Thunderbirds cash in on Ice gifts in Game 2 of WHL final

Seattle claims 4-2 victory to even series at 1-1

Brad Lambert, centre, reacts to scoring his second goal in Game 2.

WINNIPEG, Man. – The Seattle Thunderbirds are always willing to receive gifts, and the Winnipeg Ice – to their detriment – were in a giving mood.

On Saturday in Game 2 of the WHL Championship Series, the Thunderbirds gained control of the contest cashing in on a pair of Ice giveaways that turned a 1-1 tie in the third quickly into a 3-1 score in favour of Seattle. That swing of events allowed the Thunderbirds to pull out a 4-2 victory to the disappointment of most of the 5,691 spectators at the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg.

“It was a much better game for us,” said Thunderbirds head coach Matt O’Dette, whose squad dropped a 3-2 decision in Game 1 of the series one night earlier. “I thought we played more to our identity and executed the game plan the way we need to.

Brad Lambert scored twice for Seattle on Saturday.

“It was night and day compared to last night. There were some spurts we could have been better, but overall, we were much happier with the effort in the game tonight.”

The win allowed the Thunderbirds to even the best-of-seven series 1-1. The Thunderbirds will host the next three games of the series at the Accesso ShoWare Centre in Kent, Wash.

Games 3 and 4 are slated for Tuesday and Wednesday respectively at 7 p.m. local time. After a day off on Thursday, Game 5 will go Friday for another 7 p.m. local time start.

Ice head coach James Patrick said the loss in Game 2 on Saturday was tough to take due to the fact that errors by his squad led directly to the Thunderbirds being able to pull out victory.

Brad Lambert does the fly by after scoring his first goal in Game 2.

“I thought tonight our puck management hurt us,” said Patrick. “It wasn’t our defending.

“It wasn’t our D-zone coverage. It was strictly our puck management that gave them some opportunities that they capitalized on.”

The Thunderbirds and Ice entered the third period of Saturday’s clash locked in a 1-1 draw. After what seemed like a cautious start to the frame, the complexion of the contest changed quickly.

At the 5:02 mark of the third, the Ice got careless with the puck in their own zone, and it proved costly. First, Ice veteran 19-year-old defenceman Karter Prosofsky made a bad clearing pass out of his own zone and turned the puck over to Thunderbirds star centre Brad Lambert just inside the Winnipeg blue-line.

Zach Benson scored twice for the Ice on Saturday.

Lambert powered toward the Winnipeg net and drove home a shot to the top left corner of the goal to give the Thunderbirds a 2-1 lead. The 19-year-old’s goal marked the first time the Thunderbirds held a lead in any game of the series with the Ice.

Just eight seconds later, the Ice veteran 19-year-old defenceman Graham Sward made a bad pass behind their own net that was gathered up by Thunderbirds star right-winger Dylan Guenther. Guenther set up behind the Winnipeg net and centred a pass out to standout left-winger Reid Schaefer.

Reid Schaefer had a goal and an assist for Seattle in Game 2.

Schaefer wired a shot past Hauser to give the Thunderbirds a 3-1 advantage.

“It is hard times, but you definitely don’t want to hand these guys anything,” said Ice captain Carson Lambos. “We’re going to go over the video and be better next game.”

The Ice tried to battle back. Just over three minutes after the Thunderbirds two quick tallies, there was a scramble in front of the Seattle goal, and the Ice’s top line connected on a tick-tack-toe passing play that resulted in a goal that cut the Thunderbirds lead to 3-2.

Ice star left-winger Connor McClennon and Ice star centre Matthew Savoie combined to set up Ice star right-winger Zach Benson for his second tally of the contest to trim Seattle’s lead to one goal.

Dylan Guenther had two assists for Seattle in Game 2.

Inside of the final three minutes of the third before the Ice could pull their netminder for an extra attacker, Lambert struck again for the Thunderbirds. Guenther made a high looping pass from deep in his zone to centre ice that took a positive bounce for the visitors past Ice import left-winger Vladislav Shilo.

Lambert got past Shilo, corralled the puck and jetted into the Winnipeg zone on a breakaway. Lambert snapped a shot to the top right corner of the Winnipeg net for his second tally of the night that put a capper on the Thunderbirds 4-2 victory. Guenther picked up his second assist of the contest on Lambert’s second goal and finished with a plus-three rating in the plus-minus department.

Daniel Hauser makes one of his 35 saves in goal for the Ice.

The two-goal night was a special one for Lambert, who also picked up an assist on Seattle’s first goal. Born in Lahti, Finland, Lambert has a signed NHL entry-level contract with the Winnipeg Jets after being selected by them in the first round and 30^th overall in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.

Lambert started the 2022-23 campaign in Winnipeg playing for the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. He played for Finland at world juniors and was assigned to the WHL’s Thunderbirds shortly after his return from that tournament. The skilled centre was pleased to return to Winnipeg and have a big night.

“It is obviously special just to be playing for the WHL championship,” said Lambert. “It is unbelievable.

Carson Lambos starts a rush up ice for the Ice.

“Not many guys get the opportunity, so we’re just trying to make the most of it. For it to be in Winnipeg, obviously, it adds a little more to it.”

In the first period of Saturday’s clash, the Ice broke through on the scoreboard at the 4:11 mark when Benson blew home a shot from the top of the left faceoff circle to top right corner of the Seattle goal to give the hosts a 1-0 edge.

At the 5:57 mark of the opening frame, Thunderbirds star left-winger Kyle Crnkovic was given a double minor for high sticking, and that infraction will trigger an automatic review by the WHL office for a possible suspension.

The Ice had pressure and chances on the four minute power play, but they couldn’t get the puck past Thunderbirds star netminder Thomas Milic.

Jeremy Hanzel had Seattle’s first goal on Saturday.

Inside the final seconds of the first, the Ice turned the puck over to Thunderbirds star 20-year-old centre Jared Davidson deep in the Winnipeg zone. Davidson was turned away on a point blank chance by Ice star netminder Daniel Hauser.

Just 1:24 into the second, the Thunderbirds pulled even on the scoreboard at 1-1, when offensive-defenceman Jeremy Hanzel one-timed home a shot from the right point. Hanzel converted a beauty setup pass from Schaefer.

That set the stage for the dramatics in the third.

Milic stopped 29 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Thunderbirds. Hauser turned away 35 shots to take the setback in net for the Ice, who had won their previous eight straight post-season games.

The Thunderbirds celebrate a goal from Jeremy Hanzel (#4).

Benson said Hauser gives his club a chance to win every time he takes up position between the pipes of the Winnipeg net.

“He (Hauser) is unreal,” said Benson. “He has been a rock back there all season for us.

“He is one of the best goalies in the league for a reason. He has been outstanding this series and whole playoffs.”

The WHL final between the Ice and Thunderbirds is expected to be a heavyweight tilt.

Winnipeg topped the WHL regular season standings with a 57-10-1 mark and was rated third in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings. The 57 wins and 115 standings points are new franchise records for the Ice.

Thomas Milic makes one of his 29 saves in goal for Seattle.

The Thunderbirds topped the Western Conference and finished second overall in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 54-11-1-2 record. The U.S. Division champions were rated fourth in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings. Seattle’s 54 wins and standings points total of 111 points are new regular season club records.

Seattle’s roster contains 10 players who have been drafted by NHL teams and seven players who participated in the last world juniors. Winnipeg’s roster contained eight players who have been drafted by NHL teams and one player who participated in the last world juniors.

Each side has played the first two contests of the WHL final with one notable absence due to injury.

The fans at the Canada Life Centre cheer on the Ice.

The Thunderbirds were without standout centre Jordan Gustafson. 

During the Thunderbirds six-game Western Conference Championship Series win over the Kamloops Blazers, it is suspected Gustafson was injured as part of the celebration for Hanzel’s overtime winner in Game 2 of that set claimed by the Thunderbirds 4-3.

The Ice were without 19-year-old defenceman Wyatt Wilson, who was injured in Game 5 of the team’s Eastern Conference semifinal series win over the Moose Jaw Warriors.

Last season, the Thunderbirds made it to the WHL final and fell in six games to the Edmonton Oil Kings. 

Owen Pedersen sets up in the offensive zone for the Ice.

The Ice made it to the Eastern Conference Championship Series and fell in five games to the Oil Kings.

With that noted, the Thunderbirds have the benefit of being in the WHL final a year ago. On top of returning players from that squad, they added Guenther and defenceman Luke Prokop via the trade route from the Oil Kings, and Guenther and Prokop were important in helping Edmonton win the WHL title in 2022.

“We pretty fortunate to have that experience,” said Milic, who backstopped the Thunderbirds to the WHL final for two straight seasons. “At the end of the day, it is still the same game.

Seattle D Nolan Allan, left, battles Winnipeg RW Zach Benson.

“A lot of guys we’re played with and against also have the same experience. I think it definitely helps mostly just knowing how to handle different situations that come up in playoffs. You’re going to be tired.

“You’re body is going to start breaking down. You just know how to manage things like that, and also how to manage highs and lows during games and during series as well. Just having a short memory is really important.”

Now the focus shifts to Game 3 on Tuesday in Kent, Wash., for a 7 p.m. local time start at the Accesso ShoWare Center. Patrick said his Ice squad won’t dwell on the Game 2 loss.

“We knew it was going to be a long series,” said Patrick. “You’re going to have to put in a lot of work.

Kevin Korchinski brings the puck up ice for the Thunderbirds.

“It is not going to be easy. We’ll learn from this. We’ll move on.

“We’ll be ready for Game 3.”

O’Dette said his Thunderbirds are looking forward to playing at home, but they know they have to be at their best to keep pulling out wins.

“We’re just looking towards the next game,” said O’Dette. “We’re going to be excited to be in front of our home fans.

“Having last change, yes, it is nice to have that. They have some dangerous guys, and you want to make sure you have the right guys on the ice. Playoffs at home or on the road, I think it is a little bit less of a factor.

The Thunderbirds enjoy departing Winnipeg with a win.

“We’ll need to be ready bottom line.”

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