Payton Mount had a goal and two assists and was one of two players to score in the shootout as the Thunderbirds defeated the Portland Winterhawks 5-4 in a Western Hockey League game in front of 5,554 raucous fans at the accesso ShoWare Center on Saturday night.
Mount, the first shooter, beat Portland goalie Isaiah DiLaura over the glove for the goal. Seattle goalie Roddy Ross stopped Portland’s first shooter, Jaydon Dureau, with a sprawling left pad save.
Simon Kubicek, the T-Birds’ second shooter, made a move to his right and beat DiLaura high as the goalie lunged to make the save. Cross Hanas, the second shooter for the Winterhawks, needing to score to extend the shootout, but Ross denied his backhand shot and put it over the net.
The T-Birds stormed from the bench and mobbed Ross.
Portland took a 1-0 lead on Johnny Ludvig’s power-play at 4:11 of the first period.
Seattle tied the game 1-1 at 6:41 of the first on Alex Morozoff’s third goal of the season. Conner Bruggen-Cate got a loose puck and skated into the left circle. He took a wrist shot that Morozoff, standing in front of DiLaura, tipped into the net. Payton Mount had the second assist.
The T-Birds took a 2-1 lead on Bruggen-Cate’s power-play goal at 3:14 of the second period. Mount passed the puck to Owen Williams, who carried it to center ice inside the blue line. Williams took wrist shot that Bruggen-Cate redirected down and past DiLaura for his fourth goal of the season.
Portland had 58 seconds of a five-on-three power play five minutes into the second. Mount, Williams and Luke Bateman all blocked shots and goalie Roddy Ross made three solid saves to deny the Winterhawks a second goal.
Mount gave the T-Birds a 3-1 lead at 11:55 of the second with a power-play goal. Kubicek took a slap shot from the mid-point that hit Mount and fell to the ice. Mount corralled the puck and beat DiLaura with a hard wrist shot for his second goal of the season. Bruggen-Cate had the second assist.
Portland tied the game 3-3 late in the second on goals by James Stefan at 16:26 and Jaydon Dureau at 16:38.
Keltie Jeri-Leon put the T-Birds in front 4-3 at 7:59 of the third. Jeri-Leon took pass from Reid Schaefer in the slot and beat DiLaura over the glove with a hard wrist shot. Schaefer’s assist was his first point in the WHL. Matthew Rempe had the second assist.
Portland’s Gabe Klassen tied the game 4-4 at 9:23 of the third.
Henrik Rybinski was awarded a penalty shot in overtime with 1:14 left when he was taken down on a breakaway. DiLauara made a glove save on Rybinski’s attempt.
Notes
Defenseman Kevin Korchinski made his T-Birds debut. The T-Birds selected him in the first round, 10th overall, in the 2019 Bantam Draft. … The T-Birds’ next game is at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday against the Winnipeg Ice at the ShoWare Center. The game is the second Dave and Buster’s 2-for-Tuesday of the season. All tickets, hot dogs, popcorn, soda and beer have two-for-one prices. … Single-game tickets are on sale on the T-Birds website and at the box office. Fans who purchase the 24-Flex Ticket Package will be able to select any available premium seat for any game, in any ticket combination, during the 2019-20 season.
SCORING SUMMARY
First period – 1, Portland, Ludvig 9 (Newkirk, Dureau), 4:11 (pp). 2, Seattle, Morozoff 3 (Bruggen-Cate, Mount), 6:41. Penalties – Williamson, Sea (hooking), 2:55. Cicek, Por (interference), 8:59.
Second period – 3, Seattle, Bruggen-Cate 4 (Williams, Mount) 3:14 (pp). 4, Seattle, Mount 2 (Kubicek, Bruggen-Cate), 11:55 (pp). 5, Portland, Stefan 1 (Klassen, Kozak), 16:26. 6, Portland, Dureau 2 (Ludvig, Newkirk), 16:38. Penalties – Newkirk, Por (cross checking), 1:20. Popowich, Sea (tripping), 4:13. Bruggen-Cate, Sea (tripping), 5:15. Davidson, Sea (slashing), 9:43. Hanus, Por (roughing), 9:43. Hanus, Por (tripping), 13:12. Schaefer, Sea (roughing), 13:12. Mount, Sea (tripping), 17:38.
Third period – 7, Seattle, Jeri-Leon 6 (Schaefer, Rempe), 7:59. 8, Portland, Klassen 1 (Cicek), 9:23. Penalties – No penalties.
Overtime – No scoring. Penalties – No penalties.
Shootout – Seattle 2 (Mount G, Kubicek G). Portland 0 (Dureau NG, Hanas NG).
Shots on goal – Seattle 10-7-8-2-1 28, Portland 15-16-18-2-0 51. Goalies – Seattle, Ross 51 shots-47 saves (6-6-2-1); Portland, DiLaura 28-24 (0-2-0-1). Power plays – Seattle 2-4; Portland 1-5. Referees – Chris Crich, Troy Murray. Linesmen – Mark Heier, Michael McGowan.
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