Noah Philp had two goals and an assist to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 5-2 Western Hockey League win over the Portland Winterhawks in front of 6,206 fans at accesso ShoWare Center on Saturday night.
It was the playoff-bound T-Birds’ final regular-season home game.
Seattle took a 1-0 lead 4:38 into the first period. Philp intercepted a Portland clearing attempt along the left boards at the blue line. Philp sent the puck low to Tyler Carpendale and then got it right back as he skated into the slot. Philp beat Portland goalie Shane Farkas with a wrist shot through the legs for his 25th goal of the season.
Nolan Volcan extended the lead 16 seconds into the second period. Portland played the puck off the right boards trying to get it out of their zone right to Volcan in the left circle. Volcan took a slap shot and beat Farkas over the blocker for his 26th goal of the season.
Matthew Wedman’s 40th goal of the season, 32 seconds into the third period, made it a 3-0. On the power play, Jarret Tyszka crossed the puck to Philp at the right point. Philp took a wrist shot that hit a body in front and came to Wedman to the right of the net. Wedman slammed the puck over Farkas for the goal.
Portland got on the board when Jared Freadrich scored a five-on-three power-play goal at 5:47 of the third.
The Winterhawks cut the T-Birds’ lead to one goal at 11:09 of the third on a goal from Josh Paterson.
Philp got the two-goal lead back at 15:12 of the third with a breakaway goal. Philp stole the puck along the left boards in the defensive zone, headed up ice with a defenseman closing on him from the right wing and took a wrist shot form the left circle that hit Farkas in the arm and went into the net.
Portland pulled Farkas for an extra attacker with over two minutes left in the game. Owen Williams got the puck along the right boards in the defensive zone and sent it the length of the ice and hit the empty net.
Seattle goalie Roddy Ross stopped 45 of 47 shots to improve his record to 16-5-1-2.
Farkas had 33 saves.
What’s ahead
The T-Birds and Winterhawks meet at 5 p.m. Sunday in a regular-season finale for both teams.
Seattle, the Western Conference second wild-card qualifier, opens the playoffs against Vancouver, the conference champion. Game 1 of the best-of-seven series is 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 22. Games 3 and 4 are on Kent ice March 26 and 27.
Playoff tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday on the T-Birds website and at the ShoWare box office.
SCORING SUMMARY
First period – 1, Seattle, Philp 25 (Carpendale), 4:38. Penalties – Dureau, Por (hooking), :39. Newkirk, Por (hooking), 12:26. Hanus, Por (tripping), 15:52.
Second period – 2, Seattle, Volcan 27, :16. Penalties – Kaluski, Sea (roughing), 8:01. De Jong, Por (tripping), 10:25. Richards, Sea (goaltender interference), 12:42.
Third period – 3, Seattle, Wedman 40 (Philp, Tyszka), :32 (pp). 4, Portland, Freadrich 14 (Blichfeld, Newkirk), 5:47 (pp). 6, Seattle, Philp 26, 15:12. 7, Seattle, Williams 6, 18:37 (en). Penalties – De Jong, Por (slashing), :08. Richards, Sea (hooking), :48. Lee, Sea (cross checking), 3:59. Kubicek, Por (unsportsmanlike conduct), 3:59. Volcan, Sea (10-minute misconduct), 3:59. Newkirk, Por (game misconduct), 17:55.
Shots on goal – Seattle 19-10-9 38, Portland 9-15-23 47. Goalies – Seattle, Ross 47 shots-45 saves (16-5-1-2); Portland, Farkas 37-33 (30-12-3-3). Power plays – Seattle 1-5; Portland 1-5. A – 6,206. Referees – Bryan Bourdon, Sean Raphael. Linesmen – Michael Bean, Mark Heier.
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