T-Birds Clinch Home-Ice Advantage In First Round of Playoffs
T-Birds move into 1st place in U.S. Division and Western Conference with 3-2 win over Everett
KENT, March 10, 2017 — The Seattle Thunderbirds clinched home-ice advantage in the first round of the 2017 Playoffs with a 3-2 win over the Everett Silvertips Friday night in front of 5,204 fans at ShoWare Center in Kent.
Games 1 and 2 of the first round of the playoffs will be at ShoWare Center against a to be determined opponent will be Friday, March 24, at 7:35pm and Saturday, March 25, at 7:05pm.
Single game playoff tickets will go on sale Wednesday, March 15, at 10am at the ShoWare Center box office and online on the T-Birds website.
The T-Birds have a Group Ticket Special for fans that want to purchase tickets to Game 1 and Game 2, or both, before they go on sale to the general public. Fans that purchase 10 tickets to either Game 1 or Game 2 for $220 will also receive 2 additional FREE tickets to the playoff game they choose. Fans can purchase this playoff Group Ticket Special for Game 1 and Game 2 online or by calling the T-Birds at 253-239-PUCK (7825).
Seattle is 43-19-4-2 and moved into first place in the U.S. Division and Western Conference Standings with the win over the Silvertips. The T-Birds are one point ahead of the Silvertips in the U.S. Division and one point ahead of the Prince George Cougars in the Western Conference.
The T-Birds have four games remaining in the regular season. The Silvertips have six games remaining this season. The Cougars have three games remaining this season.
The T-Birds travel to Portland Saturday to face the Winterhawks at 6pm at Veterans Memorial Arena.
The T-Birds have a 17-game winning streak at ShoWare Center.
Seattle goalie Rylan Toth had 21 saves and got his 36th win of the season to tie for second with Bryan Bridges for most wins in a season. Toth is 36-18-2-1 and Bryan Bridges had a 36-20-2(tie) record in the 2004-05 season. Danny Lorenz has the most wins in a season with a 37-15-2(tie) record in the 1989-90 season.
Everett outshot Seattle 9-7 in a scoreless first period.
Everett (40-15-8-3) took a 1-0 lead at 1:38 of the second period on a goal by Sean Richards. Riley Sutter and Lucas Skrumeda had the assists.
Seattle tied the game 1-1 at 2:26 of the second. Sami Moilanen skated up the right wall and backhanded the puck down the boards to Donovan Neuls. Neuls crossed the puck through the top of the slot to Turner Ottenbreit in the left circle. Ottenbreit toe dragged the puck around an Everett defenseman. Ottenbreit took a wrist shot that beat Everett goalie Carter Hart over the glove.
Alexander True and Ryan Gropp combined shorthanded to give the T-Birds a 2-1 lead at 4:18 of the second. True stole the puck from Everett inside the Seattle blue line. True sent the puck up ice where Gropp chased it down in the left corner. Gropp centered the puck to True who beat Hart over the glove for his 22nd goal of the season.
Richards was awarded a penalty shot with four minutes left in the second period when he was hooked on breakaway. On Richards attempt he didn’t get off a shot as he tried to deke Seattle goalie Rylan Toth and the puck slid off his stick and into the left corner.
The Silvertips tied the game 2-2 at 19:11 of the second on a goal from Connor Dewar. Bryce Kindopp and Noah Juulsen had the assists.
Seattle outshot Everett 10-4 in the second period and led 17-13 in shots after two periods.
The T-Birds took a 3-2 lead with 2:15 left in the game. Ethan Bear took a slap shot from the right point that was blocked and came back to him at the point. Bear skated to his left and took another slap shot with Hart screened. Bear beat Hart for his 27th goal of the season. Donovan Neuls had the only assist on the goal to give him two assists in the game.
The teams were playing 4-on-4 when the Silvertips pulled Hart for an extra attacker with 1:25 left in the game. Toth stopped Riley Sutter in close with 18 seconds left in the game. Ottenbreit made a diving block of a Silvertips shot as time expired to seal the win.
Everett outshot Seattle 10-5 in the third period and 23-22 in the game.
Hart made 19 saves and his record is now 29-10-6-2.
T-Birds single game tickets for the 2016-17 season are currently on sale. Fans can purchase single game tickets online or at the ShoWare Center box office.
SCORING SUMMARY
First period – No scoring. Penalties – Bishop, Sea (holding), 15:55.
Second period – 1, Everett, Richards 7 (Sutter, Skrumeda), 1:38. 2, Seattle, Ottenbreit 7 (Neuls, Moilanen), 2:26. 3, Seattle, True 22 (Gropp), 4:18 (sh). Missed Penalty Shot – Evt, Richards, 16:00. 4, Everett, Dewar 13 (Kindopp),19:11. Penalties – Wedman, Sea (charging), 4:03. Onyebuchi, Evt (charging), 10:24. Strand, Sea (hooking), 13:14. Tuulola, Evt (embellishment), 13:14.
Third period – 5, Seattle, Bear 27 (Neuls), 17:45. Penalties – Adams, Sea (interference on goaltender), 4:45. Bajkov, Evt (tripping), 18:19. Kolesar, Sea (slashing), 18:35.
Shots on goal – Seattle 7-10-5 22, Everett 9-4-10 23. Goalies – Seattle, Toth 23 shots-21 saves (36-18-2-1); Everett, Hart 22-19 (29-10-6-2). Power plays – Seattle 0-3; Everett 0-2. A – 5,204. Referees – Jeff Ingram, Colin Watt. Linesmen – Mark Heier, Michael McGowan.