Thunderbirds ward off late Americans comeback attempt in 4-2 victory
By Charles Hamaker
Kent, WA – Returning to their home barn after a thrilling shutout victory in Portland, the Seattle Thunderbirds gave their home fans the sweet treat of victory as they defeated the visiting Tri-City Americans. Seattle was able to get out to a hot start, something they haven’t been known for this year, but had to buckle down late as Tri-City scored twice in the third period. An empty netter by team captain Lucas Ciona sealed things for the Thunderbirds, giving them their 39th win on the season and helping them keep their top spot in the WHL’s Western Conference.
Seattle goaltender Scott Ratzlaff was solid through two periods of play (Photo by Liz Wolter)
Lambert gets some good looks
Winnipeg Jets prospect Brad Lambert, after dealing with some travel issues at the beginning of his tenure with the Thunderbirds earlier this year, has been a stud for Seattle. Tallying 14 points now in just nine games played with the team, Lambert has played at a 1.38 point per game clip. A consistent force on offense, the forward blocked a shot by Tri-City in the neutral zone, and took it all the way for a breakaway power play goal to give the Thunderbirds a lead a little under six minutes into the game. Lambert went on to assist on Seattle’s next two goals, having a hand in every Thunderbirds score except for Lucas Ciona’s empty netter. I asked Lambert postgame who it’s been settling in since the frustrating travel issue, as well as playing with so many NHL talent level players.
“Definitely getting in with the group of guys, starting to feel really comfortable. Got a place here, which is good, to be settled in a place is nice, my dads here with me. ”
“Collectively the whole team, Kevin and Koper (As Kevin Korchinski and Luke Prokop walked by), but nah collectively the whole team has made it easy. Everyone has been great, it’s been fun. ”
“There’s a ton of talent, it’s a really skilled team. If we can stick together and play our game, I think we can go a long way. We’ve got a lot of talent and skill, we just got to stick together. ”
Thunderbirds forward Brad Lambert tallied three points on the night (Photo by Liz Wolter)
Captain Ciona comes up in clutch moments
Seattle captain Lucas Ciona, in addition to his leadership capability and being second on the team in total points, seems to be able to come up big for his team when it matters. The Calgary Flames prospect has been able to pull out late scores to pull the Thunderbirds from the jaws of defeat before, perhaps look back to Seattle’s win over Spokane in this seasons “Battle of the Sound” for his game winning power play goal. Tonight, was no different for Ciona, scoring the game winning and insurance goals for Seattle. The captain seems to earn that label every game that he steps out onto the ice, and that leadership and all-around ability is a key part of this teams' sustained success and chemistry heading into the playoffs.
Thunderbirds captain Lucas Ciona tallied two goals on the night (Photo by Liz Wolter)
Guenther continues to produce as a Thunderbird
Arizona Coyotes prospect Dylan Guenther, the tenth NHL prospect on this incredibly stacked Seattle Thunderbirds roster, continues to get acclimated with his new team. While he’s only played three games in Seattle colors, he’s tallied four points and seems to be fitting in just fine on a team that seems destined for a championship run. Guenther assisted on Mekai Sanders’ goal with ten ticks left in the second period, while also having numerous dangerous shot attempts that just barely missed the mark. Guenther discussed how he’s been getting settled with the team, as well as his on-ice production.
“This is a good, skilled team. Lots of skilled players, I think it’s tough, they’ve had a lot of acquisitions that help the team but we’ve got to continue to gel together. Continue to play together, and win games the right way as a team. We’re gonna do that, it’s still early and we’ve still got time, but it’s been fun. The area is good... it’s not really what I expected, I’ve been living with a family. Playing in Edmonton, I played at home, so here I get a different experience. Tracy and Kenny have been awesome, it’s been a lot of fun so far. ”
“I think that’s where you find success, just playing your game. I should be burying a little bit more, I had a lot of chances out there, but it’ll come. Just continue to play the right way, and you’ll get rewarded.”
“They’ve all been good, I know a lot of these guys, there’s a lot of guys from Edmonton and the area that are on the team. Lucas Ciona is a guy I grew up playing with, Prokop I played with last year and grew up playing with him. I think that when you have the familiarity with some of the older guys on the team, it allows the transition to be easier and you can gel with the team. I’m just trying to bring my leadership, bring my game, and help the team win. ”
Dylan Guenther continues to get acclimated with this Thunderbirds team (Photo by Liz Wolter)
Quick notes
This was only the second meeting between these two teams all season long, Seattle is now 1-1 against Tri-City in 2022-23.
The Thunderbirds did not lose in 13 contests to Tri-City last year.
In the last 11 meetings between the teams at the Showare Center, the Thunderbirds have only lost once to the Americans.
The Thunderbirds help the Americans 2nd in the WHL ranked power play to a 1-4 night
Seattle out shot Tri-City, 43-26, even though the Americans won the shot battle in the third period.
Thunderbirds goaltender recorded his 17th win of the season, and is currently sitting at a save percentage of .904%
With his three-point night, Brad Lambert has 14 points in his 9 games played as a Thunderbird
What’s next?
The Thunderbirds will take a few days off from games before a rematch with this Tri-City Americans team, but on the road in Kennewick, Washington. Puck drop at the Toyota Center on Friday; February 17th is at 7:05PM PST as the top of the Western Conference Thunderbirds look to make it back-to-back wins against the fifth place Americans. Seattle will be looking for the 40th win of the year, and it would make them the second team in the entire WHL to reach that mark, just behind the Winnipeg Ice.