With Cody Glass going out injured in Portland’s overtime win against Tri-City on Friday, captain Keoni Texeira not even able to play in that game due to an injury and three players participating in the U-20 World Junior Championships, the Winterhawks were without five of their top players Saturday night.
Portland was only able to ice 17 players and six of those players were rookies. Not surprisingly, it was the lone remaining forward from Portland’s top line who led the way in the loss. He scored twice and now has 26 on the season.
Seattle came back from a one-goal deficit three different times and seemed to have far more life in their legs as the game wore on. Jarett Tyszka scored the overtime winner as he took a great feed from Matthew Wedman and was stopped once by Portland goalie Cole Kehler once. Then, while laying on his butt, he shuffled the loose puck for the win.
Seattle was all over Portland in the overtime and had all five shots as lacking most of their potent offensive players, the Winterhawks could not counter-attack. Kehler made several astounding saves in the overtime, before he could not get his left skate over to the post in time to stop the Tyszka follow up.
Zack Andrusiak led the way for Seattle with two assists, while goalie Liam Hughes stopped 31 of 34. Seattle got goals from two different rookies in the win. Between the two, they had just one career goal coming in.
Portland was out-shooting Seattle 31-22 at one point in the game, but ended up only leading 34-33 in shots as the Thunderbirds notched 11 of the last 14 shots in the game, including all seven in overtime.
Early in the second and on the power play, a Brendan De Jong shot from the point was blocked by Nolan Volcan. The puck then ricocheted off to the right where Skyler McKenzie swiftly one-timed the puck in from a tight angle and opened the scoring.
Seattle got that goal right back and it was tied at just over a minute passed in the middle frame. Jake Lee blew a shot by Cole Kehler on the blocker side. The goal was the 16-year-old’s second in the WHL.
After Ty Kolle drew a penalty with a drive to the center of the Seattle zone, Portland retook the one-goal lead. Alex Overhardt drove a shot hard enough that got through Liam Hughes and just sneaked across the goal line in behind him. The goal was the overage center’s eighth this year.
Just 10 seconds into the third period, Seattle tied the game again. Samuel Huo notched his first WHL goal as Volcan got to a puck that eluded Matthew Quigley behind the net and threw it out front to Huo. The rookie then batted home the puck to tie the game at two.
Skyler McKenzie then scored his third goal in his last two games to put Portland back out in front. Once again it was created by a shot from De Jong. He drive in and wired a shot off Hughes’ right pad. McKenzie then got to the puck quickly and beat Hughes before he could get back in time.
Volcan tied the game again with 6:28 left in the game and his team on the power play. After John Ludvig blocked a shot from Austin Strand, he was slow getting back to covering the post to Kehler’s left and Volcan got their to tip home a hard pass from Zack Andrusiak.
Volcan’s big goal set the sage for Tyska’s winner with 1:07 left in the extra session.
The third period goal over-shadowed a strong game from the rookie Ludvig, who saw his minutes increase dramatically with Texeira and Henri Jokiharju absent.
Another defenseman who was stellar in an increased role was 16-year-old Clay Hanus. He had an assist in the game and made several great defensive plays.
Portland, who has played two overtimes in as many nights will have to find some extra energy. Likely, it will be the 17 remaining skaters getting back on the ice in Portland to take on these same Seattle Thunderbirds for the annual New Year’s Eve game Sunday.
