T-Birds, ‘Tips Tied at Two
KENT, Wash. – The Seattle Thunderbirds first round playoff series with the Everett Silvertips is tied at two games apiece after the Silvertips won Game Four, 6-2, Friday at the accesso ShoWare Center. Game Five of the best of seven series is Saturday at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett with a 6:05 p.m. start.
The Thunderbirds started well, getting on the board with a Simon Lovsin goal at 4:08 of the first period, assisted by Sawyer Mayes and Hayden Pakkala. But Everett scored the game’s next give goals including two in the second period.
“It was a really good first period, we came out playing the right way,” said head coach Matt O’Dette. “But the second period wasn’t good for us. We weren’t efficient enough. They made a push, and we were hemmed in our end for long periods of time and that led to a couple of bounces that didn’t go our way.”
The Silvertips outshot Seattle, 25-11 in period two. Only 23 saves from goalie Scott Ratzlaff kept the T-Birds within a goal at 2-1.
But Everett would break the game open with three goals in less than three minutes early in the third. “Three quick goals there,” remarked O’Dette. “We lost touch of the game at that point. More bad bounces, but give them credit, they earned their bounces. We weren’t earning any bounces of our own, the way we were playing at that point of the game.”
The T-Birds did get a power play goal from Nathan Pilling, assisted by Braeden Cootes and Brayden Schuurman, at 7:10 to make it 5-2. Shortly after that, they were back on the power play but hit the post and couldn’t knock the puck in off the goal line. Everett responded with their own power play goal three minutes later to finish off the scoring.
“We’ve got to get back to what gives us success,” explained O’Dette. “Play to our identity. Both teams are going to dig deep now that it’s a best of three, three games in four nights. It’s a matter of digging deep and seeing who wants it more.”
T-BIRDS EXTRAS
Everett’s win guaranteed there will be a Game Six Monday at the accesso ShoWare Center. Game time will be 7:05 p.m. A seventh game, if necessary, would be Tuesday in Everett.
The game winning goal from Game Two has been changed from Braeden Cootes to Simon Lovsin. Lovsin now has four goals in four playoff games, including both game winners in the series for the T-Birds.
The T-Birds have scored one power play goal in each game of the series. Seattle’s power play is at 33.7% for the series.
Boxscore: Everett Silvertips at Seattle Thunderbirds – Friday, April 4, 2025
