The Seattle Thunderbirds head into 2015 on a five-game winning streak after beating the Portland Winterhawks 2-1 Wednesday night at the Moda Center in Portland.
This was the 24th matchup in the Western Hockey League between the T-Birds and Winterhawks on New Year’s Eve. The T-Birds are 10-13-1-0 all-time against Portland on New Year’s Eve.
The T-Birds are 4-1-0-0 against the Winterhawks in the 12-game season series and have won all four games played in Portland.
The T-Birds have victories over the Victoria Royals, Portland Winterhawks twice, Vancouver Giants and Everett Silvertips on their five-game win streak.
Seattle plays the Tri-City Americans at 7:35 p.m. on Friday at the ShoWare Center. The T-Birds are back in Portland to face the Winterhawks on Sunday at the Moda Center.
Seattle (18-15-2-2) took a 1-0 lead 3:58 into the first period. Lane Pederson had the puck in the left corner and passed it Nolan Volcan in the high slot. Volcan sent the puck to Evan Wardley at the right point. Wardley took a slap shot with Scott Eansor screening Portland goalie Adin Hill. Wardley’s shot beat Hill over the glove for his fourth goal of the season.
The T-Birds extended the lead to 2-0 at 10:25 of the second period on Florian Baltram’s first goal of the season. Baltram carried the puck down the left wing into the Portland zone. At the left circle Baltram cut towards the Portland net. He lost control of the puck, was able to get it back and took a shot. The puck deflected off a Portland defenseman’s stick and past Hill.
The T-Birds outshot the Winterhawks 18-6 in the second period and led 23-13 in total shots after two periods.
Portland (19-17-0-3) got on the board at 16:45 of the third period when Dominic Turgeon redirected a shot past Seattle goalie Taran Kozun on the power play. Paul Bittner took the initial shot and Layne Viveiros had the second assist.
Portland outshot Seattle 11-5 in the third period but Seattle held the overall lead in shots, 28-24.
Kozun improved his record to 16-10-2-2 by stopping 23 of 24 shots. Hill made 26 saves on 28 shots and his record is now 8-5-0-0.
SCORING SUMMARY
First period – 1, Seattle, Wardley 4 (Volcan, Pederson), 3:58. Penalties – Ottenbreit, Sea (major-fighting), 2:58. Bittner, Por (major-fighting), 2:58. Smith, Sea (holding), 14:01.
Second period – 2, Seattle, Baltram 1, 10:25 (pp). Penalties – Spencer, Sea (high-sticking), 2:02. Iverson, Por (hooking), 9:46. Schoenborn, Por (roughing), 13:47. Hickman, Sea (roughing, game misconduct), 19:54.
Third period – 3, Portland, Turgeon 13 (Bittner, Viveiros), 16:45 (pp). Penalties – Schoenborn, Por (cross checking), 9:08. Cederholm, Por (hooking), 12:47. Khaira, Sea (interference), 15:41. Schoenborn, Por (tripping), 18:30.
Shots on goal – Seattle 5-18-5 28, Portland 7-6-11 24. Goalies – Seattle, Kozun 24 shots-23 saves (16-10-2-2); Portland, Hill 28-26 (8-5-0-0). Power plays – Seattle 1-5; Portland 1-4. A – 10,638. Referees – Brett Iverson, Sean Raphael. Linesmen – Jarrod Bowman, Joel Nyberg.
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