Conner Roulette had two goals in regulation and scored the game winner in a shootout to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 4-3 Western Hockey League win over the Portland Winterhawks at the Moda Center on Sunday night.
Seattle goalie Roddy Ross denied Portland shooters Reece Newkirk, Seth Jarvis and Jaydon Dureau in the shootout.
Roulette was the third T-Birds shooter following Payton Mount and Andrej Kukuca, who were both stopped by Portland goalie Isaiah DiLaura. Roulette skated wide left then coming back right stopped in the crease, went backhand then forehand and beat the goalie over the blocker to win the game.
Not only did Roulette score the shootout winning goal, he also tied the game 3-3 with 45 seconds left in the game and Ross on the bench for an extra attacker. Kukuca went hard to the net with the puck and caused a scramble in front of DiLaura. Matthew Rempe got a stick on the puck before Roulette, to the right of the crease, got the puck into the net through a maze of bodies.
Seattle took a 1-0 lead on a Roulette’s breakaway goal at 6:34 of the first period. Ryan Gottfried passed the puck from the right wing boards in the defensive zone up the ice to a breaking Roulette, who stickhandled in on DiLaura and snapped a quick shot over the goalie’s blocker.
Portland tied the game 1-1 at 3:27 of the second period on a goal from James Stefan.
The Winterhawks went in front 2-1 on Seth Jarvis’ power-play goal at 7:18 of the second.
Rempe tied the game 2-2 at 8:43 of the second. Kukuca took a shot from the right circle with Rempe charging the net. Kukuca’s shot rebounded off DiLaura right to Rempe, who brough the puck to his backhand and lifted it past the goalie. Rempe has a four-game point streak with two goals and four assists.
Portland took a 3-2 lead at 3:41 of the third period on a goal from Jake Gricius.
Notes
The T-Birds travel to Kennewick on Tuesday for 7:05 p.m. game against the Tri-City Americans. They will take a nine-day break for the holidays and return to action on Friday, Dec. 27, against the Spokane Chiefs at 7:35 p.m. at the ShoWare Center.
Single-game tickets are on sale online and at the ShoWare box office.
The T-Birds’ holiday premium voucher package is available – 12 flexible vouchers valid for any home game from Jan. 11 to March 21, for $23 a voucher. There are no service charges or other fees to purchase the package. Fans can contact the T-Birds at 253-239-PUCK (7825) or go online to purchase a voucher package.
SCORING SUMMARY
First period – 1, Seattle, Roulette 7 (Gottfried), 6:34. Penalties – Hanus, Por (interference), 4:06. Mannek, Por (slashing), 12:31. Kukuca, Por (roughing), 13:34. Gricius, Por (tripping), 16:16. Bruggen-Cate, Sea (cross checking), 19:21.
Second period – 2, Portland, Stefan 3 (Kozak, Hanas), 3:27. 3, Portland, Jarvis 14 (Gricius, Dureau), 7:18. 4, Seattle, Rempe 5 (Kukuca), 8:43. Penalties – Ashton, Sea (slashing), 7:05. Gottfried, Sea (delay of game), 10:16.
Third period – 5, Portland, Gricius 12 (Fromm-Delorme, Newkirk), 3:41. 6, Seattle, Roulette 8 (Rempe, Kukuca), 19:15. Penalties – Hanas, Por (boarding), 5:20. Ludvig, Por (interference), 7:30. Cicek, Por (high-sticking), 8:31. Dureau, Por (tripping), 17:14.
Overtime – No scoring. Penalties – No penalties.
Shootout – Seattle 1 (Mount NG, Kukuca NG, Roulette G). Portland 0 (Newirk NG Jarvis NG, Dureau NG).
Shots on goal – Seattle 10-13-11-1-1 36, Portland 8-11-11-2-0 33. Goalies – Seattle, Ross 33 shots-30 saves (9-12-2-1); Portland, DiLaura 36-33 (1-2-0-2). Power plays – Seattle 0-7; Portland 1-4. Referees – Adam Griffiths, Sean Raphael. Linesmen – Mark Heier, Spencer Lockert.
