Late Goal Puts T-Birds on the Brink
KENT, Wash. –A goal in the waning seconds of the game was the difference as the Seattle Thunderbirds were edged, 3-2, by the Edmonton Oil Kings in Game 4 of the WHL Championship Series at the accesso ShoWare Center Wednesday. With the win Edmonton leads the best of seven series three games to one. The teams now travel back to Edmonton for Game 5 Saturday at Rogers Place.
The goal, from Logan Dowhaniuk, was scored with just 3.5 seconds left. “It’s definitely a heartbreaker,” said T-Birds head coach Matt O’Dette. “We played a good hockey game in general, executed the game plan really well.” But O’Dette added it wasn’t a perfect effort. “There were a few d-zone breakdowns that led to goals. That was the difference in the game.”
There was a scary moment five minutes into the first period when the Oil Kings Brendan Kuny collided with Seattle’s Ty Bauer. Kuny fell and his head struck the ice. Reports after the game say he was released from a local hospital and will travel back to Edmonton with the team for further evaluation.
Bauer was originally assessed a two-minute minor for interference, but after the officials huddled up, they changed it to a five-minute major and game misconduct, ending Bauer’s night.
It also gave the Oil Kings five minutes of 5-on-4 hockey. Seattle killed it off along with a subsequent boarding minor that gave Edmonton a seven-minute power play. “Great job on the kill,” said O’Dette. “It gave us lots of life. Our PK really stepped up on that sequence and carried that throughout the rest of the first period.”
Later in the first period Seattle got their first chance on the power play and made it count as Lucas Ciona shoved home a rebound of a Jordan Gustafson shot. Jeremy Hanzel had the second assist on Ciona’s eighth goal of the playoffs.
The T-Birds carried that lead into the second period, but Edmonton scored twice just over two minutes apart to take their first lead. Both goals were scored by Josh Williams. The first at 3:37 and the second at 5:50. The Thunderbirds answered with another power play goal as Jared Davidson blasted home a one-timer from the right circle at 12:53. Kevin Korchinski and Lukas Svejkovsky had the assists.
Seattle continued looking for another goal. O’Dette said they did a better job of funneling pucks to the net. “We got more rebound opportunities. Their goalie played well. I thought we created a lot more. We had some chances to get the go-ahead goal but were unable to break through.”
Now the T-Birds are looking at a do or die Game 5. The must win scenario is familiar to Seattle in the 2022 postseason. Five times in these playoffs they have faced a win or go home situation. They are 5-for-5 in those games. “We’ve been in this situation before,” said O’Dette. “Our backs are against the wall. We have to scratch, fight, do everything we can. The goal is to earn one more game.”
T-BIRD EXTRAS
Henrik Rybinski missed his third straight game after being injured in the second period of Game 1.
If the series goes to a Game 6, the T-Birds will be designated the home team, even though it will be played at Rogers Place in Edmonton, next Monday.
For the first time in the series, Seattle had the edge in shots, 34-23.
Full boxscore: WHL Network
