Thunderbirds
Game 15: Thunderbirds lose in the shootout in Moose Jaw
(10-8-0-1) Moose Jaw Warriors 2, (6-4-2-3) Seattle Thunderbirds 1 (Shootout)
Pickard with 43 saves..Noebels with a goal
MOOSE JAW– In the second of their six game Eastern Conference road trip the Thunderbirds were unable to hold a late lead and went on to lose in the shootout to Moose Jaw. The Birds were once again out shot by a good margin but they were able to earn a road point in a penalty laden game.
The Warriors were awarded the first power play of the game at the 4:17 mark as Austin Baecker was called for roughing. Moose Jaw did not register a shot as the Birds killed it off. In the early going the Birds did a much better job of limiting shots and most importantly, scoring chances. Travis Toomey was called for tripping at 11:20 to give the Warriors their second power play of the night. Moose Jaw had a five on three advantage when Scott Ramsay was called for holding. The five on three would last for over a minute but the Warriors could not convert as Seattle killed off both the two man advantage and the traditional power play time remaining. Their cause was helped by a few spectacular saves by Calvin Pickard (6-4-2-3) as well as some fortunate bounces.
Seattle had trouble getting shots to the net with only seven shots registered through the first 20 minutes. It was a better start to the game than we have seen in a while with the penalty kill keeping things scoreless. Shots were 13-7 in favor of the Warriors. “It was a much better first period,” said Rob Sumner . “We did a better job of getting pucks out, more committed to bearing down in the neutral zone.”
The Warriors came out flying to start the second registering four quick shots that were turned aside by Pickard. The Thunderbirds got their first power play of the game when Danny Gayle was called for high sticking at 2:29. The Birds did not score even though it was an effective power play as they put five shots on net against Warriors goalie Thomas Heemskerk (8-8-0-1). A hard hit by Dylan McIlrath on Jacob Doty caught Doty’s ire as he was asking McIlrath to dance but he wouldn’t have any of it. At 9:59 the Birds went on their second power play when Connor Cox was called for tripping.Seattle then had a five on three advantage when Dylan Hood was called for tripping at 10:28. They took advantage when Marcel Noebels (5) scored unassisted at 11:02 to put the Birds up 1-0.
Doty finally got his fight as he and Dallas Ehrhardt went at it with Doty taking a few good ones. At 12:50 Erik Bonsor was called for Cross Checking. No sooner did the Birds kill off the penalty that they took another one when Dave Sutter was called for delay of game as he tried to clear the puck around the boards. Seattle’s solid penalty killing continued as they kept Moose Jaw off the board.
At 15:28 Quinton Howden was called for slashing followed by McIlrath taking a hooking penalty at 16:36, giving the Birds another five on three advantage, this time for 42 seconds. Their chance to take a two goal lead disappeared rather quickly due to an effective penalty kill by the Warriors. With 12 seconds remaining in the period Chance Lund took a tripping penalty putting Moose Jaw back on the power play. It would carry over into the second period. Shots after two periods were 29-24 in favor of Moose Jaw.
The Warriors got their second five on three of the game when Brenden Dillon was called for elbowing at 1:08. The Thunderbirds killed of both penalties as the Warriors failed to score on their first seven power play opportunities including two five on three chances. Sutter took a penalty at 9:38 to give the Warriors their eighth power play and the Birds once again killed it off. With all of the power play opportunities the Warriors had some great scoring chances and this continued to be the case five on five however some incredible goaltending by Pickard along with some big misses by the Warriors kept the Birds up 1-0. That is until the 14:08 mark when Dylan Hood (8) rocketed one past Pickard to tie the game at 1-1.
That’s the way it would stay as the game went into overtime for the eighth time this season. Shots were 41-30 Moose Jaw at the end of regulation.
The Birds had trouble getting anything going at all in OT as they did not register a shot while Moose Jaw had three. No scoring however and the game went to the shootout. The Warriors ended up out shooting the Birds 44-30.
The Warriors won the shootout 1-0 and the game 2-1.
The Thunderbirds are now 0-1-0-1 on their road trip as they head into a very tough game on Tuesday night in Saskatoon against the Blades. The shot totals against have to be a bit of a concern as the 25-30 shot totals we were seeing a few weeks ago have become 40 plus recently. The quality of the shots against have also gone up leading to more stressful games for Pickard. The neutral zone play was better tonight than in recent games while putting pucks in the net continue to be a challenge.
There is no doubt this team has relied heavily on their goaltender thus far and that point isn’t lost on Sumner, “Calvin has played well, he’s a very experienced goalie even though he’s only 18 years old.” It was the first game for Justin Hickman after being out with an injury since September. When asked about his ice time in the third period of a tight game Sumner was asked if he had confidence in the 16 year old forward. “Very much so…he’s strong defensively and he understands the game well. I thought he had a good first game.”
So with two games down on the trip the Birds only have one point to show for their efforts. While Sumner isn’t satisfied he knows there is another big game coming up Tuesday night. “We hope to win every game, we lose a one goal game yesterday (in Brandon) with a controversial goal, we got a point out of tonight. Two close games, one we got a point, one we got no points, we’ll get ready to play our next game.”
That game will be on Tuesday night in Saskatoon. The game starts at 5 pm.
Game Notes:
– Jacob Doty had a nice gash on his nose after the game, the result of a rough fight with Dallas Ehrhardt.
– D Erik Fleming remains out with an MCL sprain.
– Attendance in the Civic Arena was announced as 2,520.
– Justin Hickman had been out with a fractured hand. It was his first game of the season.
-The Thunderbirds are now 3-3-1-2 on the road.
Game Summary:
1st Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Baecker Sea (roughing), 4:17; Toomey Sea (tripping), 11:20; Ramsay Sea (holding), 12:15.
2nd Period-1, Seattle, Noebels 5 11:02 (PP). Penalties-Gayle M.j (high sticking), 2:29; Cox M.j (tripping), 9:59; Hood M.j (hooking), 10:28; Doty Sea (major-fighting), 12:45; Ehrhardt M.j (major-fighting), 12:45; Bonsor Sea (cross checking), 12:50; Sutter Sea (delay of game), 14:49; Howden M.j (slashing), 15:28; McIlrath M.j (hooking), 16:36; Lund Sea (tripping), 19:48.
3rd Period-2, Moose Jaw, Hood 8 (Honejsek, Rowinski), 14:08. Penalties-Dillon Sea (elbowing), 1:08; Sutter Sea (tripping), 9:38; Heemskerk M.j (delay of game), 14:16.
OT Period- No Scoring.Penalties-No Penalties
Shootout – Seattle 0 (Gallimore NG, Noebels NG, Lockhart NG), Moose Jaw 1 (Honejsek NG, Rowinski NG, Howden G).
Shots on Goal-Seattle 7-17-6-0-0-30. Moose Jaw 13-16-12-3-1-45.
Power Play Opportunities-Seattle 1 / 6; Moose Jaw 0 / 8.
Goalies-Seattle, Pickard 6-4-2-3 (44 shots-43 saves). Moose Jaw, Heemskerk 8-8-0-1 (30 shots-29 saves).
A-2,520
Referees-Patrick Gagnon (71), Nathan Wieler (18).
Linesmen-Todd Doepker (65), Scott Edwards (35).
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