Seattle Thunderbirds Zap Tri-City Americans 7-1 - WHL Semi-Finals

MLN - THE RAW FEED - www.mlntherawfeed.com -

Kennewick, April 4, 2008 - Ian McKenzie had a hat trick and Scott Jackson scored two goals Friday night at the Toyota Center to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 7-1 victory over the Tri-City Americans in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal playoff series.

Seattle leads the best-of-seven series 1-0 with Game 2 on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. at the Toyota Center. Games 3 and 4 are at KeyArena on Tuesday, April 8, and Wednesday, April 9. Both games are at 7:05 p.m.

McKenzie's hat trick was the second hat trick of the playoffs for the T-Birds. David Richard had a hat trick against the Kelowna Rockets in Game 3 of their first round series.

McKenzie put the T-Birds up 1-0 at 11:55 of the first period when he scored from the left circle.

Jeremy Boyer and Jan Eberle worked the puck from the right corner to behind the Tri-City net. Boyer got the puck to McKenzie and he beat Americans goalie Chet Pickard with a quick wrist shot. It was McKenzie's fifth goal of the playoffs.

McKenzie scored a power-play goal at 15:14 of the first to give the T-Birds a 2-0 lead.

Jim O'Brien sent the puck from the hash marks on the left side to David Richard at the center point. Richard put a slap shot on goal that deflected off a Tri-City defender to McKenzie in front of the Americans net. McKenzie beat Pickard with a quick shot for his second goal of the game.

Seattle outshot Tri-City 18-9 in the first period.

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Bud Holloway scored an unassisted shorthanded goal at 9:48 of the second period to give the T-Birds a 3-0 lead.

Holloway stole the puck from an Americans defender in the neutral zone on the left side and came in alone on Pickard. Holloway made a move right, brought the puck back left and beat Pickard with a backhand shot high.

TJ Fast scored a power-play goal at 13:26 of the second to get the Americans on the board. Colton Yellow Horn and Jason Reese had the assists.

Seattle got the three-goal lead back at 14:07 of the second.

Tri-City attempted to clear the puck on the left side but Scott Jackson held the puck at the left point. Jackson put a slap shot on goal with traffic in front Pickard and beat the goalie low for his first goal of the playoffs.

The Americans had 12 shots on goal in the second period to seven for the T-Birds. Seattle led 25-21 in total shots after two periods.

Jackson gave the T-Birds a 5-1 lead early in the third period with a hard slap shot from the point.

Benn Olson had the puck at the left point and sent it low to O'Brien. O'Brien skated up the boards with the puck and sent it to Jackson at center ice just inside the Americans blue line. Jackson one-timed O'Brien's pass and beat Pickard on the glove side with the puck glancing off the right post at 1:49 of the period.

Lindsay Nielsen converted on a T-Birds three-on-two break at 2:25 of the third to give Seattle a 6-1 lead.

Greg Scott hustled the puck up, cut to center inside the Americans blue line and then dropped the puck for Holloway. Holloway skated the puck into the right circle and then crossed to Nielsen in the slot. Nielsen beat Pickard high for his third goal of the playoffs.

Tri-City replaced Pickard with Kyle Birch after the sixth Seattle goal. Pickard made 21 saves on 27 shots and was credited with the loss.

McKenzie gave the T-Birds a six-goal lead with his third goal of the game at 13:36 of the third.

Sena Acolatse took a shot from the right point that Birch stopped. Eberle got a stick on the rebound and the puck flipped up and over Birch. McKenzie was stationed at the left post and he knocked the loose puck into the net when it hit the ice.

The T-Birds outshot the Americans 32-30 in the game.

Seattle goalie Riku Helenius made 29 saves on 30 shots and gets his fourth win of the playoffs.

Birch stopped four of five shots he faced in his second playoff appearance.

Second Round Schedule
Game 1 - Seattle 7, at Tri-City 1
Game 2 - Saturday, April 5, at Tri-City at Toyota Center, 7:05 p.m.
Game 3 - Tuesday, April 8, vs. Tri-City at KeyArena, 7:05 p.m.
Game 4 - Wednesday, April 9, vs. Tri-City at KeyArena, 7:05 p.m.
Game 5 - Friday, April 11, at Tri-City at Toyota Center, 7:05 p.m.*
Game 6 - Saturday, April 12, vs. Tri-City at KeyArena, 7:05 p.m.*
Game 7 - Tuesday, April 15, at Tri-City at Toyota Center, 7:05 p.m.*
* if necessary

SCORING SUMMARY

First period - 1, Seattle, McKenzie 5 (Boyer, Eberle), 11:55. 2, Seattle, McKenzie 6 (Richard, O'Brien), 15:14 (pp). Penalties - Fast, Tri (hooking), 8:23. Hoff, Tri (hooking), 9:15. Macaulay, Tri (high-sticking), 14:57. Meidl, Tri (slashing), 17:37.

Second period - 3, Seattle, Holloway 5, 9:48 (sh). 4, Tri-City, Fast 1 (Yellow Horn, Reese), 13:16 (pp). 5, Seattle, Jackson 1, 14:07. Penalties - Hoff, Tri (hooking), :36. Hickey, Sea (tripping), 8:26. Boyer, Sea (hooking), 11:52. Hoff, Tri (tripping), 17:42.

Third period - 6, Seattle, Jackson 2 (O'Brien, Olson), 1:49. 7, Seattle, (Holloway, Scott), 2:45. 8, Seattle, McKenzie 7 (Acolatse, Eberle), 13:36. Penalties - Yellow Horn, Tri (roughing), 13:56. Richard, Sea (roughing), 13:56. Macaulay, Tri (roughing), 18:30. McColm, Tri (high-sticking) 18:46. Yellow Horn, Tri (cross checking), 19:11. Acolatse, Sea (high-sticking), 20:00.

Shots on goal - Seattle 18-7-7 32. Tri-City 9- 12-9 30. Goalies - Seattle, Helenius 30 shots- 29 saves (4-3); Tri-City, Pickard 27-21 (4-1); Birch 5-4. Power plays - Seattle 1-8; Tri-City 1-2. A - 3,916. Referee - Matt Kirk, Derek Zalaski. Linesmen - Brian Fortin, Chris Dehaan.

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