T-Birds Fall Short in Kamloops
KAMLOOPS, B.C. – Two late second period goals were the difference as the Seattle Thunderbirds dropped a 5-3 decision to the Kamloops Blazers Friday at the Sandman Centre. After three straight games on the road to start the season, the T-Birds are at the accesso ShoWare Center Saturday for their home opener. Game time is 6:05 p.m. as they host the Wenatchee Wild.
“We’re not moving the puck well,” said head coach Matt O’Dette of his team’s performance. “It’s also game management. They scored a minute and a half into the game, and late in the second period they had the two quick goals. Those are times in the game we need to be better.”
The teams traded goals in the first period. Kamloops opened the scoring on their first shot of the game at the 1:34 mark of the period but Seattle (0-2-1-0) responded two minutes later when Nathan Pilling scored his first goal of the season, assisted by Braeden Cootes.
It was Pilling’s first game back with the T-Birds after spending the last two weeks at training camp with the NHL’s San Jose Sharks. “It’s nice to be back, for sure. Getting back with the guys and seeing some familiar faces.” Pilling said going to camp with the Sharks was definitely beneficial. “For me personally, it’s nice to feel a step ahead, getting to play with some older guys, seeing firsthand what it takes to be a pro.”
The Blazers regained the lead with a goal at 8:39. Seattle answered with a Nishaan Parmar power play goal at 17:13. The assists went to Brayden Holberton and Tai Riley. For Riley it was his first point in the WHL.
Kamloops then took the lead with two goals, 21-seconds apart, late in period two. “Starts and ends of period are something we talk about all the time,” remarked O’Dette. “It was a focal point of the week, and we made mistakes on those.”
Cootes pulled the T-Birds withing a goal at 4-3 at 3:59 of the third period but the tying goal eluded Seattle the rest of the way including Pilling ringing a shot off the crossbar. The Blazers scored an empty net goal in the dying seconds to salt away the win.
“It’s not like we are getting consistently outplayed for long stretches of the game,” said O’Dette. “It’s the big mistakes. We obviously need to clean those up.”
T-BIRDS EXTRAS
Rookie Jaxson Dikur got the start in net for Seattle. It was his first start in the WHL. He stopped 28 of the 32 shots faced. “I thought he did a good job,” said O’Dette of his 16-year-old netminder. “Our team got off on the wrong foot, but he held the fort down and made several big saves to keep us in the game.”
Arjun Bawa, acquired in the offseason from Prince George, made his Thunderbirds debut against Kamloops. Bawa was injured in training camp and missed all of preseason and the first two games of the regular season.
The T-Birds continue to play without goalie Scott Ratzlaff (BUF) and defenseman Sawyer Mynio (VAN) who remain at their respective NHL training camps.
Antonio Martorana (inj), Finn Bagley (inj), Matej Pekar (inj) and Kaleb Hartmann (illness) also were out of the lineup for Seattle.
Boxscore: Seattle Thunderbirds at Kamloops Blazers – Friday, September 27, 2024 (chl.ca)
