For the Reporter
The line of Nick Holowko, Scott Eansor and Jamal Watson powered the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 5-2 Western Hockey League win over the Portland Winterhawks in front of a soldout crowd of 6,162 at the ShoWare Center on Saturday night.
Eansor had three assists, Watson had a goal and an assist and Holowko had a goal in the T-Birds’ sixth consecutive win and their eight straight on ShoWare ice.
Seattle (15-6-1-0) went in front 1-0 on Matthew Barzal’s goal at 7:58 of the first period.
But Portland (11-10-0-0) tied the game 1-1 at 15:44 of the first.
The T-Birds scored twice in 31 seconds late in the second period to take a 3-1 lead. Donovan Neuls tipped a Jerret Smith wrist shot from the right circle on the power play past Adin Hill at 16:22. Jarret Tyszka held the puck in at the left point and then got it to Eansor along the left boards. Eansor came off the boards and crossed the puck to Smith.
Eansor set up the T-Birds’ third goal at 16:53 of the second when he picked off a Portland pass just inside the blue line. Eansor skated into the left circle and then crossed the puck to Watson alone in front of Hill. Watson faked a shot getting Hill to go down and then brought the puck to his backhand and slid it past the sprawling goalie.
Paul Bittner scored a power-play goal 42 seconds into the third period to cut the T-Birds lead to 3-2. Jack Dougherty had the only assist.
The T-Birds took the two-goal lead back at 2:40 of the third. Holowko banged in a loose puck in the crease on a scramble in front of Hill. Eansor and Watson had the assists on Holowko’s fourth goal of the season.
Seattle made it a 5-2 lead at 4:27 of the third. Ethan Bear crossed the puck from the right point to Turner Ottenbreit at the left point. Ottenbreit took a slap shot. Matthew Wedman tipped Ottenbreit’s shot past Hill for his third goal of the season.
Seattle goalie Logan Flodell improves his record to 10-3-1-0 while stopping 24 of 26 shots.
Hill made 31 saves on 36 shots and his record falls to 10-8-0-0.
Who’s next?
The T-Birds’ next game is 7:05 p.m. Wednesday at Kelowna. The Rockets are ranked sixth in the most recent BMO CHL Top 10 rankings. The T-Birds are ranked No. 8.
The T-Birds’ next home game is 7:05 p.m. Friday against Vancouver.
Tickets available online at the T-Birds website and at the ShoWare Center box office. The ShoWare Center Box Office is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday game days at 10 a.m., and Sunday game days at noon.
SCORING SUMMARY
First period – 1, Seattle, Barzal 6 (Kolesar), 7:58.2, Portland, Bittner 6 (Jones, Bukarts), 15:44. Penalties – Bear, Sea (holding), 1:40. Jones, Por (delay of game), 10:22. Olhaver, Sea (goaltender interference), 17:09.
Second period – 3, Seattle, Neuls 2 (Smith, Eansor), 16:22 (pp). 4, Seattle, Watson 3 (Eansor), 16:53. Penalties – Overhardt, Por (tripping), 2:58. Dougherty, Por (delay of game), 3:15. Watson, Sea (hooking), 11:56. Clayton, Por (tripping), 15:19. Gropp, Sea (tripping), 17:13. Hauf, Sea (roughing), 19:43.
Third period – 5, Portland, Bittner 7 (Dougherty), :42 (pp). 6, Seattle, Holowko 4 (Eansor, Watson), 2:40. 7, Seattle, Wedman 3 (Ottenbreit, Bear), 4:27. Penalties – Gropp, Sea (goaltender interference), 12:34.
Shots on goal – Seattle 14-12-10 36, Portland 10-6-10 26. Goalies – Seattle, Flodell 26 shots-24 saves (10-3-1-0); Portland, Hill 36-26 (10-8-0-0). Power plays – Seattle 1-4; Portland 1-6. A – 6,162. Referees – Brett Iverson, Andrew Wilk. Linesmen – Bevan Mills, Michael Bean.
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