Brian Liesse

Seattles puts an end to Portland’s division title hopes with 5-1 win

14 seconds.

That’s how long it took for the Seattle Thunderbirds to take the first penalty of their game Saturday night in Kent with the visiting Portland Winterhawks.

What would commence was a parade to the box, leading to 15 total power plays. Nine for the Thunderbirds and six for the Winterhawks.

Seattle scored on two of their nine man advantages and Portland scored on one of their six.

With Seattle having not much to play for and Portland holding out hopes for a U.S. Division title going in, it was the Thunderbirds that looked like the team that had something to fight for over large parts of the game.

After being out shot consistently against Portland and feeling the 8-3 drubbing that Portland put on them the previous night, Seattle showed that they are not a team that any team should be fighting to play in the first round, but rather a team to avoid.

Seattle had not yet beaten their rival, Portland in regulation over the 11 times the two teams had played each other in the 2017-18 season.

That had to make Saturday night’s 5-1 win over the Winterhawks feel especially good.

Seattle now finds themselves slated to play the Everett Silvertips yet again in the playoffs – this time in the first round. This will be the fourth time in five years that the Silvertips and Thunderbirds have done battle in the post-season. Seattle has won all three previous meetings. Games one and two are Friday and Saturday night at Angel of the Winds Casino Arena in Everett. Games three and four will be next Tuesday and the following Friday at the ShoWare Center in Kent.

Portland will now play Spokane in the first round – the team they will face in Sunday’s season finale. Games one and two go Saturday and Sunday at Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Games three and four will be at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena on Wednesday and Thursday.

Seattle took Saturday’s game thanks to another stellar appearance by Liam Hughes, who stopped 27 of 28 and Donovan Neuls who had a goal and two assists. Turner Ottenbreit, Austin Strand, Zack Andrusiak and Matthew Wedman all added two points apiece as well.

Seattle opened the scoring 3:41 in.

Wedman stick-handled in the corner before dropping a pass to Reece Harsch at the blue line. The d-man slung a shot towards that Kehler appeared to never see thanks to some traffic by Sami Moilanen.

After Dennis Cholowski was whistled for holding, Seattle went up 2-0. They got their first power play goal of the game, from a d-man who is making an art of it this year.

Austin Strand took a nice feed from Neuls and went to one knee before whistling a shot by Kehler. This was his 14th power play goal this year and 25th overall. Not bad for a blue liner who had compiled 15 total goals over 199 games prior to this year.

A defenseman less known for scoring, but who can do it nonetheless made the score 3-0 in the third period.

Ottenbreit jumped all over a loose puck as Kehler was scrambling and shoveled the puck in, It was his ninth this year.

Despite facing the three-goal deficit, Henri Jokiharju netted a power play goal to help the Hawks crawl back in. Jokiharju got a one-timer by Hughes spoiling the shutout. The goal was Jokijarju’s third in as many games after scoring only nine the whole rest of the season.

Cody Glass got an assist on the goal – giving him 101 now this year.

Seattle gave themselves a nice cushion later in the third.

Zack Andrusiak put Seattle up 4-1 on the power play off a nice feed from Neuls.

Neuls then finished off his big night with a goal. He pounced on a rebound and while behind the net, whacked the puck off Kehler and in.

Things got a bit feisty late with Reece Newkirk and Jake Lee earning 10-minute game misconducts – joining Alex Overhardt who got one earlier.

Cole Kehler stopped 25 of 30 in the loss.

Portland plays Spokane and Seattle takes on Tri-City on Sunday in what are now meaningless games. This after Spokane beat Tri-City Saturday, sewing up the third seed and a match up with Portland.