T-Birds blow down Lethridge in 3-2 shootout

The Seattle Thunderbirds defeated the Lethbridge Hurricanes 3-2 in a shootout Saturday evening in their third game at the Red Lion Hotels’ Preseason Tournament at Toyota Center in Kennewick.

As of Sept. 11, the T-Birds were 3-3-0-0 in preseason and with two games remaining in the exhibition schedule. The T-Birds head up to Everett to take on the Silvertips on Friday, September 17, at 7:35 at Comcast Arena.

The exhibition schedule ends on Saturday, September 18, when the T-Birds host the Portland Winterhawks at 7:05 p.m. at ShoWare Center.

Burke Gallimore scored a power-play goal with eight seconds left in the third period to tie the game 2-2 and send it to overtime.

Marcel Noebels was the T-Birds first shooter in the shootout and he scored. Ryon Moser was the Hurricanes first shooter and he did not convert.

Connor Sanvido was up next for the T-Birds and he converted his opportunity to give Seattle a 2-0 lead in the shootout. Max Ross was the second Lethbridge shooter and he scored to keep the Hurricanes in the game.

Charles Wells secured the win when he scored on the T-Birds’ third shootout chance.

Taylor Balog opened the scoring three minutes in to the second period to give the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead.

The T-Birds tied the game 1-1 at 18:53 of the second on a goal by Chance Lund. Burke Gallimore and Brenden Dillon had assists on the goal.

Lethbridge took a 2-1 lead at 18:56 of the third period on a goal by Russell Maxwell.

Burke Gallimore scored a power-play goal with eight seconds left in the third period to send the game to overtime.

Seattle outshot Lethbridge 52-18 in the game.

Matt Krahn started and played 60 minutes for the T-Birds. He stopped 16 of 18 shots.

Tanner Kovacs started in net for Lethbridge and played the whole game. He made 49 saves on 51 shots.

The T-Birds will open the regular season against the Everett Silvertips on Friday, September 24 at Comcast Arena in Everett at 7:35pm. The T-Birds will hold their home opener on Saturday, September 25 at 7:05p.m. against long time rival, the Portland Winterhawks. The T-Birds will wrap up their opening weekend in Kennewick against the Tri-City Americans on Sunday, September 26, at 5p.m. at the Toyota Center.

T-Birds single game tickets for the 2010-11 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 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday game days at 10 a.m. and Sunday game days at noon.

T-Birds Group tickets are currently on sale. Group tickets can be purchased by calling the T-Birds office at 253-239-7825.

SCORING SUMMARY

First period – No scoring. Penalties – Johnston, Let (tripping), 3:28. Yadlowski, Let (unsportsmanlike conduct), 5:41. Aasman, Sea (roughing), 12:32. Guiel, Let (unsportsmanlike conduct), 12:32. Oslanski, Let (cross checking), 19:54.

Second period – 1, Lethbridge, Balog (Maxwell), 3:00. 2, Seattle, Lund (Gallimore), 18:53. Penalties – Johnston, Let (roughing), 8:17. Johnston, Let (high-sticking), 12:25. Machacek, Let (holding opponents stick), 14:11. Oslanski (10-minute misconduct), 14:11. Machacek, Let (unsportsmanlike conduct), 20:00. Elliot, Sea (roughing, unsportsmanlike conduct), 20:00.

Third period – 3, Lethbridge, Maxwell (Ross, Oslansky), 18:54. 4, Seattle, Gallimore (Jacobs, Dillon), 19:52 (pp). Penalties – Jacobs, Sea (holding), 10:53. Frank, Sea (tripping), 10:53. Tarnasky, Let (tripping), 10:53. Ross, Let (tripping), 19:41.

Overtime – No scoring. Penalties – Balog, Let (tripping), 1:21. Noebels, Sea (unsportsmanlike conduct), 1:41. Ross, Let (unsportsmanlike conduct), 1:41.

Shootout – Seattle 3 (Noebels G, Sanvido G, Wells G). Lethbridge 1 (Moser NG, Ross G).

Shots on goal – Seattle 17-16-15-5-1 52. Lethbridge 4-5-6-3-0 18. Goalies – Seattle, Krahn 18 shots-16 saves; Lethbridge, Kovacs 51-49. Power plays – Seattle 1-8; Lethbridge 0-2. Referee – Jason Nissen. Linesmen – Brian Fortin, Adam Brastad.