T-Birds vs. Silvertips - Photos

T-Birds vs. Silvertips
Sunday, March 15, 2009
ShoWare Center, Kent
Score: T-Birds 10, Silvertips 0
Photos: Su Ring

Kyle Jahraus/Seattle

Kent Simpson/Everett

L-R: Kyle Jahraus (3rd Star), Jeremy Boyer (1st star), Devon LeBlanc (2nd star)

Humanitarian Award: Lindsay Nielsen

Scholastic Player: Erik Fleming

Most Dedicated Player: Thomas Hickey, Lindsay Nielsen

Most Improved Player: Jeremy Schappert

Defenseman of the Year: Thomas Hickey

Top Scorer: Greg Scott

T-Birds hand 'Tips their worst loss in history, 10-0

I read two very different headlines today describing the same story. The title of The Seattle Times' Jim Riley's story read: "T-Birds set record in 10-0 win over 'Tips." Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald titled his story: "'Tips save worst for last in 10-0 loss to Seattle."



No matter which way you look at it, one thing jumps out at you: the score.



The T-Birds returned to ShoWare center looking for redemption. The last time they hit the ice in Kent, the Portland Winter Hawks spanked them, 9-1. They went down to Portland Saturday for a little payback and came away with a 4-3 overtime win. Now, they were ready to leave their mark on the place they've called "home" since January and end the regular season on a high note.



The Silvertips came into Kent looking to turn things around, following a 3-2 loss to the Chilliwack Bruins Saturday night at Comcast Arena. Recent history was on their side. The last time the Silvertips faced the T-Birds at ShoWare, Everett came away with a 2-1 shootout win. Forward Shane Harper notched the winning goal.



So, the showdown was set and the crowd was ready. A small but extremely vocal contingent of Everett fans made its presence known as the puck dropped and the action began. From the beginning, Seattle controlled the puck and the play, firing a number of shots at the Silvertips net. Goalie Kent Simpson seemed up to the task, though, deflecting shots away and even catching a speeding puck in one gloved hand. Everett didn't manage its first shot on Seattle's goal until 7:16 into the period. The T-Birds called up Kyle Jahraus to man the net and give 16-year-old rookie starter Calvin Pickard, who has played 16 games in a row, a much-needed night off.



Seattle scored its first goal at the 8:14 mark. Defenseman Stefan Warg notched the first goal of his WHL career, assisted by Chris Cloud and Devon LeBlanc. Play picked up considerably after that, with players hitting hard and getting in each others' faces. Silvertips D-man Taylor Ellington went to the penalty box for interference, then teammate Daniel Bartek was called 3 and a half minutes later for cross checking.



The T-Birds scored twice near the end of the first period. Luke Lockhart found the net at 18:01, with help from Charles Wells. A minute later, Devon LeBlanc took a puck up the ice and slapped it past Simpson for an unassisted goal.



The first period ended with the T-Birds on top, 3-0. Shots on goal: Everett: 5, Seattle: 16.

The second period had barely gotten under way when T-Bird Jeremy Boyer scored the first of what would be a hat trick for the talented Center. He deflected a great slap shot by Jeremy Schappert. A minute later, RW David Richard slipped one past Kent Simpson, putting Seattle up 5-0. Devon LeBlanc was credited with the assist on this one.



Immediately following the goal, a fight broke out next to Everett's net. Strike that. Several fights broke out, involving at least 6 players. When the dust cleared, Seattle's Eric Fleming and Everett's Campbell Elyniuk were in the box, serving 5 minute majors for fighting. Silvertips D-man Taylor Ellington was also called for a 4 minute double minor penalty for roughing. T-Birds LW Chance Lund was given a game misconduct for being the third man to jump into a fight.



Things settled down a little after this, although players on both teams levied hard hits on each other. One play snapped T-Bird Devon LeBlanc's stick in half. He left it on the ice and raced to the bench to grab another. Just shy of the 10 minute mark, Seattle found the net yet again. Greg Scott skated around the back of Everett's net and fed the puck to Jeremy Boyer, who slipped it past Kent Simpson's right skate.



Seattle was now up 6-0, and the Silvertips were becoming increasingly frustrated. Plays at either net ended in pushing and shoving, but referees broke up the scrum before it could deteriorate into a fight. Silvertips Center Jesse Burt was called for elbowing. Seattle D-Man Sena Acolatse went to the box for cross checking. The T-Birds made another run for Everett's goal with a minute left in the period, but Kent Simpson held them off. The second period ended with Seattle widening their lead on Everett, 6-0. Shots on goal: Everett-7, Seattle 11.



The third period started with pushing and shoving from both teams, and a pair of penalties 1:29 to both teams' big men. Everett's Cameron Abney and Seattle's Stefan Warg were hit with 2:00 each for roughing. The T-Birds pulled goalie Jahraus to give the team a man advantage. Just as the penalties ran out, Seattle struck again. Brad Haber scored, with help from Jeremy Boyer and Jonathan Parker. Tom Helm had just begun announcing the goal to a cheering ShoWare crowd, when Jeremy Schappert found the net. David Richard got the assist on this one.



The score was now 8-0 in the T-Birds' favor and tempers were really heating up. Silvertip Paul van de Velde went to the box for high sticking. Several minutes later, Jeremy Boyer was called for goaltender interference. Around this time, the Silvertips made a great run for the Seattle net, but Kyle Jahraus made some spectacular saves, including one where he knocked a puck away as he lay sprawled on his stomach in front of the net.



At 11:47, Jeremy Boyer took a pass from Devon LeBlanc and went on a breakaway, demonstrating a beautiful bit of skating. He slid the puck a stunned Simpson. Hats rained down onto the ice to celebrate Boyer's hat trick. Play was stopped so the refs could gather up the hats and get them off the ice. As soon as the whistle blew, though, Chris Cloud scored, with help from David Richard and longtime linemate Devon LeBlanc.



Much pushing and shoving ensued just after this goal and then an ugly fight broke out between Chris Cloud and Everett's Kellan Tochkin. Tochkin went to the box on a roughing minor. Cloud was called for roughing and 4 minutes for butt-ending. I had never heard this penalty and asked Everett Herald reporter Nick Patterson what it was. He explained that butt-ending is taking the handle end of the stick and ramming into another player's body. The referees ejected Cloud from the game. Captain Thomas Hickey served the penalty time for him.



The Silvertips tried valiantly to get a goal on the scoreboard, but the T-Birds defense and goalie Kyle Jahraus turned away shot after shot. The game ended with Seattle clearing the puck out of its own zone and Everett sitting on the worst loss in franchise history. Final Score: Seattle 10, Everett 0. Shots on goal: Everett: 15, Seattle: 17.



The three stars of the game: 1. Jeremy Boyer (3 goals, 1 assist), 2. Devon LeBlanc (1 goal, 4 assists) 3. Kyle Jahraus (27 saves, shutout).



The Silvertips now return home to Everett to prepare for first round playoff action against a strong Tri City Americans team. The first two games will be played March 20 and 21 in Tri City. The third and fourth games will be played March 25 and 27 at Comcast Arena in Everett. For more information on the games, including tickets, click here.



The T-Birds are still waiting to learn who they'll face in first round action. They hope to find out later this week, whether they'll go up against the Spokane Chiefs or Kelowna Rockets, both very strong teams. The first two games will take place in either Spokane or Kelowna. The teams will come to ShoWare Center for games 3 and 4. For more information on the T-Birds playoff schedule, including tickets, click here.

T-Birds Shut Out Tri City, 6-0

The stage was set last night at ShoWare Center and there were two ways the Seattle Thunderbirds could play their role.  They could come out and hand the Tri City Americans their 8^th win of the season against Seattle, following a 4-2 loss Friday night against the Americans.  Or they could come out and show everyone what makes the T-Birds such a darn good team.   By all accounts, Friday night’s meeting between the two was ugly, to say the least, disintegrating into three simultaneous fights involving 6 players in the third period.

Fast forward 24 hours.  The two teams faced off again at ShoWare Center; the Americans without head coach Don Nachbaur, who was serving a one-game suspension levied by the WHL because Friday’s fight was his team’s fourth “multiple fight” of the season. (“Multiple fight” = more than one fight taking place on the ice at the same time). During the third period Friday night, three sets of players dropped the gloves: Seattle’s Chris Cloud and Tri City’s Mitch McColm; Seattle’s Devon LeBlanc and Tri City’s Lane Werbowski; Seattle’s Luke Lockhart and Tri City’s Brooks Macek.  All six received major fighting penalties.  Lockhart and Macek also received game misconducts.  If you’re keeping count, Friday’s fight was Seattle’s second “multiple fight” of the season.  For that, the WHL fined the team $250 (Tri City was fined $750).

The T-Birds had a lot to prove last night and they would have to do it without star forward Prab Rai, who missed the game with a leg injury.  Also out of the T-Birds’ lineup: Mitch Berg (D), Steve Chaffin (D) and Lindsay Nielsen (C).  Tri City was without starting goalie Chet Pickard (older brother of T-Birds goalie Calvin Pickard).  Chet was injured last weekend as the result of a nasty hit by Spokane Chiefs forward Ryan Letts.  That hit sparked a massive brawl.  It also resulted in a 10 game suspension for Letts.

                                   T-Birds v. Tri City

So, the stage was set.  ShoWare was packed (attendance last night: 5596).  Fans were yelling their support even before the opening faceoff, and the soundtrack matched the mood.  The opening strains of Marilyn Manson’s “The Beautiful People” pounded the arena as the teams lined up.  The puck dropped and things got physical.  The first period was peppered with lots of hard hits by both teams.  T-Bird Jonathan Parker took a hit that sent him face-first into the ice.  He skated off with a trainer holding a towel to his mouth.  He returned later, but another hit sent him to the locker room for good. I later learned that the first hit cut his upper lip and that he needed to be stitched up before he could return to the ice. The second hit knocked out a tooth.

With six minutes left in the first period, Tri City was outshooting Seattle 8-1, but that was about to change.  At 16:03, the Americans’ Brendan Shinnimin was called for kneeing.  He had barely gotten to the box when Greg Scott scored for Seattle, assisted by Jeremy Boyer and Jim O’Brien.  Before the announcer finished calling the assists, the T-Birds struck again.  This time, Devon LeBlanc found the net, with help from Sena Acolatse.  All of a sudden, Seattle is up 2-0.  As time runs out in the first, there’s a minor scrap between T-Bird David Richard and Tri City’s Tyler Schmidt, but the refs step in and the clock runs out.  Score:  Seattle 2, Tri City 0.

                                   Seattle scores

The second period was barely under way when a Tri City player went to the penalty box for a double minor.  Johnny Lazo spent four minutes for high sticking, and the T-Birds got to work. I wish I could describe the amazing power play set up by the players.  You’ll just have to watch the game “On Demand”, if you have Comcast, to see what I’m talking about.  They were patient, they were precise and it paid off.  Sena Acolatse finally scored.  Jim O’Brien and Greg Scott were credited with the assists, although I think every T-Bird on the ice should have shared in this one.  11:35 into the second period, Seattle scored again.  Jeremy Boyer did the honors this time, with help from Greg Scott and Brad Haber.   Again, this was a beautiful goal. Greg Scott took the puck all the way to the Tri City zone with just a wonderful bit of skating.  He shot it at the net, it bounced away, but Jeremy Boyer was right there to tap it in.

                                   Thomas Hickey/T-Birds Defenseman

The T-Birds were now up 4-0 and you could see them playing more confidently.  They killed off two successive penalties very decisively and Calvin Pickard stopped every shot aimed at him, again showing off his cat-like reflexes by snatching a few pucks in mid flight.  As the second period wound down, Jim O’Brien nearly stole the puck twice to set up more scoring chances, but couldn’t control it long enough.  It didn’t matter.  The second period ended with the score: Seattle 4, Tri City 0.

The third period saw yet more amazing playing by the home team.  Seattle scored just 15 seconds into the period, on a beautiful shot by Chris Cloud.  Captain Thomas Hickey and Devon LeBlanc were credited with the assists.  The crowd went wild because they knew what this meant.  The T-Birds had scored five goals.  Everyone at ShoWare Center would leave with a coupon for a free Dairy Queen burger.  They were cheering again a minute and a half later, as Center Brenden Silvester found the net for an unassisted goal.

With the T-Birds now up 6-0, the focus turned to helping goaltender Calvin Pickard get his third shutout of the season.  Everyone stepped up and tempers started flaring again as well.  A Tri City player knocked Thomas Hickey from behind, sending him face first to the ice.  Luckily, he landed on his knees, but you could tell the wind had been knocked out of him.  He skated slowly to the bench, but was back out again a couple of minutes later.  Halfway through the third period, Tri City D-man Spencer Humphries was hit with a double minor penalty- 2 minutes for holding and 2 minutes for boarding (hitting a player from behind into the boards).  The ref had barely closed the penalty box door on him when teammate Brett Plouffe was called for holding.  This put Seattle two men up for a 5 on 3 power play.  They made lots of great shots, but did not score. 

                                   Face off in Seattle's end

The Americans kept pushing into Seattle’s end, trying to put a goal on the board, but time and time again, the T-Birds denied them.  Calvin Pickard made another great catch with 50 seconds left in the period, and no one could blame him for jumping up and down in jubilation when the clock ran out. His teammates rushed to congratulate him on his third shutout of the season, and his WHL career.  Sometimes, when I watch Pickard play in the net, I forget that he is just 16 years old and in his rookie season.  This kid is only going to get better.

                                   T-Birds celebrate Pickard's 3rd shutout

The three stars of the game:   3. Jim O’Brien (2 assists), 2.  Calvin Pickard (stopped 24 shots), 1. Sena Acolatse (1 goal, 1 assist and a heck of a game)

                                   3 Stars of the Game: O'Brien (#19), Pickard (#1), Acolatse (#17)

After the game, the T-Birds showered and spent extra time signing autographs for their youngest fans.  I watched these young men, who I know must be exhausted and wanting nothing more than to have a good meal and relax, patiently make their way down a very long line, signing shirts, programs, and posters.  Posing for pictures and answering questions.  Getting down on their knees to talk to the smallest fans. For a moment, I forget that the oldest player on this team is just 20, the youngest, 16.  It’s easy to see that these guys really appreciate their fans.  Even Prab Rai, on crutches, made his way slowly down the line.  And the fans returned that love, waiting patiently for the players to reach them.

                                   Kids Club Autograph session; Prab Rai (on crutches), Jim O'Brien (kneeling)

                                    Kids Club autograph session: Jim O'Brien

                                  Kids club autograph session:  Devon LeBlanc

                                   Kids Club autograph session: Thomas Hickey

                                     Kids Club autograph session: Sena Acolatse

The T-Birds are now off until Wednesday, March 11, when they welcome the Prince George Cougars to ShoWare Center. The puck drops at 7:05 and tickets are still available.  Click here for more information.