T-Birds even WHL Championship series with 4-2 win over Ice
WINNIPEG, CANADA - JANUARY 11: Reid Schaefer #24 of the Seattle Thunderbirds skates by the bench to celebrate a third period goal against the Winnipeg ICE at Wayne Fleming Arena on January 11, 2023 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Photo by Jonathan Ko
Brad Lambert and Reid Schaefer scored goals eight seconds apart in the third period as the Seattle Thunderbirds earned a 4-2 victory over the Winnipeg Ice in Game 2 of the WHL Championship series.
Lambert – a first-round pick of the NHL's Winnipeg Jets – scored two goals in the game for Seattle, Jeremy Hanzel scored a goal as well, and Dylan Guenther had three assists on the night for the Thunderbirds. The series shifts to accesso ShoWare Center in Kent for the next three games of the best-of-seven series.
Lambert played 14 games this season for the Manitoba Moose – the AHL affiliate of the Jets – before being assigned to the Thunderbirds. The Moose play their home games at Canada Life Centre, which is the same arena the Ice and Thunderbirds played in for Games 1 and 2 of the series.
"It’s special to be playing for the WHL Championship," Lambert said. "It’s unbelievable and not many guys get the chance, so I’m just trying to make the most of it. For it to be in Winnipeg, it adds a little more to it."
Zach Benson scored both goals on the night for the Ice. His goal just over four minutes into the contest give Winnipeg the early lead for the second straight game. Benson snapped a wrist shot through traffic past the glove of Seattle goalie Thomas Milic for a 1-0 lead.
Hanzel got Seattle on the board just 1:24 into the second period. A blast from the right circle found its way by Winnipeg goaltender Daniel Hausen to knot the score up at 1-1.
The game would remain deadlocked until the third period. The Ice wanted a penalty call against Jared Davidson as he spun Owen Pederson to the ice for a Winnipeg turnover. Seattle used the non-call to spark a rush that led to Lambert sniping a shot off cleanly past Hausen into the net for a 2-1 Thunderbirds lead.
The ensuing face-off went deep into the Winnipeg zone. Graham Sward's attempt to move the puck behind the net went awry as it caromed off the back of the net to Guenther. Schaefer drove to the front of the net and buried a pass from Guenther by Hauser for a quick 3-1 Seattle advantage.
Benson's second goal of the night came just over three minutes later. He managed to find a pinballing puck in front of the net and got the puck over Milic's glove off a touch pass from Connor McClennon as the Thunderbirds lead was cut to 3-2.
Lambert then put the game away with a breakaway goal with 2:46 left to play. A lofted puck at center ice got past Vladislav Shilo as Lambert raced in on Hauser. Lambert beat Hauser's just over his glove for a 4-2 lead that that Seattle would carry to victory.
"Much better game for us. I thought we played more to our identity and executed the game plan the way we needed to," head coach Matt O'Dette said. "Night and day compared to last night. There were some spurts that could have been better, but overall much happier with the effort in the game tonight."
Milic made 29 saves on 31 shots on the night for the Thunderbirds.
"Thomas has been a big reason why we're here. He was excellent tonight," O'Dette said.
The winner of the series will advance to represent the WHL in the Memorial Cup.