T-Birds swoop in and stun Royals
Seattle Thunderbirds head coach Matt O’Dette had his share of highs and lows in Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre during seven seasons as a pro defenceman with the Fresno Falcons and Stockton Thunder against the Victoria Salmon Kings in the ECHL.
He will count Tuesday night as one those visits to Blanshard Street that might best be gratefully acknowledged with an eye to the heavens. O’Dette’s Thunderbirds won 5-3 while withstanding a withering Victoria Royals attack that outshot Seattle 44-21, while hitting five posts, in a WHL game before 3,393 fans.
The Thunderbirds received outstanding netminding from Roddy Ross, who had the help of the iron, in a 41-save performance. Royals rookie Brock Gould looked uncertain and fought the puck all night in making only 16 saves. Gould, a surprise starter ahead of veteran Griffen Outhouse, also had some assistance as the Thunderbirds hit posts three times.
Gould was victimized twice on just six shots as Seattle opened a 2-0 first-period lead. But the most costly moment came when Gould flubbed a soft shot by Owen Williams that glanced off his catching glove to give Seattle at 3-1 lead in the second period.
Over-age Victoria forward Kody McDonald made it 3-2 at 9:39 of the third period. Cade McNelly’s first WHL career goal, which the Royals argued was goaltender interference, restored Seattle’s two-goal margin. Blue-liner and third-round Montreal Canadiens draft-pick Scott Walford brought Victoria to 4-3 at 13:37 of the third, but the stubborn Ross would not yield another.
Fourth-season Thunderbirds veteran Matthew Wedmen scored his second goal of the game, his 25th of the season, into an empty net.
Victoria-product and Thunderbirds rookie Payton Mount had two assists and hit the crossbar.
Victoria’s league-worst power play finally scored at 4:34 of the second period through a wellplaced shot by Kaid Oliver for his 20th goal. But the Victoria power play — connecting less than 14 per cent on the season — was overall its usual self in going 1-4.
The Thunderbirds (20-24-6) and Royals (25-21-3) meet again tonight on Blanshard.
ICE CHIPS: The Royals were missing veteran defenceman Ralph Jarratt.