Barzal hat trick powers T-Birds past Rockets | WHL

Mathew Barzal had a hat trick and Logan Flodell made 31 saves to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 6-0 shutout victory over the Kelowna Rockets on Tuesday night at the ShoWare Center.

The shutout was Flodell’s second of the season and improved to 15-12-3-0. Flodell made 23 saves in a 2-0 shutout of the Rockets on Jan. 31 at the ShoWare Center.

Barzal had the T-Birds’ first goal of the game and then scored two goals 26 seconds apart early in the third period to get the hat trick. Barzal has 18 goals on the season.

This was the second game of a home-and-home series between the teams. The Rockets beat the T-Birds 7-4 Monday in Kelowna, British Columbia.

Seattle (29-22-3-0) took a 2-0 lead with two goals 44 seconds apart late in the first period.

First Barzal scored from the low slot with 1:09 left in the period. Scott Eansor had the puck in the left corner. Eansor passed the puck to Ryan Gropp behind the net. Gropp skated out from behind the net centered it to Barzal. Barzal beat Kelowna goalie Michael Herringer over the glove for his 16th goal of the season.

Then Keegan Kolesar converted a pass from Nick Holowko with 24 seconds left in the period to give the T-Birds a 2-0 lead.

The T-Birds struck for three goals in 1:29 early in the third period to take a commanding 5-0 lead.

Barzal made it 3-0 when he scored on a breakaway at 1:19 of the third.

Just 26 seconds later Barzal struck again to complete the hat trick.

Ryan Gropp took a feed from Barzal and beat Herringer with a wrist shot from the left circle at 2:49 to make it a 5-0 lead. Eansor had the second assist on the goal.

At 16:41 of the third Eansor was awarded a penalty shot when he was hooked on a breakaway. Eansor beat Herringer with a move to his forehand but the puck rolled off his stick and into the boards.

Josh Uhrich completed the scoring for the T-Birds when he banged in the rebound from an Ethan Bear shot at 16:46 of the third. Andreas Schumacher had the second assist on the goal.

Kelowna (37-15-3-0) outshot the T-Bird 13-12 in the third period. Seattle finished with a 39-31 advantage in shots.

Herringer made 33 saves on 39 shots and his record is now 18-9-1-0.

Next: Portland

The T-Birds’ next game is Saturday against the Portland Winterhawks at the ShoWare Center at 7:05 p.m. They face the Victoria Royals on Sunday at 5:05 p.m. at ShoWare.

Tickets available at 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., Saturday game days at 10 a.m. and Sunday game days at noon.

SCORING SUMMARY

First period – 1, Seattle, Barzal 16 (Gropp, Eansor), 18:51. 2, Seattle, Kolesar 27 (Holowko, Bear), 19:35. Penalties – Coughlin, Kel (hooking), 1:58. Foote, Kel (delay of game), 3:19. Gropp, Sea (goaltender interference), 11:06.

Second period – No scoring. Penalties – Hauf, Sea (major-fighting), 5:11. Southam, Kel (major-fighting), 5:11. Holowko, Sea (tripping), 12:49.

Third period – 3, Seattle, Barzal 17 (Kolesar), 1:19. 4, Seattle, Barzal 18 (Bear, Kolesar), 1:55 (pp). 5, Seattle, Gropp 25 (Barzal, Eansor), 2:48. 6, Seattle, Uhrich 6 (Bear, Wedman), 16:46. Penalties – Baillie, Kel (unsportsmanlike conduct), 1:19. Pelechaty, Sea (hooking), 14:28.

Shots on goal – Seattle 11-16-12 39, Kelowna 8-10-13 31. Goalies – Seattle, Flodell 31 shots-31 saves (15-12-3-0); Kelowna, Herringer 39-33 (18-9-1-0). Power plays – Seattle 1-3; Kelowna 0-3. A – 4,336. Referees – Zach Brooks, Nick Swaine. Linesmen – Zach Brooks, Nathan Van Oosten.