(Kent,WA) There was no rest for the weary for the Edmonton Oil Kings (5-6-0-1) Saturday night. They were playing their sixth game in nine nights and were vying for their first win in that stretch.
Edmonton would find some life after a tough first half of the second period, but ultimately would fall 7-3 to the Seattle Thunderbirds (5-1-1-0).
The timing of the visit to the ShoWare Center was unfortunate for the struggling Oil Kings as they ran into a Thunderbirds team that has now scored 16 goals over their last two games.
The game had a turning point late in the second period when the Oil Kings had crawled back form down two to tie the game. Seattle’s Zack Andusiak scored with just 19 seconds left in the frame, giving Seattle a lead. That was more than the tired Oil Kings could handle as Seattle added three more goals in the third to take the game 7-3.
“That was big. Anytime you can end a period with a goal like that and smash their momentum before the intermission that is big,” Seattle Head Coach Matt O’Dette said.
The Thunderbirds found some offense from the usual places and also from a new one that is starting to become a more regular thing. Rookie import defenseman Simon Kubicek has four goals in the WHL so far in his career and all of them have come in the last two games – both Seattle wins.
O’Dette praised the play of the first-year Czech import after the game.
“He can shoot a puck that’s for sure. He plays smart. He knows how to get himself in positions to shoot. That being said, I think there was more opportunities to get pucks to the net tonight. Guys like Jake (Lee) and Kubi (Kubicek) and that’s what can happen.”
Also building off an incredible night in Kelowna on Wednesday for another good one tonight was overage forward Noah Philp. Before his huge four-goal effort against the Rockets the previous game, he had never had a multi-goal game. Tonight he added a two-goal game to give him six markers in the last two games.
“I’m just trying to shoot faster and quicker. The guys have been telling me to shoot more and I’ve been taking their advice,” Philp said.
The win gives Seattle points in the standings in four straight games and keeps them near the top of the U.S. Division standings in the early going as they sit tied for first with the Portland Winterhawks.
Jake Lee added a four-assist night for Seattle and Dillon Hamaliuk had a goal and two assists for three points.
O’Dette had a lot of good words for his so-called second power play unit which scored twice tonight. The quarterback of the unit is Lee.
“He’s keeping it simple and making the right plays and is being rewarded for that. It helps when you are the guy on top and the power play is clicking. .. He’s making smart plays and he’s not trying to invent new plays. He’s making the plays that are there and he’s getting rewarded for it.”
Seattle got things going in the first when high rising shot from Kubicek got by Dylan Myskiw. It was reviewed but ultimately was approved.
Then 44 seconds later the Oil Kings answered as Brett Kemp found the rebound of a Carter Souch shot to tie the game. The goal was his seventh this year in his 12th game.
Andrei Pavlenko rang the right post on one of two power plays Edmonton had in the first period. They were not able to score on either.
In the second, Kubicek kept finding the score sheet with a hard slap shot inside the far post from the blue line.
Despite being down one, Edmonton kept the pressure up, drew a penalty and looked to try to tie the game.
Unfortunately for them, Dillon Hamaliuk pounced. He flew in on Myskiw and after taking a nice feed from Philp, slipped the puck five-hole for his sixth of the year. It came short-handed.
“I was just going up the ice and thinking about taking the d-man on one-on-one. Then I saw Hammer (Hamaliuk) on the wing and I know he’s got speed. He finished it off,” Philp said.
The Oil Kings could have packed it in after going down 3-1, but they instead kept firing pucks towards Hughes. That effort paid off as Liam Keeler’s shot was redirected in by Seattle forward Jared Davidson. The goal was Keeler’s first this year.
With 3:07 left in the frame, Edmonton tied the game. Scott Atkinson took a pass in the slot and wired a shot by Hughes for his third this season.
The game seemed to be headed toward a tight third period with both teams vying for a pivotal fourth goal in the game’s last 20 minutes.
Instead Andrusiak took the puck out of the corner, looked off Myskiw and then found a little daylight near post for his fifth this year and the 4-3 Seattle lead with 19 seconds left in the period.
Seattle looked like the fresher team in the third period as they drew two different power plays – their first of the game and scored 37 seconds into the first one and 35 seconds into the second one. Both goals came from Philp.
“I think the power play was gelling. We have played together all year and we were due for an outbreak,” Philp said.
Both goals came in a similar fashion for Philp as he skated in on the right wing and beat Myskiw.
“Philp for whatever reason takes those young guys under his wing and gets the most out of them and the most out of himself,” O’Dette said.
For good measure Zack Andrusiak added his second of the night with under five minutes left to give us the 7-3 final.
Edmonton was outscored 24-11 in their five straight losses to the U.S. Division teams they visited on their trip.
The Thunderbirds went 2-for-4 on the power play, while Edmonton was 0-of-4.
Hughes turned away 38-of-41 Edmonton shots.
Seattle next plays on Tuesday when they host the Tri-City Americans. Edmonton heads home to lick their wounds. They host the Red Deer Rebels on Friday.
