Defenseman Turner Ottenbreit scored the winning goal in an eight-round shootout and goalie Dorrin Luding stopped the last Swift Current attempt to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 7-6 win in front of 6,142 fans at the accesso ShoWare Center on Saturday night.
The T-Birds (24-16-4-2), riding a four-game winning streak, face the Brandon Wheat Kings on Kent ice Tuesday. The puck drops at 7:05 p.m.
In the shootout, Ottenbreit – the T-Birds’ eighth shooter – beat the Broncos’ Joel Hofer with a shot that went through the goalie’s legs and into the net. Andrew Fyten, looking to extend the shootout, was stopped by Luding with a blocker save to secure the win for Seattle.
Luding had 26 saves on 32 shots to improve to 7-10-1-0.
Swift Current (33-10-3-1) opened the scoring at 1:17 of the first period on Glen Gawdin’s breakaway goal.
Seattle tied the game 1-1 on the power play at 5:14 of the first. Zack Andrusiak took a shot from the right circle. The puck rebounded off Hofer to the slot where Dillon Hamaliuk got a shot off. Nolan Volcan put the rebound past Hofer for his 24th goal of the season.
The T-Birds extended the lead to 2-1 at 10:46 of the first. Sami Moilanen took a pass from Owen Williams for a two-on-one break. Moilanen beat Hofer with a wrist shot for his 19th goal of the year. Donovan Neuls had the second assist.
The Broncos tied the game 2-2 at 17:08 of the first on a goal from Colby Sissons.
Neuls put the T-Birds up 3-2 with a power-play goal 1:30 into the second period. Jarret Tyszka passed the puck from center ice to Neuls in the left circle. Neuls beat Hofer over the glove with a wrist shot for his 17th goal of the season.
Seattle took a 4-2 lead at 7:59 of the second. Austin Strand passed the puck to Andrusiak in the left circle. Andrusiak took a shot with Wedman on top of the crease. Wedman redirected Andrusiak’s shot past Hofer for his ninth goal of the season.
Andrusiak made it a three-goal lead at 14:42 of the second with his 21st goal of the season. Matthew Wedman had the only assist.
Giorgio Estephan cut the T-Birds’ lead back to two goals at 16:40 of the second with a power-play goal.
Seattle grabbed the three-goal lead back courtesy of a Swift Current turnover in the slot. Noah Philp got the loose puck and came in all alone on Hofer. Philp beat Hofer with a backhand deke at 17:20 of the second.
The T-Birds outshot the Broncos 15-3 in the third period and led 27-14 in shots after two periods.
The Broncos scored three goals in the third period to come back and tie the game 6-6. Tyler Steenbergen scored at 6:29, Estephan scored at 17:03, and Beck Malenstyn scored with Hofer on the bench at 18:46.
The T-Birds outshot the Broncos 5-1 in overtime and 38-32 in the game.
Hofer had 31 saves on 37 shots and is now 5-2-0-1.
Notes
After the T-Birds’ first goal, teddy bears and stuffed animals rained down onto the ice for the Fred Meyer Teddy Bear Toss presented by WARM 106.9 FM. Fans threw 6,900 teddy bears and stuffed animals on the ice for local police and fire departments, who will give them to children during times of crisis and emergencies. … Tickets or on sale online on the T-Birds website 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, Swift Current, Gawdin 36 (Steenbergen) 1:17. 2, Seattle, Volcan 24 (Hamaliuk, Andrusiak), 5:14 (pp). 2, Seattle, Moilanen 19 (Williams, Neuls), 10:46. 4, Swift Current, Sissons 12 (Heponiemi, Steenbergen), 17:08. Penalties – Wight, SC (interference), 2:14. Moilanen, Sea (slashing), 3:17. Khaira, SC (roughing), 3:17. Steenbergen, SC (holding opponents stick), 4:58. Khaira, SC (tripping), 19:34.
Second period – 5, Seattle, Neuls 19 (Tyszka), 1:30 (pp). 6, Seattle, Wedman 9 (Andrusiak, Strand), 7:59. 7, Seattle, Andrusiak 21 (Wedman), 14:42. 8, Swift Current, Estephan 21 (Steenbergen, Gawdin), 16:40 (pp). 9, Seattle, Philp 10, 17:20. Penalties – Estephan, SC (hooking), 1:43. Gawdin, SC (checking from behind), 9:43. Strand, Sea (unsportsmanlike conduct), 9:43. Sissons, SC (unsportsmanlike conduct), 9:43. Williams, Sea (interference), 15:53.
Third period – 10, Swift Current, Steenbergen 36 (Malenstyn, Estephan), 6:29. 11, Swift Current, Estephan 22 (Heponiemi, Gawdin), 17:03. 12, Swift Current, Malenstyn 5 (Heponiemi, Steenbergen), 18:46. Penalties – Tyszka, Sea (high sticking), 7:03. Tyszka, Sea (high sticking), 14:30.
Overtime – No scoring. Penalties – No penalties.
Shootout – Seattle 3 (Philp NG, Andrusiak NG, Neuls G, Volcan NG, Strand G, Moilanen NG, Huo NG, Ottenbreit G). Swift Current 2 (Estephan NG, Heponiemi NG, Steenbergen G, Gawdin NG, Minulin G, Sissons NG, Malenstyn NG, Fyten NG).
Shots on goal – Seattle 12-15-5-5-1 38, Swift Current 11-3-17-1-0 32. Goalies – Seattle, Luding 32 shots-26 saves (7-10-1-0); Swift Current, Hofer 37-31 (5-2-0-1). Power plays – Seattle 2-3; Swift Current 2-5. A – 6,142. Referees – Kyle Kowalski, Dexter Rasmussen. Linesmen – Brett Mackey, Michael McGowan.
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