The Vancouver Giants defeated the Seattle Thunderbirds 6-4 in Game 3 of their first-round Western Hockey League playoff series Tuesday night at the accesso ShoWare Center.<\/p>\n
Vancouver leads the best-of-seven series 2-1, with Game 4 at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday at the ShoWare Center.<\/p>\n
Matthew Wedman put the T-Birds in front 1-0 at 4:06 of the first period. Nolan Volcan took a shot from the neutral zone that rebounded off Vancouver goalie David Tendeck to the bottom of the left circle. Wedman fought through a Giants’ defenseman to get the puck and he beat Tendeck from the goal line with a wrist shot.<\/p>\n
Vancouver tied the game 1-1 at 19:27 of the first on Tristen Nielsen’s power-play goal.<\/p>\n
The Giants took a 2-1 lead at 3:21 of the second period on a goal from Bowen Byram.<\/p>\n
The Giants were whistled for consecutive too many men penalties, and Seattle took a 3-2 lead on back-to-back power play goals.<\/p>\n
Keltie Jeri-Leon found Wedman all alone in front of Tendeck. The Vancouver goalie made a right pad save on Wedman and the puck came to Payton Mount at the bottom of the left circle. Mount fired the puck past Tendeck at 8:40 of the second for his first goal of the playoffs.<\/p>\n
Mount struck for a second time on the power play at 11:09 of the second. Volcan passed the puck to Simon Kubicek at the right point. Kubicek carried the puck to center ice a put a wrist shot on net. Mount tipped Kubicek’s shot past Tendeck.<\/p>\n
Jadon Joseph tied the game 3-3 for the Giants at 18:48 of the second on the power play.<\/p>\n
Vancouver took a 5-3 lead on goals by Alex Kannon Leipert 24 seconds into the third period and by Dallas Hines at 7:02 of the third.<\/p>\n
Seattle cut the lead to one goal at 16:38 of the third. Sean Richards beat Tendeck with a slap shot from the left circle off assists from Kubicek and Tyszka.<\/p>\n
The T-Birds pulled Ross with 1:24 left for an extra attacker. Seattle pressured the Giants in the offensive zone, but Brayden Watts was able to hit the empty net with 22 seconds left in the game.<\/p>\n