Thunderbirds
Game 12: Thunderbirds lose in overtime to the Blazers
(8-7-0-1)Kamloops Blazers 3, (5-3-2-2)Seattle Thunderbirds 2(OT)
Pickard makes 49 saves..Lockhart with two points
KAMLOOPS–Behind a remarkable performance by Calvin Pickard the Thunderbirds steal a point in Kamloops.
The Thunderbirds were awarded the first power play of the game at 6:45 of the first period and they could not convert. Back five on five Kamloops drew first blood as Colin Smith netted his first goal of the season on a wrap around in which Pickard (5-3-2-2) was unable to locate the puck and neither did the defense so the Blazers went up 1-0 at 9:43. The Birds went back on the power play at 11:30 as Dylan Willick was called for hooking. The Birds were not able to take advantage once again. The Blazers got their first power play of the game at 13:52 as Erik Bonsor was called for interference. Seattle killed of the penalty even though the Blazers got off a few good shots. Jacob Doty and Brandon Underwood went at it towards the end of the first with Doty knocking Underwood to the ice. That’s the way the first period would end with the Blazers up 1-0. The Birds were out shot 19-3. If they were tired from playing last night and getting into Kamloops around 4 am it certainly showed over the first 20 minutes.
The Blazers went on their second power play at 6:32 of the second period as Doty was called for interference. The Birds killed off the penalty as both teams went scoreless on their first two power play opportunities. The Blazers continued to control the puck and this caused the Birds to take another penalty as Travis Toomey was called for holding at 10:15. Seattle killed off the penalty but were quickly called for another one as Connor Sanvido was called for slashing. The Birds killed off the Blazers fourth power play and seconds later Travis Bobbee sniped one into the net to get the Birds on the board and tie the game at one. The Birds went on their third power play at 16:57 and did not convert, getting only one shot. The period would end with the game tied 1-1. Shots were 16-9 in favor of Kamloops in the second and 35-12 overall.
Early power play opportunity in the third period as the Blazers were called for delay of game at the :11 mark. Marcel Noebels put the puck in through the backdoor, roofing it past Jeff Bosch (7-2) to give the Birds a 2-1 lead at 1:10. It was Noebels fourth goal of the season. The Thunderbirds were awarded a penalty shot at 3:16 with Luke Lockhart taking the shot and Bosch made a nice glove save to deny him. The Birds went back on the power play as Brendan Ranford was called for hooking at 4:41. Chase Schaber got a breakaway on the penalty kill and Pickard made a great save to deny him the goal. The Birds couldn’t capitalize on the power play and soon after the Blazers went on the power play as Scott Ramsay was called for interference at 8:08. The Blazers tied the game at 2-2 on the power play at 8:43 on an unassisted goal by Austin Madaisky. The Birds went on the power play at 17:51, their sixth of the night and did not convert as Brenden Dillon was called for interference.
The Kamloops man advantage would carry over into overtime. It’s the seventh time in 12 games the Birds have had to go to OT. Only 32 seconds in the Blazers ended the game as Jordan DePape blasted one past Pickard. It was a power play goal and it gave Kamloops a 3-2 win. The shots ended up 52-25 in favor of the Blazers.
Making 49 saves it’s obvious that the main reason the Birds ended up with a point was because of the stellar play of Pickard. The Birds did indeed pick up their play after the first period and especially in the third but without the performance of Pickard the game could very well have been out of hand by that point.
You can look at things a couple of ways when it comes to the current streak the Birds are on and it’s a glass half full/half empty kind of situation. Seattle has lost their last five games (0-1-2-2) but they have also earned at least one point in eight of their last nine games. They have been in every game and with Pickard they always seem to have a chance to win. Their hope is that the goals and wins will come with the continued hard, gritty play every night.
The Thunderbirds next game will be Tuesday night at home against the Red Deer Rebels. Game time is 7 pm.
Game Notes:
– D Erik Fleming remains sidelined with an MCL sprain (week to week)
– Thunderbirds road record now stands at 3-2-1-1
– Attendance in Kamloops was announced as 4,058.
– Pickard was named the star of the game.
Game Summary:
1st Period-1, Kamloops, Smith 3 (Lipon, Hansen), 9:43. Penalties-Dillon Sea (interference), 1:30; Ranford Kam (roughing), 1:30; Keil Kam (hooking), 6:45; Willick Kam (hooking), 11:30; Bonsor Sea (interference), 13:52; Doty Sea (major-fighting), 18:57; Underwood Kam (major-fighting), 18:57.
2nd Period-2, Seattle, Bobbee 1 (Wells, Lockhart), 15:58. Penalties-Doty Sea (interference), 6:32; Toomey Sea (holding), 10:15; Sanvido Sea (slashing), 13:35; Bortnak Kam (slashing), 16:57.
3rd Period-3, Seattle, Noebels 4 (Gallimore, Lockhart), 1:10 (PP). 4, Kamloops, Madaisky 4 8:43 (PP). Penalties-Saip Kam (delay of game), 0:11; Ranford Kam (hooking), 4:41; Ramsay Sea (interference), 7:08; Underwood Kam (holding), 17:51; Dillon Sea (interference), 18:55.
OT Period-5, Kamloops, DePape 4 (Maschmeyer, Schaber), 0:32 (PP). Penalties-No Penalties
Shots on Goal-Seattle 3-9-13-0-25. Kamloops 19-16-14-3-52.
Power Play Opportunities-Seattle 1 / 6; Kamloops 2 / 6.
Goalies-Seattle, Pickard 5-3-2-2 (52 shots-49 saves). Kamloops, Bosch 7-2-0-0 (25 shots-23 saves).
A-4,058
Referees-Dan Cowley (76), Trent Knorr (42).
Linesmen-Michael Boisvert (111), Ryan Dawson (134).
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