Tbirds down Winterhawks 5-3

Seattle gets their 3rd straight win this afternoon in a special "nooner" game today at the Rose Garden.

Here are a few things I think can be pointed out from today's game.

- Probably not the best effort of the year from the Tbirds, but the Winterhawks are showing that, despite their 7 game losing streak, they are playing a much more competitive brand of hockey and a win in Portland is not the given it might have been the last two years.

- Calvin Pickard is really good already as a 16 year old. Pickard with another 28 saves today and gave the Tbirds a chance to win when they were down 1-0 and tied 2-2.

- Tbirds can really show their depth at times. 5 players scored the 5 goals today for the Tbirds with goals coming from Schappert (his first), LeBlanc, Silvester, Richard and Scott. When Seattle plays with that kind of balance (and gets 5 goals per game) they are going to be pretty tough to beat. Seattle is averaging about 3.85 goals per game in their last 7 which is an increase from their season average of about 3.14.

- The youngsters are giving Seattle a big boost. Chance Lund with 2 assists today, Silvester with another goal (his 4th), Lockhard an assist and Charles Wells grabbing 2 helpers and the first star of the game (in the building). Needless to say if the 3rd and 4th line young kids are going to give the Tbirds a boost when their top lines aren't getting a point or two a piece... maybe this team CAN get to 85 points or more by the end of the season, who knows.