T-Birds Surge Past Kamloops
KAMLOOPS, B.C. – Nathan Pilling broke a 3-3 tie with a goal late in the third period as the Seattle Thunderbirds defeated the Kamloops Blazers, 5-3, Friday at the Sandman Centre. It was Seattle’s third straight win as they fight to stay alive for a playoff spot. It’s a quick turnaround for the Thunderbirds who return home to the accesso ShoWare Centre Saturday to play the Moose Jaw Warriors. Game time is 6:05 p.m.
With just under six minutes remaining in the game Pilling took a pass from Sam Popowich and snapped home the game winner. He added a second goal, an empty net power play marker in the final minute, to close out the scoring.
“He’s got that release” remarked head coach Matt O’Dette of Pilling’s shooting prowess. “With that shot, he should be shooting it every chance he can. It was a really nice shot at a time where we needed it.”
Seattle fell behind 2-0 after the first period, giving up both goes in the final four minutes of the opening frame. They battled back in period two, outscoring the Blazers 3-1 to forge the tie. Antonio Martorana factored in on two of the goals, scoring on a wrap around and assisting on a goal from Nishaan Parmar.
“That was a great game by the boys,” said the rookie winger. “We kinda came out pretty hot but slowed it down a bit, but in the third period, that was a couple of huge (penalty) kills for us and great goals by Pillsy. It was just great to win that one for sure.”
Indeed, before the Pilling game winner the Thunderbirds found themselves shorthanded twice with the game still on the line and killed off both Blazer power plays. “We really needed that,” remarked O’Dette of the penalty kills. “The game was kind of hanging in the balance there. We could have used some better discipline on a couple plays tonight but we talk about it all the time, getting timely kills or power play goals and the PK was timely tonight.”
The T-Birds busy weekend won’t end with Saturday’s home game. They travel to Langley, B.C. Sunday to face the Vancouver Giants for the final time this season.
T-BIRDS EXTRAS
This was the first time since a six-game winning streak in October that the T-Birds have won three games in a row.
Jeremy Hanzel started the T-Birds comeback with his 13th goal of the season early in the second period. With the goal he ties his career best for goals in a season, set last year.
The T-Birds and Blazers will face each other once more this season, March 19th in Kent.
The win Friday was just the fifth time in 29 games this season Seattle has come back to win after trailing after the first period.
Boxscore: Seattle Thunderbirds at Kamloops Blazers – Friday, March 1, 2024 (chl.ca)