Kent - The Portland Winterhawks defeated the Seattle Thunderbirds 5-3 Saturday night at the Rose Garden in Portland.
This was the second game of a home-and-home series between the two teams. The Winterhawks won 6-4 at ShoWare Center on Friday night.
Portland (18-12-0-0) took a 1-0 lead at 2:52 of the first period on a goal by Spencer Bennett. Seth Swenson had the only assist on the goal.
Seattle (10-16-1-3) quickly tied the game 1-1 only nine second later when Lindsay Nielsen scored an unassisted goal. Portland won the face off after their first goal back to the left defensemen. The defenseman tried to cross the puck top the right defenseman but Nielsen intercepted the pass. Nielsen came down on Portland goalie Ian Curtis all alone. Nielsen went right and beat Curtis with a backhand flip over the glove.
The Winterhawks went ahead 2-1 at 4:20 of the first on a goal by Brad Ross. Ryan Johansen and Ty Rattie had the assists.
Portland outshot Seattle 17-6 in the first period.
Nino Neiderreiter scored a power-play goal with seven seconds left in the second period to give the Winterhawks a 3-1 lead. Tyler Aronson and Troy Rutkowski had the assists.
The Winterhawks outshot the T-Birds 15-10 in the second period and led 32-16 in total shots after two periods.
Prab Rai cut the Portland lead to one goal 39 seconds into the third period with an unassisted goal. Rai got a loose puck at center ice and came down on Curtis on a breakaway. Rai beat Curtis with a quick move right and then backhanded the puck over the goalie's glove for his team leading 16th goal of the year. Rai has a four-game goal streak.
Portland went back in front by two goals when Stefan Schneider scored at 8:47 of the third. Taylor Jordan had the only assist on the goal.
Seattle cut the lead back to one goal when Charles Wells scored at 10:11 of the third. Brenden Dillon brought the puck up ice and then passed the puck to Nielsen on his left. Nielsen carried the puck into the left circle and then put a slap shot on goal. Wells was charging the net and the puck rebounded off Curtis right to his stick. Wells snapped the puck past a sprawling Curtis for his eighth goal of the year.
Bennett scored an empty-net goal at 19:02 of the third to seal the win for the Winterhawks. The goal was unassisted.
Portland outshot Seattle 14-11 in the third period and 46-27 in the game.
Seattle goalie Calvin Pickard made 41 saves 45 shots and his record falls to 8-12-1-3.
Curtis stopped 24 of 27 shots and his record is now 9- 4-0-0.
The T-Birds next play on Friday, December 4, against the Spokane Chiefs at 7 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Arena in Spokane. They are home to take on the Everett Silvertips at 7:05 p.m. at ShoWare Center on Saturday, December 5.
T-Birds single game tickets for the 2009-10 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 Group tickets are currently on sale. Group tickets can be purchased by calling the T-Birds office at 253-239-7825.
SCORING SUMMARY
First period - 1, Portland, Bennett 12 (Swenson), 2:52. 2, Seattle, Nielsen 5, 3:01. 3, Portland, Ross 13 (Johansen, Rattie), 4:20. Penalties - Walker, Por (roughing), 9:25. Haber, Sea (roughing), 9:25. Jacobs, Por (high- sticking), 12:27. Rutkowski, Por (cross checking), 16:14.
Second period - 4, Portland, Niederreiter 16 (Aronson, Rutkowski), 19:53 (pp). Penalties - Fleming, Sea (holding), :45. Nielsen, Sea (cross checking), 7:03. Boychuk, Por (holding), 9:22. Walker, Por (roughing), 13:32. Jacobs, Sea (charging), 19:47.
Third period - 5, Seattle, Rai 16, :39. 6, Portland, Schneider 6 (Jordan), 8:47. 7, Seattle, Wells 8 (Nielsen, Dillon), 10:11. 8, Portland, Bennett 12, 19:12 (en). Penalties - Nielsen, Sea (holding), 2:40. Morrow, Por (high-sticking), 5:17.
Shots on goal - Seattle 6-10-11 27. Portland 17-15-14 46. Goalies - Seattle, Pickard 45 shots-41 saves (8-12-1-3); Portland, Curtis 27-24 (9-4- 0-0). Power plays - Seattle 0-4; Portland 1-5. A - 10,197. Referee - Derek Herman, Brett Montsion. Linesmen - Chris Dehaan, Brian Fortin.

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