Eansor, T-Birds down Rockets for 2-0 series lead | WHL Western final

Published 10:17 am Sunday, April 24, 2016

Scott Eansor’s hustle boosted the Seattle Thunderbirds to 3-2 victory over the Kelowna Rockets in Game 2 of their Western Conference final Saturday night at Prospera Place.

The T-Birds, winners of all six of their playoff road tests this postseason, take a 2-0 series lead back to Kent.

Game 3 of the best-of-seven series is Tuesday, and Game 4 is Wednesday. Both games start at 7:05 p.m. at the ShoWare Center.

Eansor’s third-period play lifted the T-Birds. He split two Kelowna defensemen and put a stick on the puck before Kelowna goalie Michael Herringer could clear it. The puck slid across the goal line, hit the right post and went into the net to give the T-Birds a 3-2 lead at 16:54 of the third period.

Kelowna pulled Herringer for an extra attacker with just over a minute and a half left in the game. Seattle goalie Landon Bow made several saves to preserve the win.

Bow ended the night making 28 saves on 30 shots to get his 10th win of the playoffs.

Seattle took a 2-0 lead with two goals 33 seconds apart in the first period by Mathew Barzal and Eansor.

In Game 1 Friday, Barzal and Eansor scored goals 36 seconds apart late in the second period to give the T-Birds a 2-0 lead.

The T-Birds went in front 1-0 on a Barzal’s power-play goal from the left circle at 12:50 of the first. Barzal, like in Game 1, wired a wrist shot over Herringer’s glove. Ethan Bear and Keegan Kolesar had the assists on the goal.

On the next shift, Eansor had the puck on the left boards and passed it low to Donovan Neuls, who skated left to right behind the Kelowna net. Neuls wrapped the puck at the right post, and it slid through the crease. Eansor was alone on top of the crease at the left post to push the puck into the net for his sixth goal of the playoffs.

The Rockets cut the T-Birds’ lead to one goal at 17:52 of the first on a goal from Cole Linaker. Tanner Wishnowski had the only assist.

Kelowna outshot Seattle 12-11 in the first period.

The Rockets tied the game 2-2 at 15:42 of the second period on Rourke Chartier’s seventh goal of the playoffs. Tomas Soustal and Cal Foote had the assists.

Kelowna outshot Seattle 11-10 in the second period and both teams had 22 shots on goal after 40 minutes of play.

Herringer stopped 25 of 28 shots in the loss.

SERIES GLANCE

WHL Western Conference championship schedule

Game 1 – Seattle 2, at Kelowna 1
Game 2 – Seattle 3, at Kelowna 2
Game 3 – Kelowna at Seattle, Tuesday, April 26, 7:05 p.m.
Game 4 – Kelowna at Seattle, Wednesday, April 27, 7:05 p.m.
Game 5 – Seattle at Kelowna, Friday, April 29, 7:05 p.m.*
Game 6 – Kelowna at Seattle, Sunday, May 1, 5:05 p.m.*
Game 7 – Seattle at Kelowna, Tuesday, May 3, 7:05 p.m.*

* if necessary

TICKETS

Game 3 is be a Director’s Mortgage 2-for-Tuesday game.

Single-game tickets are on sale on sale on 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.

SCORING SUMMARY

First period – 1, Seattle, Barzal 4 (Bear, Kolesar), 12:50 (pp). 2, Seattle, Eansor 6 (Neuls), 13:23. 3, Kelowna, Linaker 2 (Wishnowski), 17:52. Penalties – Bear, Sea (checking from behind), 10:24. Lind, Kel (slashing), 10:24. Thurkauf, Kel (cross checking) 12:40. Gropp, Sea (high-sticking), 14:31. Ottenbreit, Sea (tripping), 19:19.

Second period – 4, Kelowna, Chartier 7 (Soustal, Foote), 15:42. Penalties – Kolesar, Sea (unsportsmanlike conduct), 0:00. Baillie, Kel (unsportsmanlike conduct), 0:00. Baillie, Kel (high-sticking), 4:23. True, Sea (tripping), 4:44.

Third period – 5, Seattle, Eansor 7, 16:54. Penalties – No penalties.

Shots on goal – Seattle 12-10-5 27, Kelowna 11-11-8 30. Goalies – Seattle, Bow 30 shots-28 saves (10-1); Kelowna, Herringer 27-24 (8-8). Power plays – Seattle 1-2; Kelowna 0-3. A – 6,003. Referees – Reid Anderson, Reagan Vetter. Linesmen – Mike Roberts, Dustin Minty.