T-Birds Rocket Past Kelowna
KENT, Wash. – Nathan Pilling broke a third period tie with his team leading 23rd goal as the Seattle Thunderbirds defeated the Kelowna Rockets, 3-2, Tuesday at the accesso ShoWare Center. The win puts the Thunderbirds in sole possession of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The T-Birds begin a three-game President’s Holiday weekend Saturday when they host the Portland Winterhawks at 6:05 p.m.
“A big two points,” said head coach Matt O’Dette of the winning effort. “It was a hard-fought game. I thought their team played really hard. It was kind of an in-the-trenches type of game. The team that persevered was gonna win that game and I thought we did that.”
After a scoreless first period, the teams traded power play goals 72-seconds apart in the middle frame. Seattle (20-28-2-1) struck first with Coster Dunn registering his 19th goal of the season at 6:04, assisted by Radim Mrtka and Brayden Schuurman. Just over a minute late the Rockets tied it.
Kelowna took its only lead of the night seven minutes later and grabbed a 2-1 advantage going into the third period. “I think with our style of play, it can play dividends in the third period,” explained O’Dette, and it did as the T-Birds would score twice in the final twenty minutes to pull out the win. “That was the message going into the third. Stay on the path and this is where we can take over the game and we managed to get two goals for the win.”
The T-Birds tied it on a Matej Pekar goal at 5:01, assisted by Antonio Martorana. It was the seventh goal for Pekar in his last eight games. The winner came at 10:29. Brayden Holberton flipped a puck into the Rockets zone and Pilling did the rest. “Just a high flip out for the assist and it was all Pills from there,” said Holberton of his game winning helper. “Just a great effort from him, going to the net.” Mrtka had the second assist on the goal.
Scott Ratzlaff made 25 saves to push his record in net to .500 on the season (16-16-1-1). “He had a breakaway save in the third and they made a push with the goalie out late and he was calm and cool in the net,” remarked O’Dette of his goalie’s performance. “He’s been playing some good hockey for us lately and tonight was more of the same.”
T-BIRDS EXTRAS
This was the 8th time in the second half of the season Seattle has outscored their opponent in the third period. In those eight games the T-Birds are 7-1 and have outscored the opposition 19-3 in the final period.
Seattle is 8-2 in their last ten games and 5-1 in their last six home games.
With his two assists Radim Mrtka now has a five points in his last two games, points in four straight games and 14 assists in his last twelve games.
Boxscore: Kelowna Rockets at Seattle Thunderbirds – Tuesday, February 11, 2025
