Seattle Thunderbirds shoot down Rockets in shootout | Hockey

Pickard makes 31 saves in 2-1 shootout T-Birds win over Kelowna.

January 28, 2012 4:13 pm

Colin Jacobs scored the lone shootout goal and Calvin Pickard made 31 saves Friday night at Prospera Place to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 2-1 shootout win over the Kelowna Rockets

The T-Birds and Rockets were tied 1-1 after 65 minutes of action sending the game to the shootout. Kelowna, as the home team, chose to shoot first in the shootout.

Zach Franko was the Rockets first shooter and he tried to beat Pickard with a wrist shot but the Seattle goalie denied him with a stick save. Jacobs was the T-Birds first shooter and he skated towards Kelowna goalie Adam Brown slowly while stick-handling. Jacobs got in close and beat Brown through the legs for the goal.

Myles Bell was the second Kelowna skater and Pickard stopped him at the right post with a blocker save. Luke Lockhart was Seattle’s second shooter and he skated down on Brown left to right and was stopped at the right post by the Kelowna goalie.

Pickard needed to stop Kelowna’s last shooter, Shane McColgan to secure the win for the T-Birds. McColgan skated towards Pickard right to left and got in close before Pickard used his stick to poke-check the puck away.

Pickard improved his record to 18-21-1-1 by stopping 30 of 31 shots.

This was the first meeting of the year between the T-Birds and Rockets. These two teams will meet again on Sunday at ShoWare Center at 5:05pm.

Kelowna (21-23-2-4) opened up the scoring with an unassisted goal by Colton Heffley at 12:57 of the first period.

The T-Birds outshot the Rocket 12-8 in the first period.

Seattle (18-26-1-1) tied the game 1-1 at 3:45 of the first period on Burke Gallimore’s 18th goal of the year. Colin Jacobs had the puck in the neutral zone on the right side and fed it to Dillon Wagner on the left side. Wagner carried the puck into the left circle and then dropped the puck to Gallimore. Gallimore skated into the high slot and snapped a hard wrist shot over Kelowna goalie Adam Brown’s glove.

Kelowna outshot Seattle 9-8 in the second period but Seattle led 20-17 in total shots after two periods.

Both teams had 11 shots on goal in the third period and the T-Birds led 31-28 in total shots after 60 minutes.

Seattle outshot Kelowna 32-31 in the game.

Brown made 30 saves on 31 shots and his record is now 16-18-0-2.

The T-Birds face the Portland Winterhawks Saturday night at 7:05pm at the ShoWare Center. It is the T-Birds annual Teddy Bear Toss game against the Winterhawks. Fans will throw teddy bears and other stuffed animals onto the ice after the T-Birds first goal. The teddy bears will be collected by the WARM 106.9 FM Teddy Bear Patrol and given to police and fire departments who give them to children in times of emergency.

T-Birds single game tickets for the 2011-12 season 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 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday game days at 10 a.m. and Sunday game days at noon.

T-Birds season tickets are currently on sale. Season tickets can be purchased by calling the T-Birds office at 253-239-7825.

SCORING SUMMARY

First period – 1, Kelowna, Heffley 4, 12:57. Penalties – Jacobs, Sea (charging), 2:41. Sissons, Kel (hooking), 2:44. Lockhart, Sea (hooking), 9:38. Laroque, Sea (hooking), 11:48. Severson, Kel (unsportsmanlike conduct), 11:48. Wagner, Sea (roughing), 16:32. Sissons, Kel (roughing), 16:32.

Second period – 2, Seattle, Gallimore 18 (Wagner, Jacobs), 3:45. Penalties – Deagle, Sea (holding), 5:34. Moar, Kel (slashing), 9:25. Lyon, Kel (slashing), 11:15. Swenson, Sea (goaltender interference), 20:00.

Third period – No scoring. Penalties – Bell, Kel (cross checking), 5:06. Troock, Sea (slashing), 5:06. Lyon, Kel (tripping), 9:04. Bell, Kel (hooking), 12:39.

Overtime – No scoring. Penalties – No penalties.

Shootout – Seattle 1 (Jacobs G, Lockhart NG). Kelowna 0 (Franko NG, Bell NG, McColgan NG).

Shots on goal – Seattle 12-8-11-0-1 32. Kelowna 8-9-11-3-0 31 Goalies – Seattle, Pickard 31 shots-30 saves (18-21-1-1); Kelowna, Brown 31-30 (16-18-0-2). Power plays – Seattle 0-5; Kelowna 0-4. A – 6,087. Referee – Chris Crich, Adam Griffiths. Linesmen -Ward Pateman, Alex Teichroeb.