The Prince George Cougars defeated the Seattle Thunderbirds 6-4 in a Western Hockey League game Saturday night at the CN Centre in Prince George, British Columbia.
The T-Birds entered the third period down two goals but Scott Eansor scored at 7:49 and Keegan Kolesar tied the game 4-4 with 1:24 left on the clock.
The T-Birds were called for too many men with just over minute left in the game and then the Cougars were called for interference. Playing four-on-four, Brendan Guhle got behind the T-Birds defense and scored the game-winning goal with 12 seconds left in the game. Josh Curtis added an empty-net goal for the Cougars with four seconds left.
This was the second of back-to-back games between the two team. The T-Birds won 4-3 Friday night.
After a scoreless first period the T-Birds and Cougars combined to score six goals, five coming in a span of 4:51, in the second period.
Prince George (22-8-2-0) took a 1-0 lead at 6:02 of the second on a goal Josh Curtis.
The Cougars extended the lead to 2-0 at 11:27 of the period when Josh Maser scored on a breakaway.
Seattle (16-11-2-1) cut the Cougars lead to one goal at 11:39 of the second on Sami Moilanen’s ninth goal of the season. Moilanen came out of the right corner with the puck and curled into the right circle. Moilanen beat Prince George goalie Nick McBride with a wrist shot over the goalie’s glove. Bryan Allbee had the only assist on the goal.
Guhle scored on a slapshot at 14:15 of the second to put Prince George back in front by two goals.
Moilanen struck a second time, at 14:52 of the second, to again cut the Cougars lead to one goal. Eansor carried the puck into the left corner and then cut back towards the Prince George net. The puck came into the slot where Moilanen swiped at it. Moilanen got his own rebound and slid the puck under McBride.
The Cougars took the two-goal lead back at 15:18 of the second on a goal from Brad Morrison.
The T-Birds led 28-20 in shots after two periods.
Seattle cut the lead to one goal a third time at 7:49 of the third. Moilanen had the puck in the right corner and sent it to Ethan Bear on top of the right circle. Bear quickly passed the puck to Eansor at the left of the goal and he redirected the puck past a sprawling McBride.
The T-Birds pulled goalie Rylan Toth with 2:03 left in the game and tied the game with the extra attacker. Nolan Volcan kept a Cougars clearing attempt along the right boards in the offensive zone. Volcan crossed the puck to Eansor on the left wing. Eansor skated towards the Prince George net and just before he went around the net he centered the puck. The puck was loose in the slot and Kolesar snapped it into the net.
Seattle outshot Prince George 13-10 in the third period and 41-30 in the game.
Toth made 24 saves on 29 shots and his record is now 12-11-1-0.
McBride had 37 saves on 41 shots and his record is 5-3-1-0.
Coming home
The T-Birds host the Spokane Chiefs at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday at the ShoWare Center. This is the third Director’s Mortgage 2-for-Tuesday of the season and features 2-for-1 ticket and beer purchases and $2 popcorn, $2 soda and $2 hot dogs.
Fans may purchase single game tickets online or at the ShoWare Center box office. Season tickets can be purchased by calling the T-Birds office at 253-239-7825.
SCORING SUMMARY
First period – No scoring. Penalties – Moilanen, Sea (roughing), 6:47. Gabrielle, PG (tripping), 13:55. Ottenbreit, Sea (high-sticking), 17:33.
Second period – 1, Prince George, Curtis 4 (Almeida, O’Brien), 6:02. 2, Seattle, Maser 1 (Curtis, Anderson), 11:27. 3, Seattle, Moilanen 9 (Allbee), 11:39. 4, Prince George, Guhle 6 (McAuley, Gabrielle), 14:15. 5, Seattle, Moilanen 10 (Eansor), 14:52. 6, Prince George, Morrison 13 (Khomenko, Harkins), 15:18. 14Penalties – Bethune, PG (interference), :24. Ruopp, PG (delay of game), 7:14. Lakusta, PG (cross checking), 17:29. Kolesar, Sea (high-sticking), 19:09. Collins, PG (holding), 19:35.
Third period – 7, Seattle, Eansor 15 (Bear, Moilanen), 7:49. 8, Seattle, Kolesar 3 (Eansor, Volcan), 18:36. 9, Prince George, Guhle 7 (Harkins, Collins), 19:48. 10, Prince George, Curtis 5, 19:56 (en). Penalties – Bench, Sea (too many men-served by Wedman), 18:58. Bethune, PG (interference), 19:19.
Shots on goal – Seattle 13-15-13 41, Prince George 9-11-10 30. Goalies – Seattle, Toth 29 shots-24 saves (12-11-1-0); Prince George, McBride 41-37 (5-3-1-0). Power plays – Seattle 0-6; Prince George 0-4. A – 5,775. Referees – Mike Langin, Sean Raphael. Linesmen – Alex Teichroeb, Nathan Van Oosten.
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