Friday evening in the WHL saw long-time U.S. Division rivals face off against one another.
So far this season, the Seattle Thunderbirds (22-28-3-3) and Portland Winterhawks (40-8-3-4) have needed more than 60 minutes to find a winner in four of the seven games played — including the last two.
Both teams have found success against one another. Portland has four wins, one in a shootout, while Seattle has three shootout wins.
The eighth meeting of the season appeared to be heading towards another one goal game with the score 2-1 Seattle after 40 minutes. However, Portland exploded for four goals in the third period to defeat Seattle 5-3 — the Winterhawks 40th win of the season.
“I thought we really stuck with it, we got down and we didn’t get frustrated, we kept working and kept creating chances,” assistant coach Don Hay said postgame. “I thought we just eventually wore them down. When you score three goals in a short period of time that is an indication you are doing the things that you want. That burst at the start of the third was obviously really important for us.”
Seattle started strong with two goals in the first 20 minutes. Andrej Kukuca got the scoring started with his 23rd of the season. The overage import from Slovakia picked up his fourth goal in as many periods. The Thunderbirds entered the zone and Kukuca whistled a shot by Joel Hofer 3:45 into the contest.
Matt O’Dette, Thunderbirds head coach spoke on Friday about Kukuca’s play of late. “He is a good goal scorer. Just like most elite goal scorers, they are streaky, he is streaky right now in the right direction. He is producing for us right now.”
Perhaps the only player on a hotter streak is 16-year-old rookie Conner Roulette.
A second round WHL Bantam Draft selection, Roulette extended his points streak to seven games. Payton Mount’s attempt at the net went to the left of Hofer right on the tape of the Winnipeg, Manitoba, native for his 19th of the season.
With the Winterhawks pressing and getting pucks to the net, rookie netminder Blake Lyda made several grade-A saves including several on the power play.
Despite Portland out shooting Seattle 20-7 in the period, the visitors went to the intermission with the 2-0 lead.
“I thought the start to our first period was better, coming out of the gates we were really good,” O’Dette said.
The middle frame saw more of the same with Portland controlling puck possession. Another 16 Winterhawk shots hit the net of Lyda. Hofer was not as busy only seeing another seven.
Mason Mannek spoke about his team’s approach despite the score. “I think you have to give credit to how they teach the systems here, everyone is pretty prepared. When we play teams like this, we know them very well, so it is very strict on how we want to play them, we executed pretty well.”
A tripping penalty in the offensive zone sent the Thunderbirds on their second power play. Rather than extending their lead, Seth Jarvis had other ideas.
The 17-year-old winger raced in a breakaway but was unable to convert. Rather than giving up on the play, or going for a change, the Winnipeg, Manitoba, native kept pressing and eventually got the puck behind the goal line.
The crowd came alive as one of the top prospects for the 2020 NHL Draft netted his 34rd.
“He got about three chances,” Hay said. “First from the breakaway, then he walked it out front to get a second chance, then he scored on the third chance. Seth is just playing with a lot of determination and effort. It is really paying off for him right now.”
Two minutes later two big, strong defensemen dropped the gloves at center ice.
Captain Johnny Ludvig, standing six-foot-one, 205 pounds battled Cade McNelly, a six-foot-three, 195-pounder from Westlock, Alberta. Each player landed several blows and both benches were on their feet when the linesemn came in. The two acknowledged one another for a good, fair fight on their way to the penalty box.
“I think you any time you sit back and watch that, it is either going to fire you up or scare you. Hopefully it fired us up because those were two big, heavyweight guys going at it. I thought they both did a really well,” Hay mentioned about the scrap.
Mannek touched on both Jarvis and Ludvig providing a spark, “I think we needed something to get the crowd into, even for us a little life. Jarvis is an unbelievable player, and does good things like that. Then huge credit to Johnny stepping in there, shutting down a guy that usually tries to get in our heads a bit. Both of them did a tremendous job and helped us in the long run.”
Trailing by a goal to start the third period, Portland came out with a vengeance.
Don Hay’s group scored three goals in the first 2:51 to turn a deficit into a 4-2 lead.
“We just kept working, got on loose pucks, we got to the net, and stuck around to find rebounds. (Lyda) didn’t give us much in the first two periods as far as rebounds were concerned. That rebound got through his legs and Newkirk was right there to put it away. Then probably a little bit of a letdown for them and a big energy boost for us, we scored the second one real quick. The next one came right after that, which was really important too.”
Ludvig took a shot from the point which was initially stopped by Lyda, but fell behind him. Before the 17-year-old could find it, Reece Newkirk pushed the puck into the net.
Less than two minutes later Gabe Klassen picked off a Thunderbirds pass in their own end and fed 19-year-old Mannek.
“I have to give credit to my linemates. (Tyson) Kozak and Klassen were unbelievable, they set up a lot for me. I maybe should have had three because of them. It was nice to finally get one, but it was a great forecheck. It popped right out to Gabe, he gave me a beautiful pass, you know the rest.”
The rest was a well-placed wrist shot glove side — something the Utah native has been spending extra time on recently. “Don (Hay) and I have been working a lot together after practice. Those extra reps after practice, a little help from our goalies on what works vs. what doesn’t work, just that little bit extra is helping.”
“Mason works really hard,” Hay was quick to point out when asked about the lone 19-year-old forward on Portland’s roster. “He is one of the hardest workers that we have on the team. He always has time to work on his game. It is nice to see him get rewarded. That is the thing, sometimes people go in a little bit of streaks where nothing will go in. Then, everything they shoot goes in. He just needs to keep shooting.”
Nine seconds after Mannek’s goal, Jarvis tucked in his second of the night — another on a rebound in front of the crease.
With three goals in a two minute span, Seattle’s head coach Matt O’Dette called timeout.
“The dam burst on us. We didn’t have a good start to the third, that was the difference in the game,” O’Dette said. “They got that one early then the ensuing shifts we have to be better. We’ve played Portland obviously a lot, seen it over the years, how the momentum can change quickly in a blink of an eye. They can score multiple goals, that is what happened to start the third there.”
After the media timeout, Portland kept its foot on the gas.
Cross Hanas scored his 19th of the season sending a snap shot back across the grain.
Payton Mount made the game interesting with a five-on-three power-play goal late. With Nick Cicek and Lane Gilliss serving penalties, the second year forward skated across the slot and used a screen to beat Hofer blocker side.
Overall though, the Thunderbirds comeback fell short. “I thought we played well in spurts, not enough to stem the tide. We just didn’t play in their end enough. We held them off for a while there, our goaltender played real well,” O’Dette shared postgame.
“When you are playing a team of Portland’s quality, you want to slow the game down as much as you can, try to make them defend, make it a boring game. We got a track meet going, and once they do that, it is hard to catch them. I thought there was a little bit too much of their game plan, we weren’t able to do enough of ours.”
The two teams travel to Kent for the back half of the home-and-home series on Saturday.
O’Dette is looking for a bounceback effort on Saturday. “We have to come out with some energy, implement our game a little bit more. We could have defended a lot better. Portland’s transition game is really good, we need to do a better job stifling that. We will regroup and have a good effort tomorrow.”
Portland needed the two points to remain seven points clear of Everett for the top spot in the U.S. Division. The Silvertips picked up a 4-2 win over Prince George on Friday.
Mannek shared, “We knew what was at stake. When we play divisional games, they say it is a four point game. We are playing Seattle, but we are kind of playing Everett too right now. We are trying to get up on Everett as much as we can. We knew the two points right now were going to be huge with playoffs coming up.”
Despite facing Everett on Sunday in a one vs. two showdown, Hay wants the focus to be one game at a time. “It is a really important weekend for us. I think you just have to take it one game at a time though. A great atmosphere to be in at Seattle, they are going to want to get back at us. I think we just have to come out and play the same way. If we can do that, play our game, play fast, get pucks to the net, that will be really important for our group.”
The three-in-three does not bother Mannek, “We are all pretty used to the three-in-three, we had one last week and a couple earlier. I think the biggest thing right now, it is the most exciting time of the year. All the boys are excited to play, nothing is going take that away from us. Playing a U.S. team all three games this weekend is going to help because we love playing them. The energy is always high playing in Seattle and then being back in here (Veterans Memorial Coliseum) on Sunday. There is going to be no problem with energy, we will be ready to go.”
Notes:
– Andrej Kukuca and Payton Mount each finished the game with a goal and two assists for the Thunderbirds.
– Lyda stopped 49-of-54 Portland shots while Hofer made 19 saves on 22 attempts.
– With another three point game, Seth Jarvis remains tied with Medicine Hat’s James Hamblin for second in league scoring with 84 points. Both players trail Spokane’s Adam Beckman who has 98 points in 2019-2020.
– Portland’s power play did not convert on its three opportunities. The Thunderbirds found the back of the net on one of their five man advantage chances.
– Jaydon Dureau and Matthew Quigley were given assists, on the first Seth Jarvis goal, after the game when the stats were reviewed.
