The line of Ryan Gropp, Mathew Barzal and Keegan Kolesar combined for nine points Friday night to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 4-3 overtime victory over the Kamloops Blazers at the Sandman Centre.
Kolesar won the game 58 seconds into overtime when he backhanded the puck past Kamloops goalie Connor Ingram’s right pad from the slot. Kolesar also had two assists in the game.
Gropp had a hat trick with three goals in the second period, all of which Barzal had an assist on.
The T-Birds, riding a five-game win streak, host the Portland Winterhawks on Saturday at the sold-out ShoWare Center. The puck drops at 7:05 p.m.
Kamloops (9-8-3-0) took a 1-0 lead at 13:51 of the first period on a breakaway goal from Collin Shirley.
Seattle (14-6-1-0) tied the game 1:13 into the second period on Gropp’s 11th goal of the season.
Gropp struck again at 5:37 of the second on the power play to give the T-Birds a 2-1 lead.
The T-Birds took a 3-1 lead on Gropp’s third goal at 14:12 of the second.
Kamloops cut the lead to one goal when Patrik Maier scored at 3:34 of the third period.
The Blazers tied the game 3-3 at 5:44 of the third. Matthew Campese put back the rebound of a Nolan Kneen shot. Dawson Davidson had the second assist.
In overtime, Scott Eansor forced a turnover in the neutral zone and battled the puck into the Kamloops zone. Kolesar got the puck along the left boards and passed it back to Jerret Smith. Smith held the puck while Kolesar went to the Kamloops net. Smith then hit Kolesar with a pass and he backhanded it past Ingram for his 15th goal of the season.
Taz Burman had 24 saves on 27 shots improve his record to 5-3-0-0.
Ingram made 37 saves on 41 shots and his record is now 8-5-3-0.
Game tickets for the 2015-16 season are 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 am to 5 pm Saturday game days at 10 am and Sunday game days at noon.
Season tickets can be purchased by calling the T-Birds office at 253-239-7825.
SCORING SUMMARY
First period – 1, Kamloops, Shirley 13 (Pilon), 13:58. Penalties – Vala, Kam (tripping), :33. Bench, Kam (too many men-served by Loewen), 11:51.
Second period – 2, Seattle, Gropp 11 (Barzal, Kolesar), 1:13. 3, Seattle, Gropp 12 (Kolesar, Barzal), 5:37 (pp). 4, Seattle, Gropp 14 (Barzal, Khaira), 14:12. Penalties – Miller, Kam (checking from behind), 4:09. Ottenbreit, Sea (roughing), 8:55. Gropp, Sea (slashing), 11:44. Rehill, Kam (unsportsmanlike conduct), 14:12. Barzal, Sea (tripping), 18:25.
Third period – 5, Kamloops, Maier 2 (MacDonald), 3:34. 6, Kamloops, Campese 3 (Kneen, Davidson), 5:44. Penalties – Holowko, Sea (high-sticking), 9:52.
Overtime – 7, Seattle, Kolesar 15 (Smith), :58. Penalties – No penalties.
Shots on goal – Seattle 12-12-16-1 41, Kamloops 6-11-9-1 27. Goalies – Seattle, Burman 27 shots-24 saves (5-3-0-0); Kamloops, Ingram 41-37 (8-5-3-0). Power plays – Seattle 1-4; Kamloops 0-4. A – 3,656. Referees – Kevin Bennett, Colin Watt. Linesmen – Spencer Lockert, Dustin Minty.
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