For the Reporter
The Seattle Thunderbirds grinded out a 2-1 Western Hockey League win over the Spokane Chiefs before a season-high 6,200 fans at the ShoWare Center on Tuesday night.
Seattle (20-12-3-0) moves three points clear of Spokane and the Everett Silvertips in first place in the U.S. Division.
The line of Keegan Kolesar, Donovan Neuls and Nolan Volcan combined for two goals and three assists in the game.
This was the second game of a home-and-home series between the teams. The Chiefs beat the T-Birds 3-0 Sunday in Spokane.
The T-Birds travel to Portland on Thursday to play the Winterhawks in the annual New Year’s Eve game. The puck drops at 7:30 p.m. at the Moda Center.
The game Tuesday night was tight checking and remained scoreless late into the second period.
Seattle took a 1-0 lead at 15:37 of the second period. Jerret Smith had the puck in the low right circle. Smith threw the puck at the net with Nolan Volcan on top of the crease. The puck rebounded off Spokane goalie Tyson Verhelst into the crease. Volcan fought past a Spokane defenseman and banged the puck under a sprawling Verhelst. Donovan Neuls had the second assist.
Spokane led 17-14 in shots after two periods.
Spokane (18-14-3-1) tied the game 1-1 at 1:52 of the third period on Kailer Yamamoto’s power-play goal.
The T-Birds came right back and took a 2-1 lead 11 seconds after Yamamoto’s goal. Off the faceoff Volcan sent the puck towards the left corner of the Chiefs zone. Keegan Kolesar chased the puck down and got to it before the goal line. He flung the puck at the Chiefs net and it went in off the back of Verhelst’s leg for his 17th goal of the season. Neuls had the second assist.
The Chiefs pulled Verhelst for an extra attacker late in the game. Logan Flodell made several solid saves and the T-Birds cleared the puck twice to keep the Chiefs from scoring the tying goal.
Flodell was strong all game and ended with 28 saves on 29 shots to improve his record to 13-8-3-0.
Verhelst stopped 20 of 22 shots and his record is 15-9-0-1.
Tickets
T-Birds’ single-game tickets 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 game days at 10 a.m. and Sunday game days at noon.
Season tickets can be purchased by calling the T-Birds office at 253-239-7825.
SCORING SUMMARY
First period – No scoring. Penalties – Zwerger, Spo (roughing), 1:43. Elynuik, Spo (boarding), 6:02. Helgesen, Spo (delay of game), 10:01.
Second period – 1, Seattle, Volcan 9 (Smith, Neuls), 15:37. Penalties – Hauf, Sea (holding), :14. Khaira, Sea (high-sticking), 3:06. Faith, Spo (checking from behind), 9:56. Ke. Yamamoto, Spo (holding), 16:46. Watson, Sea (major-fighting), 16:46. Bechtold, Spo (major-fighting), 16:46.
Third period – 2, Spokane, Ka. Yamamoto 15 (Elynuik, Fram), 1:52 (pp). 3, Seattle, Kolesar 17 (Volcan, Neuls), 2:03. Penalties – Seidel, Sea (tripping), 1:08. Fram, Spo (holding), 12:12. Schumacher, Sea (hooking), 14:14. Ka. Yamamoto, (embellishment), 14:14.
Shots on goal – Seattle 7-7-8 22, Spokane 8-9-11 29. Goalies – Seattle, Flodell 29 shots-28 saves (13-8-3-0); Spokane, Verhelst 22-20 (15-9-0-1). Power plays – Seattle 0-6; Spokane 1-3. A – 6,200. Referees – Kevin Webinger, Nathan Wieler. Linesmen – Al Creigh, Tim Digby.
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