T-Birds skate past ‘Tips, 5-3 | WHL

The Seattle Thunderbirds beat the Everett Silvertips Tuesday night, scoring five goals en route to a 5-3 win at the ShoWare Center.

It was Seattle’s 11th win in 13 games and made their record 33-16-2-3.

Everett dropped to 26-20-7-1 with the loss.

Danny Mumaugh made his 28th start for the T-Birds, stopping 34 shots and getting his 14th win. Daniel Cotton made his fifth start against Seattle in the team’s five meetings this year and stopped 17 of 22, taking his fourth regulation loss this year.

Mathew Barzal created the first goal of the game less than a minute later. The rookie harassed Everett’s defensemen as they attempted to carry it up the ice, eventually stealing it and controlling it in front of the crease. Justin Hickman rushed into the zone in time to take a pass from Barzal on the other side of the goal mouth. Hickman put it home for his 14th goal of the year at 3:50.

Coach Steve Konowalchuk praised Barzal’s work, saying he “was committed defensively first and was really good when we needed him to be good.”

A strong first period for Barzal ended with a goal tying the game not long after. Barzal stole the puck in the offensive zone, his third such takeaway of the period, to set up the offense. After a few chances, Hickman was able to feed the puck across the crease onto Barzal’s stick and the 16-year-old put it home. Hickman had the primary assist on the goal and Ryan Gropp had the secondary.

Barzal would end the period with four takeaways in the offensive zone to go with his two points and three faceoff wins.

In the second period, Seattle went on the attack. Branden Troock had the first golden Seattle chance, just missing an open net when the puck refused to settle on his stick after a rebound. The T-Birds kept at it, eventually getting it to Roberts Lipsbergs, who beat Cotton to take the lead at 1:55. Troock and Maxwell, who regained control of the puck after Troock’s chance, had the assists.

The T-Birds took the lead at 9:31 in the third period when even strength hockey returned for a bit. Troock chased the puck down in the corner, feeding it in front of the net to Alexander Delnov. Delnov was stopped in his initial try as Cotton swept across the crease, but his second jab at the puck made its way through the pads and into the net to make it 4-3. Troock had the only assist on the goal.

Barzal picked up another point with five minutes remaining. Barzal took the puck at center ice and skated past the defense before flipping a pass over the last defenseman’s stick to Hickman, who calmly put it in the back of the net before Cotton could reach across the crease.

Next on the schedule for Seattle is a trip to Spokane to take on the Chiefs ay 7:05 p.m. Wednesday. The T-Birds will return home Friday when they will play the Chiefs again, this time at 7:35 p.m.

SCORING SUMMARY

First period – 1, Seattle, Hickman 14 (Barzal), 3:50. 2, Everett, Nikolishin 14 (Fonteyne), 5:30. 3, Everett, Low 4 (MacDonald, Mueller), 11:30. 4, Seattle, Barzal 9 (Hickman, Gropp), 14:18. Penalties – Wardley, Seattle (roughing), 19:14.

Second period – 5, Seattle, Lipsbergs 31 (Troock, Maxwell), 1:55. 6, Everett, Winquist 34 (Pufahl, Leedahl), 5:56 (pp). Penalties – Hickman, Seattle (elbowing), 5:28. Lipsbergs, Seattle (tripping), 12:38. Laurencelle, Everett (tripping), 13:46.

Third period – 7, Seattle, Delnov 21 (Troock), 9:31. 8, Seattle, Hickman 15 (Barzal, Gropp), 14:59. Penalties – Maxwell, Seattle (checking from behind), :52. Troock, Seattle (boarding), 4:44.

Shots on goal – Seattle 8-5-9 22, Everett 21-7-9 37. Goalies – Seattle, Mumaugh 37 shots-34 saves (14-9-2-3); Everett, Cotton 22-17 (8-4-4-0). Power plays – Seattle 0-1; Everett 1-5. A – 4,642. Referees – Brett Iverson Mike Campbell. Linesmen – Zach Brooks, Ron Dietterle.