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4.01.2008

Seattle penalty kills their way into the 2nd round...

Tbirds survive and advance tonight... but that makes it sound as if they didn't play well. Seattle looked like the better team tonight in winning 4-2 over a gritty Kelowna team that would not quit and made them work for 59:30 of Game 7.

Seattle was a perfect 8/8 killing penalties in the game including a critical 5-3 in the 2nd period and a 4 minute double minor to Brendon Dillon in a critical portion of the 3rd period. They also got the eventual game winner from Lindsay Nielsen shorthanded in the 2nd period.

I know a lot of Tbirds fans were not very happy with the officiating in this game, but I personally didn't have a problem with many of the calls that were made. I, along with coach Rob Sumner, didn't really see or seem to understand the too many men on the ice call in the 2nd period, but one was promptly called on the Rockets about 3 minutes later.

Seattle got goals from Bud Holloway and Ian McKenzie in the 1st period but again surrendered a goal at the end of a period as Brady Leavold scored with just 5 seconds left cutting the Tbird margin from what would have been 2 to 1.

Riku Helenius was at his best in this game facing 33 shots and making 31 saves including a handful of very good and/or game saving saves.

So Seattle wins the series 4-3 and what a great close and tight series it was. Hats off to all of the Rockets for pushing Seattle about as far as they could go without taking the series.

Seattle now opens up Round 2 of the playoffs in Kennewick on Friday night to take on the Americans, the #1 team in all of the WHL.

Let's Go Birds Three Stars of the Game:

1. Riku Helenius - 31 Saves
2. Bud Holloway - 1 goal and created and assisted the GWG
3. Jamie Benn - Gave his team everything he had with 1 goal and 1 assist

Honorable Mention - Lindsay Nielsen with the SH GWG

In the Arena:

1. Helenius
2. Holloway
3. Nielsen

1 comment :

Mike said...

Well the team showed what they were made of tonight, playing what I believe was their best game of the series. If not for Theissen and Herman giving Kelowna 16 mins of PP we would have scored 6 goals and the game wouldn't have been nearly as close.

From halfway through the second to halfway through the third Kelowna was given seven straight calls. I find this hard to believe especially when two of them were blatant bad calls (too many men) and a hooking call which was an obvious dive. There were also a couple that should have gone the other way and weren't called.

Anyway, I know the head office in Calgary isn't pleased with three U.S. Divison teams advancing but too bad.

Our PK was awesome tonight and was the reason we won the game. We were intense and mentally sharp all game (us fans as well!) and we deserved to move on.


We must take fewer penalties against Tri(two U.S. teams so the calls should be more even)and play with the intensity we saw tonight in each and every game and we can beat them.

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