:52 and was assisted by Colin Jacobs and Dillon.
Dillon and Dziurzynski dropped the gloves at 11:46 and it was a decent heavyweight battle. The Blades took a 3-2 lead when Hamilton (10)scored off the face off at 13:39. It was his second goal of the match. The Blades quickly tallied another goal as Brent Benson scored his third goal of the season at the 14:42 mark to put the Blades up 4-2. The Birds went on the power play when Chris Collins was called for hooking at 16:41. The Birds second power play was ineffective as the only shot on goal was registered by the Blades.
The Blades would take a 4-2 lead into the third period after scoring three times in the second period. Shots were 24-17 Blades after 40 minutes. Some turnovers and mistakes in front of Pickard allowed the Blades to take a two goal lead make it difficult for the Birds going into the final 20 minutes. “They capitalized on some of our mistakes in the first two periods. We caused our own problems with turnovers,” said Rob Sumner .
The Birds came out strong to start the third and Lockhart (8) picked up the Birds second hat trick of the season as he scored at 3:30 to get the Birds to within one at 4-3. The assists were from Charles Wells and Burke Gallimore. After the flurry by the Birds to start the period, the Blades once again took control and with 6:49 remaining in the third the Blades had the shot advantage 35-22. At the 13:26 mark the Birds went on the power play as Josh Nicholls was called for delay of game and Marcel Noebels buried the puck in the net to tie the game at 4-4. The goal was scored at 13:55 with assists from Gallimore and Dillon. The Birds went back on the power play at 16:23 when Braeden Johnson was called for tripping. They did not convert as they ended the night 2 for 4 on the power play. “In a one goal game the power play is important, and ours is clicking pretty good right now, so is our PK,” said Noebels, “We also kept our penalties down in this game.” After three power play opportunities in the first period the Blades would not have another while the Birds had four.
It should come as no surprise that 60 minutes would not be enough to decide the contest as the Birds come back from 4-2 third period deficit to force OT. It’s their ninth trip to OT in 16 games. Shots after regulation were 36-25 in favor of Saskatoon.
The Birds did not register a shot in OT while the Blades had two but no score in OT and the game went to the shootout. Saskatoon out shot the Birds 38-25 in the game.
Noebels made a spectacular move on Blades goalie Adam Morrison (6-4-0-1) to net the game winner in the shootout. He was the only one of six shooters to score. The Birds win the shootout 1-0 and the game 5-4. It’s the first game the Blades have lost when leading after two periods (9-0-0-1).
It really seemed as though after giving up four goals in the first two periods, Pickard wasn’t going to allow another one in. The third period was by far his best, the same can be said for his teammates. Sumner spoke about the team not giving up, “You’re never out of a game, sometimes its easier to talk about than to do and tonight we were able to do it.”
Without Lockhart’s hat trick the Birds never would have had a chance to come back. “Luke was obviously the best player on the ice,” said Sumner “even aside from the three goals, he was all over the ice.”
When asked if this gives the Birds some good momentum going into Wednesday night’s game against Prince Albert, Sumner knows that tomorrow is another day, “Well every game is a new one, but we’ll take the positives out of this one and move on to the next.”
That game will start at 5 pm.
Game Notes:
– D Erik Fleming remains out with an MCL sprain but has been skating with the team.
-The Thunderbirds improve to 1-1-0-1 on the six game road trip.
-The Birds road record now stands at 4-3-1-2.
-Attendance at the Credit Union Centre was announced as 3,514.
Game Summary:
1st Period-1, Seattle, Lockhart 6 (Dillon), 2:53. 2, Saskatoon, Hamilton 9 (Nicholls, Viedensky), 7:02 (PP). Penalties-Elliot Sea (checking from behind), 5:20; Dillon Sea (delay of game), 9:16; Ramsay Sea (interference), 16:32.
2nd Period-3, Saskatoon, Elliott 7 (Collins, Siemens), 6:44. 4, Seattle, Lockhart 7 (Jacobs, Dillon), 8:52 (PP). 5, Saskatoon, Hamilton 10 (Viedensky), 13:39. 6, Saskatoon, Benson 3 (Zahn, Stransky), 14:42. Penalties-Ramsay Sea (roughing), 5:17; Dziurzynski Sas (roughing), 5:17; Viedensky Sas (tripping), 7:56; Dillon Sea (major-fighting), 11:36; Dziurzynski Sas (major-fighting), 11:36; Collins Sas (hooking), 16:41.
3rd Period-7, Seattle, Lockhart 8 (Gallimore, Wells), 3:30. 8, Seattle, Noebels 6 (Gallimore, Dillon), 13:55 (PP). Penalties-Nicholls Sas (delay of game), 13:26; Johnson Sas (tripping), 16:23.
OT Period- No Scoring.Penalties-No Penalties
Shootout – Seattle 1 (Toomey NG, Gallimore NG, Noebels G), Saskatoon 0 (Trask NG, Viedensky NG, Olsen NG).
Shots on Goal-Seattle 7-10-8-2-27. Saskatoon 8-16-12-0-36.
Power Play Opportunities-Seattle 2 / 4; Saskatoon 1 / 3.
Goalies-Seattle, Pickard 6-4-2-3 (36 shots-32 saves). Saskatoon, Morrison 6-4-0-0 (27 shots-23 saves).
A-3,514
Referees-Curtis Howe (118), Chad Williams (60).
Linesmen-Jarett Gelowitz (45), Kyle Paulsen (96).
Comments