T-Birds Drop Another in Everett
EVERETT, Wash. –The Seattle Thunderbirds surrendered the game’s final six goals and fell to the Everett Silvertips, 6-1, Saturday at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett. The Thunderbird return home to the accesso ShoWare Center Tuesday for a New Years Eve clash with the Prince George Cougars. Puck drop is 6:05 p.m.
For the second straight night versus Everett, Seattle (11-21-2-1) opened the scoring, getting a power play goal from Nathan Pilling at 3:46 of the first period. Radim Mrtka and Coster Dunn were credited with the assists.
The T-Birds then ran into penalty trouble, assessed three minor penalties over a five minute span. Late on the third penalty, the Silvertips scored, and the two teams would go into the first intermission tied 1-1.
“I thought we started the game playing well,” stated head coach Matt O’Dette. “I thought we got off on the right foot, right up until the first media timeout. Then the three penalties, one right after another, and it gave them the momentum.”
After not allowing Everett a shot over the first seven minutes of the game, the T-Birds ended up being outshot in the period, 18-7. The play of goaltender Scott Ratzlaff kept the score close. “He played well in the first,” commented O’Dette. “He’s got the experience to play in this environment. He excels in it. Just some weird bounces, a puck off a skate, some weird angle stuff. They funnel a lot of pucks to the net. We just didn’t support him and killing penalties is tough on the goaltender as well.”
As was the case the previous game, Seattle gave up four second period goals as Everett pulled away. It included another power play goal after the T-Birds took a late, after-the-whistle penalty.
“Some good things in the first, not so much in the second,” said O’Dette. “Another undisciplined penalty. There are some penalties, maybe you’re head scratching over the call, but a couple were definitely bad penalties. You can’t take those penalties, you just can’t. To beat high end teams, you can’t take penalties. (Giving up) seven power plays is not the way to do it.”
Everett added one more goal midway through the third period to close out the scoring.
T-BIRDS EXTRAS
Pilling, Seattle’s leading goal scorer, has 16 goals in 31 games this season. That’s three more than he had with the T-Birds in 38 games last season.
Antonio Martorana, who scored twice against Everett on Friday, missed Saturday’s game after suffering an injury late in the Friday loss. He is day to day.
The Thunderbirds will begin 2025 with a pair of road games in Prince George next Friday and Saturday at the CN Centre.
Boxscore: Seattle Thunderbirds at Everett Silvertips – Saturday, December 28, 2024
