Seattle Edges Kelowna to Take 1-0 Series Lead
The defending WHL champion Kelowna Rockets welcomed one of the hottest teams in the League, the Seattle Thunderbirds, to Prospera Place for Game 1 of the 2016 WHL Western Conference Championship on Friday night.
In keeping with the recent theme of the 2016 WHL Playoffs, the game took until the final moments to decide, but it took nearly two periods for the two powerhouse squads to break the ice.
A driving force behind Seattle’s offence, New York Islanders prospect Mathew Barzal opened the scoring with 1:26 remaining in the second period:
Barzal snipes the first goal of the Western Conference Final. 1-0 Seattle. #KELvsSEA pic.twitter.com/3cbWUulTvT
— The WHL (@TheWHL) April 23, 2016
Just 36 seconds later, Team USA member Scott Eansor extended Seattle’s lead to 2-0:
From his knees? No problem for Eansor, he makes it 2-0 Seattle. #KELvsSEA pic.twitter.com/dVPK1zdc2s
— The WHL (@TheWHL) April 23, 2016
Flirting with another dramatic comeback, Rourke Chartier found the back of the net for Kelowna with 22 seconds left in regulation:
Chartier gets the Rockets within 1 late in the 3rd. #KELvsSEA pic.twitter.com/fzE88WYuVd
— The WHL (@TheWHL) April 23, 2016
The Rockets comeback would fall short Friday night as the T-Birds captured a 1-0 series lead in the WHL Western Conference Championship. The two sides will meet again on Saturday night in Kelowna for Game 2.
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