T-BIRDS EDGE PAST S

Seattle three points behind eighth place Victoria in playoff standings

KENT, March 11, 2012 — Connor Honey scored with 4.6 seconds left in overtime Sunday night at ShoWare Center to give the Seattle Thunderbirds a dramatic 3-2 victory over the Everett Silvertips and keep their playoff hopes alive.

Defenseman Shea Theodore passed the puck to Dave Sutter at the blue line. Sutter took a wrist shot towards the goal. Honey tipped the puck over Everett goalie Kent Simpson’s right side securing Seattle’s crucial win over Everett just before time expired.

The T-Birds started the game four points behind the eighth place Victoria Royals in the Western Conference playoff standings. With the win, Seattle (23-43-1-1) is now three points behind the Royals, who lost in overtime to the Vancouver Giants Sunday night. The T-Birds have two games in hand on the Royals having played 68 games to the Royals 70.

The T-Birds are four points behind the seventh place Silvertips, with a game in hand. These two teams will meet again on Saturday, March 17, at ShoWare Center at 7:05pm in the last regular season home game for the T-Birds.

Seattle (23-43-1-1) scored quickly in the first period with a goal from Seth Swenson at 1:20. Chance Lund took a shot on goal but it was stopped by Everett goalie Kent Simpson. Swenson got the rebound in traffic and beat Simpson with a wrist shot for his ninth goal of the season.

Kohl Bauml tied it 1-1for the Silvertips at 12:54 of the first. Cody Fowlie had the only assist.

Everett (21-38-1-8) and Seattle both had 13 shots on goal after the first period.

Branden Troock scored the T-Birds second goal of the night unassisted at 1:16. Troock intercepted the puck from an Everett defender behind the Silvertips net. Troock skated to the left side of Simpson and sent the puck over Simpson’s right side with his a backhand for his 13th goal of the season.

Josh Winquist scored for the Silvertips at 5:01 of the second to tie it 2-2. Josh Birkholz and Brennan Yadlowski had the assists.

Seattle led Everett 25-24 in shots after two periods and finished the game with a 49-32 advantage in shots. .

Calvin Pickard stopped 30 on 32 shots increasing his record to 23-35-1-1.

Simpson made 46 saves on 49 shots bringing his record to 19-29-2-5.

Seattle faces the Spokane Chiefs Tuesday, March 13, at the ShoWare Center at 7:05 p.m. The T-Birds travel Spokane Friday night at 7:05 p.m.

T-Birds single game tickets for the 2011-12 season are available online at the T-Birds website and at the ShoWare Center box office. The ShoWare Center Box Office is open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday game days at 10 a.m. and Sunday game days at noon.

T-Birds season tickets are currently on sale. Season tickets can be purchased by calling the T-Birds office at 253-239-7825.

 

SCORING SUMMARY

First period – 1, Seattle, Swenson 9 (Lund), 1:20. 2, Everett, Bauml14 (Fowlie), 12:54. Penalties – Elliot, Sea (major-fighting), 2:08. Grayson, Evt (major-fighting), 2:08. Yadlowski, Evt (boarding), 4:25. Lund, Sea (goaltender inference, major-fighting), 9:17. Wardley, Sea (unsportsmanlike conduct), 9:17. Grayson, Evt (unsportsmanlike conduct), 9:17. Morden, Evt (major-fighting), 9:17. Hauf, Sea (cross checking), 13:54.

Second period – 3, Seattle, Troock 13, 1:16. 4, Everett, Winquist 19 (Birkholz, Yadlowski), 5:01. Penalties – Elliot, Sea (major-fighting), 7:11. Caron, Evt (major-fighting), 7:11.Grayson, Evt (hooking), 9:42. Jacobs, Sea (slashing), 20:00. Caron, Evt (roughing), 20:00.

Third period – No scoring. Penalties – Honey, Sea (slashing), 4:39. Caron, Evt (slashing), 17:39. Troock, Sea (slashing), 17:39.

Overtime – 5, Seattle, Honey 7 (Sutter, Theodore), 4:55. Penalties – No penalties.

Shots on goal – Seattle 13-12-20-4 49. Everett 13-11-5-3 32. Goalies – Seattle, Pickard 32 shots-30 saves (23-35-1-1); Everett, Simpson 49-46 (19-29-2-5). Power plays – Seattle 0-2; Everett 0-3. A – 4,080. Referee – Trevor Hanson, Jeff Ingram. Linesmen – Kevin Boris, Chris Sweeting.