T-Birds take down Giants, 6-4

Brendan Rouse had two goals and an assists to help lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 6-4 victory over the Vancouver Giants at the Pacific Coliseum on Friday night.

Seattle (4-3-0-0) opened the scoring at 8:19 of the first period on Seth Swenson’s third goal of the season. Jerret Smith had the puck in the T-Birds zone on the right side. Smith sent the puck up the wing off the glass to Swenson to create a two-on-one break. Swenson had Roberts Lipsbergs on his left, skated into the right circle and snapped the puck over Vancouver goalie Tyler Fuhr’s glove.

The T-Birds extended the lead to 2-0 at 18:34 of the first. Lipsbergs carried the puck up the left wing on a three-on-two. Lipsbergs slid the puck to Swenson on his right. Swenson then moved it to his right to Brendan Rouse. Rouse slid it past Fuhr for his first goal of the season.

Tyler Alos scored with two seconds left in the period to give Seattle a 3-0 lead going into the first intermission. Riley Sheen tipped the puck to Michal Holub in the neutral zone. Holub brought the puck into the Giants zone on the right side. Holub moved the puck to Alos on his left to put him in alone against Fuhr. Alos brought the puck to his backhand and lifted it over Fuhr.

The T-Birds took advantage of a Giants turnover early in the second period to take a 4-0 lead. Sheen got the puck in between the top of the circles. Sheen put a shot on goal that hit Fuhr’s glove and went behind him and stopped in the crease. Holub dove towards the net and poked the puck across the line for his first career T-Birds goal.

Vancouver (2-6-0-0) got on the board at 4:11 of the second on a goal from Marek Tvrdon. Trevor Cheek and Jackson Houck had the assists.

The Giants cut the T-Birds lead to two goals at 8:33 of the second when Cain Franson scored. Brett Kulak had the only assist.

Seattle extended the lead to 5-2 on a power-play goal by Rouse at 10:22 of the second. Luke Lockhart sent the puck from the left circle to Jesse Forsberg inside the blue line at center ice. Forsberg one-timed Lockhart’s pass. Fuhr stopped the puck but couldn’t control the rebound. Rouse grabbed the rebound, brought the puck to his backhand and lifted it past a sprawling Fuhr.

Liam Liston replaced Fuhr in net after Seattle’s fifth goal. Fuhr stopped nine of 14 shots and his record is now 2-2-0-0.

The T-Birds went back in front by four goals on a power-play goal from Lockhart at 16:33 of the second. Rouse passed the puck to Shea Theodore at the high point. Theodore went quickly back to Rouse who centered the puck to Lipsbergs in the high slot.

Lipsbergs held the puck then went back to Rouse who made a cross slot to Lockhart. The puck movement gave Lockhart a wide open net and he buried the shot for his third goal of year.

Seattle goalie Brandon Glover stopped 28 of 32 shots in the win and his records is now 4-2-0-0.

The T-Birds’ next game is Tuesday, Oct. 16, against the Spokane Chiefs at ShoWare Center at 7:05 p.m.

SCORING SUMMARY

First period – 1, Seattle, Swenson 3 (Smith), 8:19. 2, Seattle, Rouse 1 (Swenson, Lipsbergs), 18:34. 3, Seattle, Alos 2 (Holub, Sheen), 19:58. Penalties – Cooke, Van (charging, major-fighting), 3:58. Hauf, Sea (major-fighting), 3:58.

Second period – 4, Seattle, Holub 1 (Sheen), 1:56. 5, Vancouver, Tvrdon 1 (Cheek, Houck), 4:11. 6, Vancouver, Franson 5 (Kulak), 8:33. 7, Seattle, Rouse 2 (Forsberg, Hickman), 10:22 (pp). 8, Seattle, Lockhart 3 (Rouse, Lipsbergs), 16:33 (pp). 9, Vancouver, Musil 2 (Houck), 19:25. Penalties – Morrison, Van (hooking), 9:31. Forsberg, Sea (major-fighting), 15:24. Moar, Van (major-fighting), 15:24. Burns, Van (charging), 15:41. Vannieuwenhuizen, Van (roughing), 17:15. Rouse, Sea (roughing), 20:00. Cheek, Van (roughing), 20:00.

Third period – 10, Vancouver, Franson 6 (Vannieuwenhuizen, Morrison) 10:40 (pp). Penalties – Morrison, Van (tripping), 3:12. Forsberg, Sea (unsportsmanlike conduct), 3:38. Hickman, Sea (roughing), 3:38. Musil, Van (roughing), 3:38. Vannieuwenhuizen, Van (roughing), 3:38. Vickerman, Van (kneeing), 6:42. Holub, Sea (tripping), 9:16.

Shots on goal – Seattle 8-9-4 21, Vancouver 12-10-10 32. Goalies – Seattle, Glover 32 shots-28 saves (4-2-0-0); Vancouver, Fuhr 14-9 (2-2-0-0), Liston 7-6. Power plays –Seattle 2-6; Vancouver 1-1. A – 6,839. Referee – Mike Campbell, Jeff Ingram. Linesmen – Ryan Gibbons, Chris Sweeting.