Hurricanes blast past T-Birds | WHL
Published 11:39 am Saturday, November 7, 2015
The Lethbridge Hurricanes defeated the Seattle Thunderbirds 5-2 Friday night in Western Hockey League play in Lethbridge, Alberta.
It was Seattle’s fifth game of a six-game road trip to the Central Division. The T-Birds, 1-4-0-0 on the trip so far, finish the road run at the Medicine Hat Tigers on Saturday. Face-off is 6:30 p.m.
Seattle (9-6-1-0) took a 1-0 lead 2:52 into the first period on the penalty kill. The Hurricanes sent the puck to the right point but the defenseman misplayed the puck and it got behind him. Alexander True skated past the defenseman and carried the puck in alone against Lethbridge goalie Stuart Skinner.
True, a left-hander, faked a shot forcing Skinner down and then brought the puck to his backhand. True slid the puck under Skinner as the goalie lunged over to try and make the save.
Lethbridge (11-5-0-0) was able to convert on the power play that Seattle scored shorthanded on to tie the game 1-1.
Ryley Lindgren scored 55 seconds into the second period to give the Hurricanes a 2-1 lead. Lethbridge made it a 3-1 lead at 4:38 of the second. Cory Millette scored on a wrist shot from the right circle.
Logan Flodell was replaced by Taz Burman after the third Lethbridge goal. Flodell had 10 saves on 13 shots and his falls to 5-3-1-0 with the loss.
Seattle cut the lead on one goal at 10:21 of the second. Jamal Watson forced a turnover behind the Lethbridge net. True got the puck and centered it to Ryan Gropp in the slot. Gropp beat Skinner with a quick wrist shot for his seventh goal of the season.
The Hurricanes took a 4-2 lead 1:24 into the third period on a goal from Giorgio Estephan. Arvin Atwal scored a power-play goal at 16:39 of the third to seal the win for the Hurricanes.
Lethbridge outshot Seattle 32-24 in the game.
Burman finished with 17 saves on 19 shots.
Skinner had 22 saves on 24 shots and his record is now 6-2-0-0.
SCORING SUMMARY
First period – 1, Seattle, True 8, 2:52. 2, Lethbridge, Babenko 8 (Atwal, Pankewicz), 3:46 (pp). Penalties – Khaira, Let, (boarding), 2:24. Smith, Sea (high-sticking), 10:24. Hauf, Sea (major-fighting), 10:24. Sheen, Let (major-fighting), 10:24.
Second period – 3, Lethbridge, Lindgren 10 (Folk), :55. 4, Lethbridge, Millette 6 (Lindgren, Folk), 4:38. 5, Seattle, Gropp 7 (True, Watson), 10:21. Penalties – Nielsen, Let (cross checking), 11:18.
Third period – 6, Lethbridge, Estephan 7 (Wong, Burke), 1:24. 7, Lethbridge, Atwal (Pankewicz, Babenko), 16:39 (pp). Penalties – Wong, Let (delay of game), 3:12. Smith, Sea (cross checking), 14:50. Khaira, Sea (roughing), 18:16. Skeach, Let (roughing), 18:16. Merezhko, Let (roughing), 19:39.
Shots on goal – Seattle 6-7-11 24, Lethbridge 10-9-13 32. Goalies – Seattle, Flodell 13 shots-10 saves (5-3-1-0), Burman 19-17; Lethbridge, Skinner 24-22 (6-2-0-0). Power plays – Seattle 0-3; Lethbridge 2-3. A – 3,941. Referees – Matt Cassidy, Ross Welner. Linesmen – Blake Copeland, Sean Donnelly.
