T-Birds crack Kootenay, 7-4

Alexander Delnov and Riley Sheen each had a goal and three assists and Luke Lockhart had two goals Wednesday night to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 7-4 victory over the Kootenay Ice at the ShoWare Center.

Justin Hickman had a goal and two assists while Connor Honey and Roberts Lipsbergs each had a goal and an assist in the win. Jordan Boyd scored two goals for Kootenay.

The T-Birds next game is at 7:05 p.m. Saturday against the Portland Winterhawks at the ShoWare Center.

The T-Birds jumped out to a 1-0 lead at 7:15 of the first period on a tic-tac-toe passing play. Honey carried the puck up the right board and gained the Ice zone. Honey centered the puck to Delnov at the top of the lost. Delnov sent the puck right back to Honey in the right circle. Honey quickly crossed the puck to Lipsbergs at the left post. Lipsbergs put the puck into an empty net as Kootenay goalie Mackenzie Skapski went down to stop Honey’s pass. Lipsbergs extended his goal streak to four games, a team high, with the goal.

The Honey, Delnov and Lipsbergs line struck again with another tic-tac-toe passing goal less than three minutes after the first goal. Delnov carried the puck into the Ice zone on right side. Delnov crossed the puck to Lipsbergs in the left circle. Lipsbergs fed the puck to Honey coming down the slot. Honey snapped a wrist shot over Skapski’s left shoulder for his eighth goal of the year.

Zach McPhee scored for Kootenay (7-13-1-0) at 10:33 of the first to cut the T-Birds lead to one goal. Joey Leach had the only assist on the goal.

Kootenay outshot Seattle 11-7 in the first period.

Seattle (11-11-1-0) extended the lead to 3-1 at 4:49 of the second period on a power-play goal by Sheen. Shea Theodore passed the puck from the left point to Delnov on the right side. Delnov skated into the right circle and snapped a shot on goal with Sheen in front of Skapski. Sheen tipped Delnov’s shot and the puck trickled into the net under the goalie.

Kootenay led in shots, 26-13, after two periods by outshooting the T-Birds 15-6 in the second period.

The Ice cut the T-Birds lead to one goal at 6:17 of third period when Jakub Prochazka scored off an assist from Levi Cable.

The T-Birds got the two-goal lead back at 7:20 of the third. Sheen moved the puck from behind the Ice net to Hickman along the left boards. Hickman centered the puck to Lockhart in the high slot. Lockhart beat Skapski with a wrist shot over the blocker for his ninth goal of the year.

Lockhart made it a 5-2 lead at 9:34 of the third with his second goal of the game. Sheen had the puck behind the Ice net and saw Lockhart in the high slot. Sheen got him the puck and Lockhart one-timed the pass past Skapski with Hickman screening the goalie.

Boyd scored a shorthanded goal at 12:27of the third to get Kootenay’s third goal of the game. Jaedon Deschaneau had the assist on the goal.

The scoring kept coming for the T-Birds as Hickman converted on a Sheen pass at 14:12 of the third. Jared Hauf sent the puck from the left point down low to Sheen. Sheen came out from behind the Ice net and fired the puck from the right corner towards the Kootenay net. Hickman tipped the pass past Skapski for his fourth goal of the year.

The Ice did not quit though as Boyd scored a four-on-four goal at 18:08 of third get his team within two goals. Descheneau and Luke Philp got the assists.

The T-Birds iced the game when Delnov scored an empty-net goal at 19:53 of the third. Kootenay had pulled Skapski and was pressuring the T-Birds, but Jesse Forsberg was able to get the puck out of the zone and to Delnov.

Seattle goalie Brandon Glover stopped 36 of 40 shots and his record is now 10-8-1-0.

Skapski made 26 saves on 32 shots and his record is now 7-8-0-0.

T-Birds tickets are available online 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 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday game days at 10 a.m. and Sunday game days at noon.

Season tickets can be purchased by calling the T-Birds office at 253-239-7825.

SCORING SUMMARY

First period – 1, Seattle, Lipsbergs 6 (Honey, Delnov), 7:15. 2, Honey 8 (Lipsbergs, Delnov), 10:03. 3, Kootenay, McPhee 4 (Leach), 10:33. Penalties – Lockhart, Sea (tripping), 11:09. Dirk, Ktn (interference), 13:52.

Second period – 4, Seattle, Sheen 6 (Delnov, Theodore), 4:49 (pp). Penalties – Martin, Ktn (tripping), 2:59. Wardley, Sea (cross checking), 6:59.

Third period – 5, Kootenay, Prochazka 1 (Cable), 6:17. 6, Seattle, Lockhart 9 (Hickman, Sheen), 7:20. 7, Seattle, Lockhart 10 (Sheen, Hickman), 9:34. 8, Kootenay, Boyd 3 (Descheneau), 12:27 (sh). 9, Seattle, Hickman 4 (Sheen, Hauf), 14:12. 10, Kootenay, Boyd 4 (Descheneau, Philp), 18:08. 11, Seattle, Delnov 9 (Forsberg), 19:53 (en). Penalties – Lipsbergs, Sea (high-sticking), 1:16. Muth, Ktn (high-sticking), 11:32. Sanvido, Sea (interference), 17:19. O’Connor, Ktn (cross checking), 17:19. Hauf, Sea (roughing), 19:19. McPhee, Ktn (roughing), 19:19.

Shots on goal – Seattle 7-6-20 33, Kootenay 11-15-14 40. Goalies – Seattle, Glover 40 shots-36 saves (10-8-1-0); Kootenay, Skapski 32-26 (7-8-0-0). Power plays – Seattle 1-3; Kootenay 0-3. A – 3,041. Referees – Adam Griffiths, Ryan Benbow. Linesmen – Mark Heier, Adam Brastad.