The Seattle Thunderbirds defeated the Spokane Chiefs 2-1 Saturday night at Veterans Memorial Arena in Game 2 of their first round playoff series.
The best-of-seven series is now tied 1-1 with Games 3 and 4 scheduled for ShoWare Center. Game 3 is Tuesday, March 24, and Game 4 is Wednesday, March 25. Both games start at 7:05 p.m. Game 5 will be Friday, March 27, at 7 p.m. in Spokane.
The Chiefs won Game 1 2-1 on Friday night in Spokane.
Seattle goalie Calvin Pickard made 33 saves on 34 shots to get his first career playoff win. Pickard made 11 saves in the first period, 12 saves in the second period and 10 saves in the third period.
Spokane outshot Seattle 11-9 in the first period.
The T-Birds took a 1-0 lead on a power-play goal by Thomas Hickey at 15:37 of the second period. Greg Scott crossed the puck from the right point across the blue line to Hickey at the left point. Hickey put a slap shot on goal that Spokane goalie Dustin Tokarski stopped with his left leg. The rebound hit the skate of a Chiefs defender to the left of goal and bounced into the Chiefs net.
The Chiefs outshot the T-Birds 12-10 in the second period and led 23-19 in total shots after 40 minutes.
Seattle went up 2-0 at 5:11 of the third period when Sena Acolatse put back a rebound. Luke Lockhart carried the puck up the right wing and into the Spokane zone on a two-on-two with Acolatse. At the top of the right circle Lockhart put a wrist shot on goal as Acolatse charged down the slot. Lockhart’s shot hit Tokarski’s left pad and rebounded into the slot. Acolatse backhanded the rebound past a lunging Tokarski.
Drayson Bowman scored at 16:26 of the third to cut the T-Birds lead to one goal. Stefan Ullmer had the only assist on the goal.
The Chiefs pulled Tokarski for an extra attacker with just over a minute left in the third period. They got several shots on goal but Pickard made the saves to secure the win for the T-Birds.
Spokane outshot Seattle 11-9 in the third period and 34-28 in the game.
Tokarski made 26 saves on 28 shots and his playoff record is now 1-1.
Single game playoff tickets are available for purchase online at www.seattl ethunderbirds.com or at the ShoWare Center box office. Playoff ticket prices for the first round are $24 and $18
The T-Birds have a 10 ticket special for the first round of the playoffs. Fans that purchase 10 tickets to any single playoff game will get a $4 discount per ticket and two free tickets.
SCORING SUMMARY
First period – No scoring. Penalties – McCrae, Spo (holding), 3:37. Dillon, Sea (hooking), 10:55. Scott, Sea (roughing), 12:09. Wahl, Spo (roughing), 12:09. Miller, Spo (hooking), 18:47. Boyer, Sea (high-sticking), 19:09.
Second period – 1, Seattle, Hickey 1 (Scott), 15:37 (pp). Penalties – Johnson, Spo (interference), 15:24. Hickey, Sea (tripping), 19:10.
Third period – 2, Seattle, Acolatse 1 (Lockhart), 5:11. 3, Spokane, Bowman 3 (Ullmer), 16:26. Penalties – Warg, Sea (interference), 14:19.
Shots on goal – Seattle 9-10-9 28. Spokane, 11-12-11 34. Goalies – Seattle, Pickard 34 shots-33 saves (1-1); Spokane, Tokarski 28-26 (1-1). Power plays – Seattle 1-3; Spokane 0-4. A – 5,902. Referee – Trevor Hanson, Chris Savage. Linesmen – Kiel Murchison, Jim Maniago.
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