Landon Bow made 36 saves to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 3-1 win victory over the Kelowna Rockets in Game 3 of the Western Conference championship series in front of 5,878 raucous fans Tuesday night at the ShoWare Center.
The T-Birds, with a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, can clinch the Western title Wednesday night at the ShoWare Center in Game 4. The puck drops at 7:05 p.m.
If Seattle takes the series, it will advance to the WHL finals, known as the Ed Chynoweth Cup, against the Eastern Conference champion. The T-Birds last appeared in the WHL finals in 1997.
Bow made 10 saves in the first, nine in the second period and 17 saves in the third period to get his 11th win of the playoffs.
Seattle took a 1-0 lead on Bryan Allbee’s power-play goal at 14:51 of the first period. Nolan Volcan won a puck battle on the right boards back to Jerret Smith at the right point. Smith crossed the puck to Allbee at center ice. Allbee beat Kelowna goalie Michael Herringer with a slap shot over the glove.
Seattle outshot Kelowna 15-10 in the first period.
Kelowna tied the game 1-1 at 13:17 of the second period on Justin Kirkland’s goal.
Kelowna outshot the T-Birds 10-9 in the second period, but the T-Birds led in shots 24-20 after two periods.
The T-Birds took a 2-1 lead 58 seconds into the third period on a goal from Ethan Bear. Keegan Kolesar worked the puck out of the left corner to Mathew Barzal along the left boards. Barzal crossed the puck to Bear pinching down into the right circle. Bear snapped a wrist shot past Herringer low on the glove side for the go-ahead goal.
Barzal hit the empty net late in the third period to seal the win.
Kelowna outshot Seattle 17-9 in the third period and 37-33 in the game.
Herringer stopped 30 of 32 shots in the loss.
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WHL Western Conference championship series schedule
Game 1 Seattle 2, at Kelowna 1
Game 2 Seattle 3, at Kelowna 2
Game 3 At Seattle 3, Kelowna 1
Game 4 Kelowna at Seattle, Wednesday, April 27, 7:05 p.m.
Game 5 Seattle at Kelowna, Friday, April 29, 7:05 p.m.*
Game 6 Kelowna at Seattle, Sunday, May 1, 5:05 p.m.*
Game 7 Seattle at Kelowna, Tuesday, May 3, 7:05 p.m.*
* if necessary
Tickets
Tickets for Game 4 are on sale on the T-Birds website (www.seattlethunderbirds.com) and at the ShoWare Center box office. The box office is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
SCORING SUMMARY
First period – 1, Seattle, Allbee 1 (Smith, Volcan), 14:51 (pp). Penalties – Johansen, Kel (hooking), :25. Soustal, Kel (double-minor high-sticking), 10:04. Ballhorn, Kel (tripping), 14:09. Soustal, Kel (high-sticking), 15:21. Holowko, Sea (interference), 17:09. Ottenbreit, Sea (slashing), 18:37.
Second period – 2, Kelowna, Kirkland 9 (Baillie, Foote), 13:17. Penalties – Bear, Sea (tripping), 8:50.
Third period – 3, Seattle, Bear 4 (Barzal, Kolesar), :58. 4, Seattle, Barzal 4, 18:31(sh/en). Penalties – Schumacher, Sea (major-fighting), 14:06. Stadel, Kel (major-fighting), 14:06. Eansor, Sea (delay of game), 17:52.
Shots on goal – Seattle 15-9-9 33, Kelowna 10-10-17 37. Goalies – Seattle, Bow 37 shots-36 saves (11-1); Kelowna, Herringer 32-30 (8-9). Power plays – Seattle 1-5; Kelowna 0-4. A – 5,878. Referees – Steve Papp, Mike Campbell. Linesmen – Ron Dietterle, Bevan Mills.
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