The Seattle Thunderbirds defeated the Kamloops Blazers 4-3 in a Western Hockey League game Sunday night at the Sandman Centre in Kamloops, British Columbia.
Kamloops (0-8-0-0) took a 1-0 lead at 5:35 of the first period on a goal from Jackson Shepard, who tipped a Nolan Kneen right point shot past Seattle goalie Matt Berlin.
Seattle (3-2-0-1) tied the game 1-1 at 11:42 of the first. Jarret Tyszka took a shot from the low right circle that went through the crease. Noah Philp was at the left post and banged the puck past Kamloops goalie Max Palaga for his second goal of the season.
Kamloops outshot Seattle 12-4 in the first period.
The T-Birds took a 2-1 lead at 1:52 of the second period just as a five-on-three power play was ending. Austin Strand beat Palaga with a wrist shot from the top of the right circle. Donovan Neuls and Noah Philp had the assists.
The Blazers tied the game 2-2 at 7:02 of the second on a goal by Brodi Stuart. Garrett Pilon and Quinn Benjafield had the assists.
Reece Harsch gave the T-Birds a 3-2 lead 52 seconds after the Blazers tied the game. Blake Bargar won a puck battler behind the Kamloops net and fed Harsch in the high slot. Harsch skated towards the goal and Bargar went to the front of the net. Harsch took a wrist shot that beat Palaga high with Bargar in front of the goalie.
Nick Chyzowski tied the game 3-3 28 seconds after Harsch’s goal. Joe Gatenby and Ondrej Vala had the assists.
Sami Moilanen scored, on the power play, his team leading seventh goal of the season to give the T-Birds a 4-3 lead at 11:32 of the second. Strand passed the puck from center ice to Jarret Tyszka at the top of the right circle. Tyszka took a wrist shot that Moilanen tipped past Palaga.
The Blazers had a 24-12 lead in shots after two periods.
The Blazers pulled Palaga with 1:19 to go in the game for an extra attacker. Kamloops upped the pressure with the extra man but the T-Birds were able to block several shots and Berlin made two key saves, one with 35 seconds left and one with three seconds left.
Berlin finished with 32 saves on 35 shots get his third win of the season.
Palaga had 11 saves on 15 shots and his record is now 0-2-0-0.
Coming up
The T-Birds are back at the ShoWare Center on Tuesday to play the Vancouver Giants at 7:05 p.m. The game is the first Directors Mortgage 2-for-Tuesday of the season.
Single-game tickets for the 2017-18 season are on sale online and at the ShoWare Center box office. Season tickets may be purchased by calling the T-Birds office at 253-239-7825.
SCORING SUMMARY
First period – 1, Kamloops, Sheppard 2 (Kneen), 5:35. 2, Seattle, Philp 2 (Tyszka, Hamaliuk), 11:42. Penalties – Wedman, Sea (slashing), 18:15. Bench, Kam (too many men-served by Zary), 19:51.
Second period – 3, Seattle, Strand 3 (Neuls, Philp), 1:52 (pp). 4, Kamloops, Stuart 2 (Pilon, Benjafield), 5, Seattle, Harsch 2 (Bargar), 7:54. 6, Kamloops, Chyzowski 2 (Gatenby, Vala), 8:22. 7, Seattle, Moilanen 7 (Tyszka, Strand), 11:32 (pp). Penalties – Bench, Kam (too many men-served by Strange), 1:23. Gatenby, Kam (interference), 10:54. McNelly, Sea (holding), 12:43. Strand, Sea (tripping), 16:33. Miller, Kam (high-sticking), 20:00.
Third period – No scoring. Penalties – Ormsby, Sea (tripping), 4:36. Tyszka, Sea (interference), 9:46. Neuls, Sea (cross checking), 15:07. Vala, Kam (roughing), 15:07.
Shots on goal – Seattle 4-8-3 15, Kamloops 12-12-11 35. Goalies – Seattle, Berlin 35 shots-32 saves (3-1-0-1); Kamloops, Palaga 15-11 (0-2-0-0). Power plays – Seattle 2-4; Kamloops 0-5. A – 3,293. Referees – Mike Campbell, Nick Panter. Linesmen – Nick Bilko, Ron Dietterle.
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