The Seattle Thunderbirds came back from a two-goal deficit in the third period to defeat the Spokane Chiefs 5-4 in a Western Hockey League game Friday night at the accesso ShoWare Center.
The T-Birds play the Portland Winterhawks at 6:05 p.m. Saturday at the ShoWare Center. The game is being broadcast on JOEtv in Seattle.
Spokane pulled goalie Donovan Buskey with 1:12 left in the game for an extra attacker. Seattle goalie Matt Berlin made several good saves and a great scrambling save with under 10 seconds left in the game to seal the win. Berlin finished the game with 29 saves on 33 shots and improves his record to 12-7-2-1.
Seattle (16-14-4-1) took a 1-0 lead at 11:21 of the first period. Matthew Wedman won a puck battle in the left corner and centered the puck to Nolan Volcan in the slot. Volcan snapped the puck over Buskey’s glove for his 15th goal of the season.
Spokane (19-14-1-2) tied the game 1-1 at 2:08 of the second period on a goal from Riley Woods. Jaret Anderson-Dolan and Luke Toporowski had the assists.
The Chiefs made it a 2-1 lead at 17:34 of the second on a breakaway goal from Anderson-Dolan. Woods had the only assist.
The T-Birds tied the game 2-2 at 18:01 of the second on a goal that was initially ruled no goal. Noah Philp was checked from behind into Buskey. Austin Strand took a wrist shot from the right wall that hit Philp in the crease and went into the net. The referee near the goal waved no goal, but then the referees and linesmen gathered to talk at the penalty boxes. After a couple of minutes of discussion, the referees awarded the goal to the T-Birds. Dillon Hamaliuk had the second assist on Philp’s eighth goal of the year.
The Chiefs took a 4-2 lead into the second intermission on goals from Woods at 18:23 of the second and by Eli Zummack, shorthanded, at 19:25 of the second.
Both teams had 10 shots on goal in the second period and Spokane had a 21-15 advantage in shots after two periods.
Seattle cut the Chiefs lead to one goal 1:41 into the first period. Philp got to a loose puck behind the Spokane net. Philp centered the puck to Nikita Malukhin in the slot. Malukhin beat Buskey over the glove with a hard wrist shot for his third goal of the season. Hamaliuk had the second assist.
The T-Birds tied the game 4-4 at 9:54 of the second. Neuls passed the puck to Reece Harsch at the right point. Harsch took a wrist shot that Zack Andrusiak tipped past Buskey for his 18th goal of the season.
Turner Ottenbreit scored the game-winning goal on a two-on-one break with Andrusiak. Neuls passed the puck to Ottenbreit as he skated up the left wing. Ottenbreit came into the zone and beat Buskey with a wrist shot over the glove.
Spokane outshot Seattle 33-26 in the game.
Buskey made 21 saves and his record is now 8-6-0-0.
Single-game tickets for the regular season are on sale online on the T-Birds website and at the ShoWare box office.vSeason tickets may be purchased by calling the T-Birds office at 253-239-7825.
SCORING SUMMARY
First period – 1, Seattle, Volcan 15 (Wedman, Bargar), 11:21. Penalties – Fischer, Spo (double minor-roughing), 18:12. Strand, Sea (roughing), 18:12.
Second period – 2, Spokane, Woods 15 (Anderson-Dolan, Toporowski), 2:08. 3, Spokane, Anderson-Dolan 18 (Woods), 17:34. 4, Seattle, Philp 8 (Strand, Hamaliuk), 18:01. 5, Spokane, Woods 16 (Helgesen, Anderson-Dolan), 18:23 .6, Spokane, Zummack 9, 19:25 (sh). Penalties – Wedman, Sea (roughing), 8:48. Elynuik, Spo (10-minute misconduct) 9:29. Helgesen, Spo (major-fighting), 9:29. Ottenbreit, Sea (major-fighting), 9:29. Fischer, Spo (major-fighting), 15:24. Lee, Sea (major-fighting), 15:24. Helgesen, Spo (interference), 18:35.
Third period – 7, Seattle, Malukhin 3 (Philp, Hamaliuk), 1:41. 8, Seattle, Andrusiak 18 (Harsch, Neuls), 9:54. 9, Seattle, Ottenbreit 5 (Neuls), 11:49. Penalties – McKay, Spo (major-fighting), 4:25. Bargar, Sea (major-fighting, 10-minute misconduct), 4:25. Fischer, Spo (10-minute misconduct), 20:00.
Shots on goal – Seattle 5-10-11 26, Spokane 11-10-12 33. Goalies – Seattle, Berlin 33 shots-29 saves (12-7-2-1); Spokane, Buskey 26-21 (8-6-0-0). Power plays – Seattle 0-2; Spokane 0-1. A – 4,441. Referees – Mike Campbell, Ian Jendro. Linesmen – Nick Bilko, Spencer Lockert.
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