Rockets blast T-Birds in Monday matinee | WHL

For the Reporter

The Kelowna Rockets defeated the Seattle Thunderbirds 7-3 Monday afternoon at Prospera Place in Kelowna, British Columbia.

The game had a special 2 p.m. start time on the Family Day Holiday in British Columbia.

The T-Birds finish 2-1-0-1 in four games against the Rockets this season.

Seattle (35-17-2-3) has won 13 of its last 16 games and faces the Tri-City Americans at 7:35 p.m. Friday at the ShoWare Center. They travel to Everett to play the Silvertips at Comcast Arena at 7:05 p.m. Saturday. They host the Prince George Cougars at 5:50 p.m. Sunday.

Kelowna (44-8-0-4) jumped out to a 4-0 lead, after which Danny Mumaugh replaced Kozun in goal for the T-Birds. Kozun had 15 saves on 19 shots and his record is now 14-21-2-1.

Marek Tvrdon scored from a sharp angle at 10:09 of the second to give the Rockets a 5-0 lead. Riley Stadel and Mitchell Wheaton were credited with the assists.

Nick Merkley put back a rebound from his own shot to make it a 6-0 Rockets lead at 5:35 of the third period.

Seattle got on the board at 6:35 of the third. Shea Theodore passed the puck to Branden Troock who carried the puck down the left wing. He passed the puck to Jerret Smith in the right circle. Smith beat Kelowna goalie Jackson Whistle with a wrist shot over the glove.

The T-Birds cut the Rockets lead to four at 8:20 of the third. Calvin Spencer passed the puck from the right circle to Ethan Bear at the right point. Bear put a slap shot on goal that beat Whistle over the glove. Alexander Delnov had the second assist on the goal.

Tyrel Goulbourne scored shorthanded goal at 14:13 of the third to get the Rockets’ seventh goal.

Delnov snapped a wrist shot past Whistle at 14:36 of third from the right circle to get the T-Birds third goal. Jaimen Yakubowski and Russell Maxwell had assists on the power-play goal.

Kelowna outshot Seattle 39-30 in the game.

Mumaugh made 17 saves on 20 shots in the loss.

Kelowna goalie Jackson Whistle stopped 27 of 30 shots and his record is now 14-3-0-0.

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.

SCORING SUMMARY

First period – 1, Kelowna, Goulboure 10 (Martin, Severson), 2:56. 2, Kelowna, Olsen 26 (Severson, Bell), 11:03 (pp). Penalties – Tvrdon, Kel (elbowing), 3:22. Hickman, Sea (roughing), 7:11. Wheaton, Kel (roughing), 7:11. Hauf, Sea (holding), 9:23. Hickman, Sea (cross checking), 14:11. Heffley, Kel (roughing), 17:59. Theodore, Sea (holding), 18:25.

Second period – 3, Seattle, Bell 37 (Bowey, Baillie), :19 (pp). 4, Kelowna, Heffley (Olsen), 7:28. 5, Kelowna, Tvrdon 5 (Stadel, Wheaton), 10:09. Penalties – Rigby, Kel (boarding), 4:15. Henry, Sea (unsportsmanlike conduct), 13:57. Goulbourne, Kel (roughing), 13:57.

Third period – 6, Kelowna, Merkley 14 (Goulbourne, Bowey), 5:35. 7, Seattle, Smith 2 (Troock, Theodore), 6:35. 8, Seattle, Bear 5 (Spencer, Delnov), 8:20. 9, Kelowna, Goulbourne 11 (Linaker), 14:13 (sh). 10, Seattle, Delnov 22 (Yakubowski, Maxwell), 14:36 (pp). Penalties – Tvrdon, Kel (hooking), 1:27. Wardley, Sea (checking to the head), 4:15. Yakubowski, Sea (roughing), 5:04. Tvrdon, Kel (roughing), 5:04. Schmidli, Kel (roughing), 5:04. Bench, Sea (too many men-served by Gropp), 6:20. Heffley, Kel (charging), 9:43. Tvrdon, Kel (goaltender interference), 13:36. Goulbourne, Kel (roughing, major-fighting, 10-minute misconduct), 18:50. Hauf, Sea (major-fighting), 18:50. McKechnie, Sea (10-minute misconduct), 18:50. Wardley, Sea (checking to the head), 18:50. Elliot, Sea (roughing), 19:49. Hickman, Sea (roughing), 19:49. Heffley, Kel (roughing), 19:49. Rigby, Kel (roughing), 19:49.

Shots on goal – Seattle 10-7-13 30, Kelowna 16-10-13 39. Goalies – Seattle, Kozun 19 shots-15 saves (14-21-2-1), Mumaugh 20-17; Kelowna, Whistle 30-27 (14-3-0-0). Power plays – Seattle 1-7; Kelowna 2-5. A – 5,237. Referees – Brett Iverson, Dexter Rasmussen. Linesmen – Nick Bilko, Ron Dietterle.