Thunderbirds lose 2nd in row
The Seattle Thunderbirds didn’t handle adversity well and lost for the second consecutive night.
The Brandon Wheat Kings scored three goals in a little more than three minutes in the third period to skate away with a 5-2 win at KeyArena.
Seattle (6-3-2-1) was outshot 16-6 in the final frame against Brandon (9-6-0-1).
“It was more mental than anything else,” Seattle captain Thomas Hickey said. “Three games in three nights isn’t an excuse. We sort of got deflated, and that can’t happen.”
The tide turned at 2:01 of the third period when Daniel Bartek scored a power-play goal to give the Wheat Kings a 3-2 lead. Things continued to spiral downward when Jay Fehr and Brayden Schenn scored 15 seconds apart.
“We were fragile and started second-guessing ourselves,” Seattle coach Rob Sumner said. “Things didn’t go our way, and we fell way off with our confidence and our focus.”
The T-birds needed a big first period from goaltender Riku Helenius to trail only 1-0 after Brandon outshot Seattle 16-7.
“He stopped 15 shots and at least four I thought were sure goals,” Hickey said. “If you don’t reward your goalie for a period like that, then something’s wrong. It’s not like he can stand on his head for 60 minutes. We can’t allow them to have that many whacks in the crease.”
The T-birds twice had to come from behind to knot the game at 2 entering the third period. Ian McKenzie pulled the T-birds even at 1-1 with a power-play goal and then Sena Acolatse scored the first goal of his WHL career to even it at 2.
That set the stage for a third period in which Seattle gave up three quick goals and was never able to respond.
Andrew Clark gave Brandon its first lead. After McKenzie tied it, Matt Calvert put the Wheat Kings back ahead before Acolatse tied it.
The T-birds play Friday in Spokane. The Wheat Kings ended a U.S. Division trip with a 2-3 record, losing to Everett, Tri-City and Spokane and beating Seattle and Portland.