Another Mile High Signing

The season may have just ended a month ago, but the Seattle Thunderbirds continue to sign prospects in preparation for the 2013-14 season and beyond. The latest addition is Scott Eansor, a 17 year old center/winger from Denver who comes out of the same program (Colorado Thunderbirds) as current T-birds, defenseman Griffin Foulk and goaltender Danny Mumaugh.

Eansor was listed by the Thunderbirds late last spring. While he didn't attend training camp with the club in the fall, he did spend a few days in late March practicing with the team prior to the start of this year's WHL playoffs. Much like Mumaugh and current defenseman Jerett Smith did a year ago, Eansor liked what he saw from those few practices and made the decision to sign with Seattle. Like Eansor, both Mumaugh and Smith were listed players that spent some practice time with the T-birds late in the 2011-12 season and signed with the T-birds shortly there after.

Eansor brings the number of prospects signed by Seattle in the last couple of months to four. The biggest signing, of course, is Mathew Barzal, who inked his agreement earlier this month. Barzal was the first overall draft pick in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft, but the T-birds have also recently inked 2012 fifth round pick Lane Pederson, a forward out of Saskatoon, and 2011 2nd round selection, defenseman Austin Douglas from Winnipeg. Don't forget that shortly after the 2012 draft Seattle signed three other top prospects, winger Keegan Kolesar, defenseman Ethan Bear and goalie Logan Flodell.

Eansor is described by Seattle General Manager Russ Farwell as a tenacious, hard-working player who is strong on the forecheck. He also helps strengthen the 1996 born age group on the T-birds roster. While Seattle is top heavy with '94 and '95 born players (seven each) and has already signed five '97 born players, prior to this recent signing activity, the '96 born age group had only three players in the fold, Mumaugh, winger Michal Holub and defenseman Kevin Wolf. Douglas and Eansor brings the number of 96 born prospects signed to five. Again, the T-birds have other prospects from that age group on their radar but not signed yet, so the Eansor signing is important, especially since Holub was the only '96 born forward already in the fold.

Now the T-birds are presented with one of those "good problems" to have. They have, by my calculation, 16 signed forwards (normally carry 13-14), 10 signed defensemen (normally carry 7-8) and four signed goalies (normally carry two). This doesn't account for any other players who might sign between now and the time camp opens in August or a camp invitee who impresses enough to be considered for a roster spot. While there is always the possibility of an offseason trade to alleviate some of the congestion, the Thunderbirds now have more signed players then they have available roster spots for the 2013-14 season. This should make for one of the most competitive training camps in recent memory.

In memory of Bruce McDonald, 1971-2012

The Future is Now and Then

Early Thursday the Seattle Thunderbirds brain trust joined the brass from the WHL's other 21 teams in Calgary for the annual Bantam Draft. Players selected aren't eligible for full-time play in the league until the 2014-15 season but with each choice made everyone likes to speculate on the future impact these young men will have on their teams.


While the draft was taking place there was still a buzz among T-bird fans over the signing the previous day of their 2012 top draft pick Mathew Barzal. Barzal will be a top six forward in 2013-14. He'll make players around him better. He will have an impact on the team this coming season as a 16 year old but the impact of his signing was apparantly evident in the first round of this year's draft as well, as the T-birds selected Barzal's former Burnaby Winter Club teammate (and apparently very good friend) Dante Fabbro with their first selection, 8th overall.


Depending on what scouting report you read Fabbro was either the best, second best or third best defenseman available in a very deep draft. One report I read put him at the second best talent in the entire draft. While he may not be on the same skill level as Barzal, he may not be that far behind as Seattle GM Russ Farwell called him a game-changer in his own right, someone who can play in all situations. Director of Player Personnel, Colin Alexander, called him a "special player".


Fabbro seems genuinely excited to have been selected by Seattle and reunited with his good friend, Barzal. In this day of social media, Fabbro was quick to tweet out he "couldn't be happier to be selected by the T-birds". At 6'0", 170 lbs Fabbro (who doesn't turn 15 until next month) already has good size and that, along with the description of his game as an offensive-defenseman, conjours up images of a player in the mold of Shea Theodore by the time he hits 17-18 years old, which will be just about the time Theodore's WHL career will be ending.


With the last selection of the first round, pick 22 overall, the T-birds cashed in their last chip from the Marcel Noebels trade and drafted center Kaden Elder. One report listed him as the best prospect from the province of Saskatchewan. Farwell labeled him "..a hard working, high scoring forward with a great shot." Elder averaged nearly two points a game last season with the Notre Dame Hounds. So, in the end the final bounty hauled out of that January 2011 Noebels trade to Portland is Seth Swenson, Keegan Kolesar and Elder.


Seattle's third high pick of the day was their early selection in round two, 27th overall. And with this pick, you might say the circle of life is complete. The T-birds selected Edmonton left winger Nolan Volcan (side note; I can't wait for the first Volcan-ic eruption!). Volcan, who put up more then two points per game in bantam hockey last season (including 40 goals in 32 games), just happens to be the son of Marty Volcan. Who's Marty Volcan you ask? Well, back in the 1984-85 WHL season, the elder Volcan played 28 games for the Seattle Breakers, who a few years later would change their name to the Seattle Thunderbirds. I guess this selection makes the younger Volcan a T-bird legacy. Two points here: 1. when Nolan Volcan scores his first goal for Seattle, he'll double the number of goals his dad scored as a Breaker. In 28 games wth Seattle Marty Volcan, a defenseman, registered 0g, 1a and 83 PIMs! 2. We won't hold it against Marty that in that same season he played 19 games as a Portland Winterhawk (1g, 3a). The senior Volcan finished his WHL career the following season with the Victoria Cougars and finished with 4g, 15a and 144 PIMs in 50 games.



After spectating through the third and fourth rounds of the draft, the Thunderbirds made seven more choices, beginning with defenseman Brandon Schuldhaus in round five and culminating with center Caleb Griffin in round 12. The most intriguing of their choices was their tenth round pick, goaltender Devon Fordyce. that name will ring familiar with die-hard WHL fans. Fordyce, who turned 19 earlier this year, has already played 18 games in the WHL, all with the Prince George Cougars. But to make room on their 50 player protected list for their new draft picks, the Cougars dropped Fordyce just before the start of the 9th round of the draft and that made him available to the T-birds.


With the departure of Brandon Glover, the T-birds have an opening for a #1 goalie. Prior to adding Fordyce, Seattle had no netminder on their roster over the age of 18 and no one with more then 18 games of WHL experience. No one is handing Fordyce a roster spot. He'll have to come in and compete at training camp. But if Fordyce, who's WHL numbers aren't that impressive (3W, 9L 3 OT/SOL, 4.30 GAA, .873 SV%), can channel his play from last season with the Brooks Bandits of the AJHL (10-2-1, 1.61 GAA, .933 SV%), Seattle may have just found a very inexpensive solution to a major roster problem.

We need to look at the last two to three drafts together. Barzal is the hub in the wheel and players like Kolesar, Ethan Bear, Logan Flogell, Lane Pederson, Michal Holub, Carter Foulk, Fabbro, Elder and Volcan, among others, are the spokes and the tire. If Farwell and his staff can convince a few other young prospects, (cough, Gropp, cough) to throw their lot in with the T-birds this organization will have enough firepower to make some noise in the Western Conference beyond just next season.

Barzal Says I Do; Let the Honeymoon Begin!

Mathew Barzal, the first overall pick in last spring's 2012 WHL Bantam Draft, has made his decision and his choice is the Seattle Thunderbirds.
So, what does it mean? Well, first and foremost I think it is the clearest signal yet that, after a few leans years, GM Russ Farwell has the Thunderbirds train back on the tracks. Had this been a few years ago, I could certainly see this decision going the other way but Farwell and Head Coach Steve Konowalchuk have now done a masterful job of creating a culture conducive to winning hockey. Now, it's time to win.

It's a clear indicator that Seattle's drafting and scouting have been much better in recent years. While you can argue that poor play and a lotta luck (winning the draft lottery a year ago and moving up to draft first overall) helped Barzal drop into the T-birds lap, but they still had to create a culture and atmosphere that convinced Barzal this was the place to be. To do that, they had to bring in other talented players.

Barzal himself, acknowledged the T-birds solid young corps of defensemen, led by potential NHL first round pick Shea Theodore, as a reason to be a T-bird. He talked about high end offensive talent such as Brandon Troock and Roberts Lipsbergs. These are all players Seattle drafted in recent years.

What does it mean for the immediate future for Seattle? Well, a year ago when he drafted Barzal, Farwell said the Coquitlam, B.C. native was good enough to be a top six forward on the team. I doubt anything has changed since then, even for a T-birds team that will return six of its top eight scoring forwards from last season. Adding Barzal just creates more depth among the team's forward lines.

Even at just 16 years of age, Barzal should drastically improve the T-birds hot and cold power play. Hindsight is 20/20 but could you imagine had the T-birds had Barzal for that seven game playoff series against Kelowna in April what might have been? I doubt Seattle would have gone oh-for-27 on the PP.

Could the Barzal signing affect other possible signings? Possibly. Barzal is considered a once-in-a-generation type talent. He makes others around him better players and thus other players want to play with him. Barzal is going to be heavily scouted by the NHL over the next two years. Do you want to grab the attention of those scouts? What better way to do that than to be playing on Barzal's team. If nothing else, it is going to give a lot of young prospects a reason to keep the Thunderbirds on their radars.

Welcome to T-birds Nation Mathew Barzal!
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The 2013 WHL Bantam draft goes off tomorrow. While it's been a over a year since Marcel Noebels last wore a T-birds jersey, it's as if he never left because he continues to have an effect on the team's roster. and that affect will be felt again at the draft Thursday.

You may recall it was at the January 2012 WHL trade deadline that Farwell made a trade with Portland, sending Noebels to the Winterhawks in exchange for Seth Swenson and a pair of 1st round draft picks. The T-birds cashed in one of those picks last may, turning it into Keegan Kolesar.

Tomorrow, the T-birds will spend that second 1st round choice, either with a player selection or as capital in a potential trade. Either way Noebels is the gift that keeps on giving.

I recall talking to Farwell last January after that deal. Two things I remember from that brief conversation. First, it was the perfect time to make such a move. Farwell believed there was going to be good talent through the first round of last year's bantam draft, meaning that even though that Portland pick was going to be low (turned out to be #19 overall) it would still be good value. In the little we've seen of Kolesar, it looks like he'll be a solid WHL player with the ceiling to be elite.

Second, from his scouting trips through the winter of 2011-12 Farwell said he believed the 2013 WHL Bantam Draft was going to be even deeper than the 2012 draft and many others I have spoken to agree with that assessment. Now, because of that trade, Seattle sits on three of the top 30 selections in the draft process.
Let's not forget the third part of that trade. Remember Noebels was a 19 year old import player at the time of the deal. He played just 3 more months in the WHL after that. So far the T-birds have gotten a year and half of service out of Swenson with one year of eligibility left. Swenson was a key component to the T-birds ending their three year playoff drought and will be counted upon to be a leader and top offensive threat next season.

So once again Marcel, vielen dank!
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You don't hit on every draft pick, even some high choices don't pan out. But if you are diligent and do your homework you can build a winning team through drafting. Take a look at the T-birds roster and you will see the fruits of good drafting or scouting, minimizing the need for trades.

Danny Mumaugh, Jerret Smith, Kevin Wolf, Mitch Elliot, Justin Hickman, Troock, Connor Honey, Theodore, Daniel Wray, Alexander Delnov, Ethan Bear, Evan Wardley, Keegan Kolesar, Roberts Lipsbergs, Taylor Green, Jared Hauf, Connor Sanvido, Michal Holub, Justin Myles and now, Mathew Barzal all drafted or listed by the T-birds. All those players drafted or listed. Meanwhile a couple of other drafted and listed players are knocking on the door.

The Draft is on Tap

The WHL Bantam draft will be held Thursday (May 2nd) and for the second consecutive year, the Seattle Thunderbirds will have three of the top 30 selections (8,22 and 27) including two first round choices.

A year ago Seattle had the first overall selection and chose Mathew Barzal. While Barzal has not yet officially committed to playing for the Thunderbirds there are signs that seem to indicate he will. He attended training camp last fall, he practiced with the team late this past season and he attended Seattle home playoff games this spring too.

Meanwhile, three of Seattle's top four picks from the 2012 draft , Keegan Kolesar (1st rd), Ethan Bear (2nd rd) and Logan Flodell (3rd rd) have already signed and have suited up for the club. Others from both the 2011 and 2012 draft classes are on the T-birds radar as well.

In the case of Kolesar and Bear, they have already seen ice time. Bear played a regular shift in a late season game down in Portland while Kolesar was in the lineup in Portland New Year's Eve and then played extensively in the final two games of Seattle's first round playoff series versus Kelowna. Though he never saw the ice, Flodell suited up and served as the backup goalie for one game in December after Justin Myles was injured.

Additionally, through the course of the season, the Thunderbirds had various other young drafted or listed prospects participate in practice sessions, especially during their playoff run. This isn't an unusual occurrence in the WHL but the large number of T-birds prospects eager to join the team for a practice session or two speaks volumes. It harkens back to the early part of the last decade.

This tells me these players view the WHL as a good path for their hockey growth and, more importantly, they want to do it as a Seattle Thunderbird. A similar scenario occurred two seasons ago when list players Conner Honey, Jerret Smith and Danny Mumaugh attended camp and eventually signed. Honey came to the T-birds midway through the 2011-12 season from the USHL. In the case of Smith and Mumaugh, both saw late season practice time with the T-birds in 2011-12 and then made the decision to come play for the T-birds this past season.

Meanwhile, in a recent online interview with ESPN Seattle, Thunderbirds GM Russ Farwell mentioned the team is still pursuing their unsigned 2011 first round bantam draft pick, Ryan Gropp, who just finished up a very strong season with the BCHL's Penticton Vees.

All these moves coincide with the hiring of Steve Konowalchuk as head coach prior to the 2011-12 campaign. I don't know that the T-birds are consciously using Konowalchuk as a recruiting tool, but players talk to each other and you can be sure one of the questions prospects are asking current T-birds is "What's it like to play for Konowalchuk?" From my vantage point, Konowalchuk has shown to be firm but fair with his roster. I think players respect that, and players want to play for a coach they respect. Furthermore, players don't always get recognized by NHL scouts if coaches don't use them properly. Scouts are recognizing Seattle players.

While it is still too early to pass judgment, the preliminary return on the 2012 draft is very favorable, especially with those three high picks. With the same success Thursday Seattle should have six top end players on the roster in two seasons all picked in or near the first round of the bantam draft. A best case scenario would see a 2014-15 roster laden with 13-15 players chosen with picks high in either the 1st, 2nd or 3rd round.

As for what Seattle will do in the upcoming WHL bantam draft, while they don't have the first overall pick as they did last spring, they still have a high choice, making their first selection at #8. The word, from various sources, is that the talent among the 1998 born players is very good making for a deep draft.

That's good news because, as we said, the T-birds have two first round picks plus an early selection in round two. The downside is that the Thunderbirds are without a 3rd or 4th round choice, having dealt those picks away. The 3rd round selection (pick #49) was sent to Calgary last summer for goalie Brandon Glover and the 4th round pick (#71) went to Moose Jaw at the January trade deadline in exchange for center Andrew Johnson. So, after that 2nd round pick at #27, the T-birds don't select again until pick #90 early in the 5th round.

When I hear scouts say this is a "deep draft" I think that means there will be 1st and 2nd round talent available in the 3rd and 4th rounds (as an example, Shea Theodore was a 3rd round pick in 2010, which was also considered by many as a deep draft). Let's hope in this case the depth of talent reaches back even further in the draft as Seattle has a combined four picks in rounds five, six and seven (Luke lockhart and Adam Kambeitz were both 7th round picks). But if the T-birds hit homeruns with those three high picks, the lack of a 3rd or 4th round selection will be somewhat mitigated.

By the way, if you don't think the T-birds are drafting or recruiting well just look at the final Central Scouting Service rankings of North American players for the upcoming NHL Entry Draft. Seven T-birds players are on that list (up from one at the mid-term rankings with the inclusion of Taylor Green). Four of those seven players were drafted by the Thunderbirds. Jared Hauf was a first round pick, Green was picked in round two and Theodore was a 3rd round choice. Meanwhile Roberts Lipsbergs was a 1st round import selection. Two of those players were listed "free agents"; Conner Honey and Jerret Smith. Only Riley Sheen came to the T-birds via trade. This is a great testament to the hard work of the Thunderbirds scouts.

In memory of Bruce MdDonald, 1971-2012

In the End....a New Beginning?

It's not often you can feel good from a loss, but I'm really upbeat despite the Thunderbirds falling in overtime of Game 7. It was just a great series to have a ringside seat for and Seattle made WHL playoff hockey an event again. Like many T-bird fans I wish next season would start tomorrow. That's the excitement this team put into its fan base with this unexpected seven game run. They left us with a good taste in our mouths and wanting more.

Let's get this out of the way so we can get on to the real positive stuff from this just completed, epic, seven game playoff series; the downfall of the Thunderbirds against Kelowna was their inability to score on the power play. Oh-for-27 with the man advantage in the series. They didn't need to be stellar on the power play, just one or two goals might have made the difference. Look at the Rockets. They averaged just under one power play goal per game (6 for 29) and they are moving on. In a series where the margin between winning and losing was so razor thin, the ineffectiveness of the power play was probably the difference between moving on and going home.

If you want to know why they call hockey a game of inches just check overtime in the last two games. Overtime in Game 6 at the ShoWare Center Tuesday, Luke Lockhart beats Rockets goalie Jordan Cooke with a shot of a face-off, only to see the puck trickle off the post and stay out. Moments later the Rockets score the game winner. Game 7 overtime, again Lockhart with a shot from just below the hash marks that looks like it might get through the five hole of Cooke for a game winner but Cooke squeezes the pads together in the nick of time to keep the puck from getting behind him. Moments later, the Rockets score the series winner. That's playoff hockey.

The consensus is that the T-birds came of age in this series. According to all the pundits, Seattle had no business winning one game, let alone taking the Rockets to overtime in Game 7 and being one good bounce away from the biggest upset in WHL playoff history. Statistics would back that up. Kelowna had 27 more wins and 50 more points then the T-birds in the regular season. The Rockets scored 100 more goals and allowed over 100 fewer goals against then the T-birds did during the 2012-13 season. At one point the Rockets, who finished in the CHL Top Ten rankings, reeled off a 24-game home ice winning streak. Heck, the T-birds barely won 24 games total all year! But, that's why they play the games. Nothing is decided on the sports pages.

But for the the T-birds to come of age they have to build on this seven game playoff run. And they can't wait until training camp. The bad taste from losing this series has to motivate each and every returning player to prepare for next season beginning today, not in August. Okay, maybe a day or two to decompress but this loss needs to motivate them to want to be even better next time around because there are no guarantees in sports. Your own perspiration, not someone else's admiration, is what gets you to the next level. So all the slaps on the back for a well played series mean nothing if you don't work even harder as a result.

Injuries are a part of the game, although it seems the team that has fortune smile upon it and stays healthy, usually wins it all. Still I wonder how better this team would have been in the regular season and the playoffs with Tyler Alos and Branden Troock available or Conner Honey and Justin Hickman not suspended for that final game.

This team reminded me a lot of the first Thunderbirds team I worked with back in the 2001-02 season. That year the T-birds won just 21 games but like this year's version, they were both exasperating, entertaining and fun to watch play at the same time. They had so many young players on that team: players like Brooks Laich, Tomas Mojzis, Nate Thompson, Greg Black, Zack Fitzgerald, Tyler Metcalfe, Matthew Spiller, Matthew Hansen, Ryan Gibbons and Steve Goertzen. Similar to this year's club, they earned a lot of points in the last two weeks of the season to earn the 8th and final playoff spot. They then shocked everyone by winning an epic seven game first round playoff series over the second best team in the Western Conference that year, Portland (the name Trevor Johnson will live forever in T-birds infamy!).

The Thunderbirds were eliminated in the next round by the soon-to-be league, and Memorial Cup champion, Kootenay Ice, but they had laid the foundation for the next season. In 2002-03, they would win 44 games and capture the U.S. Division pennant before losing in the Western Conference Finals to top seeded and the evental WHL Champion, Kelowna.

Like that 2001-02 team, this year's T-birds were a young, loose, close knit bunch. They had fun and rarely were anything but upbeat. They frustrated you at times by losing games they should have won and winning games you thought they would lose. But you could see the chemistry was there, just like it was 12 years ago. I said at the start of this playoff series that this year's team was probably the most mentally ready for the postseason. They weren't just content to be in the playoffs, they wanted to make some noise. They played like they belonged. In my years with the team, the only other team that resembled this one was that group of players that made up the T-birds roster for the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons.

The 2004-05 team might have been the deepest T-bird team I've been around but the team that will make up next year's roster could rival that. Outside of Luke Lockhart, all of the T-birds top scorers are returning. Knock on wood too that Troock finally gets through a season healthy. The preseason trade for Riley Sheen and the midseason acquisition of Andrew Johnson gives Seattle quality depth among its forward lines. Meanwhile, everyone of Seattle's top six defensemen is eligible to return and the T-birds will be adding some good young players into the mix.

In fact the 'Birds will have a glut of good yound defensemen that will need to be sorted out. That task was made all the more difficult because of a seemingly minor trade made back in October when Seattle acquired Griffin Foulk from Everett. What a revelation he has been the second half of the season and he capped it off with a solid playoff series. His development was a big reason Seattle got better defensivley the final months of the regular season. As I understand it though, Seattle has ten defensemen signed and committed for next season (although Taylor Green has been more of a forward then a d-man the last month). There is no way they carry ten defensemen, so something will have to be done about that.

In 2002-03, the T-birds added a veteran goalie to help them with their playoff run to the conference finals. 20 year old Brent Krahn helped push Seattle deep into the playoffs that year. With Brandon Glover graduating out of the league, Seattle may need to make a similar move for next season because they have no goalies in their pipeline over the age of 17 and the ones they do have carry little to no WHL experience. Krahn was a bridge to the Bryan Bridges era (no pun intended) and the T-birds may need a similar stop gap goalie before either Justin Myles, Danny Mumaugh or Logan Flodell are ready to carry the load in net for this franchise.

Lastly we bid adieu to Seattle's three 20 year olds. Actually I'd like to make if four good-byes because I still think of Brendan Rouse as a T-bird, even though he finished his career in Vancouver. And although he was only with the team for half a season, Adam Kambeitz provided much needed leaderhip and solidified the lockerroom down the stretch and into the playoffs.

Brandon Glover will forever be a T-bird trivia question answer now. Who was the goalie who had the task of replacing Calvin Pickard? Who was the goalie when the T-birds snapped their 22 game road losing streak to Tri-City? Who was the T-bird goalie who won his first three playoff games in overtime? I'm sure you can come up with some of your own. He proved he was at his best when the money was on the table. What a playoff performance. Hopefully it earns him that pro contract.

We also say good-bye to Luke Lockhart, the team captain for the past two plus seasons and the first T-bird to play his entire five season WHL career with Seattle since, I believe, Lindsay Nielsen. He ends up number two all time in games played for the organization. Not bad for an undersized 7th round bantam pick.

Here's another bit of trivia for you. Did you know that Lockhart and Kambeitz were both selected in the 7th round of the 2007 WHL Bantam Draft? Kambeitz went 143rd overall to Red Deer and Seattle selected Lockhart two picks later. Lockhart always gave 100 percent and more. he gave up his body to block countless shots, especially on the penalty kill. He spent the bus ride up to Kelowna after the Game 6 OT loss, getting treatment on his ankle, yet there he was logging the most minutes again in Game 7.

He finished off his career by leading the WHL in shorthanded goals this season. Even better, it was great to see him end his Thunderbird career with a + by his name on the final playoff stat sheet, as he finished at +4 for the series against Kelowna and he went out in fitting fashion, scoring the T-birds last goal.

Lastly kudos to the fans. The atmosphere they created for Games 3 and 6 of the playoffs was electric. Just read some of the comments from Glover and Kambeitz from Andy Eide's mynorthwest.com blog on those crowds and how it helped motivate the team. That is what the ShoWare was built for and it was great to see it finally come into play.

Next up for the Thunderbirds is the WHL Bantam Draft in early May. For the second straight year, Seattle will have two first round picks (8,22) and a high pick in Round Two (27th overall). Seattle has a great opportunity to build a roster that can compete at the top of the league for the next 4-5 years.


In memory of Bruce McDonald, 1971-2012

Take Three

Recovering from these bus trips seems to be taking me longer and longer these days. Hope everyone enjoyed the fantastic Easter Sunday weather we had in the Puget Sound area yesterday. Spring has definitely sprung. It is a bit strange to be preparing for a hockey game this time of year since it's been 5 years since the Thunderbirds played April hockey. But I'd sure like to get used to it. It sure beats the alternative which, in my case, is yard work.

Tomorrow night the T-birds will not just rediscover April hockey, but hopefully the edge they played with the first three games of this series. The T-birds have been flat over the last six periods. Conversely, Kelowna has come out and set the tone by being quicker to pucks, crisper with their passing, more solid in their defensive zone and, especially Saturday, the more physical team. The Rockets won the vast majority of battles along the boards, they were able to cycle the puck seemingly at will.

Special teams, specifically the respective power plays, are dictating the series right now. Kelowna got back in this series by scoring three first period power play goals in Game 4 and opened Game 5's scoring with another power play goal. Meanwhile, Seattle is a less then anemic 0-for-22 with the man advantage through the first five games.

Game 5 was a fairly evenly played contest through the first half of the first period. Once the T-birds took two succesive penalties and the Rockets cashed in on the second one, the tide turned in the Rockets favor in a big way. I think the T-birds got gun shy with their physical play as a result of those penalties. If not for Brandon Glover, Kelowna was poised to blow the doors off the 'Birds in the second half of that first period. Still, the T-birds almost put together an umbelievable last 37-second comeback. Scoring twice and just missing a third goal with time winding down. That would not have been possible without the play of Glover.

Despite being up three games to two, the T-birds have still led for just eight of the nearly 320 minutes played in the series. Kelowna has scored the first goal in every game and outscored the 'Birds 9-2 in the first period in the series, including 7-1 in the first period of the last three games. The Thunderbirds need a better start Tuesday night.

That's the funny thing about this game though, all those statistics don't mean anything. All the T-birds have to do is win tomorrow night and they move on to the second round. Of course, that is easier said then done.

Hop on the Bus Gus

The Thunderbirds and Rockets are headed back to Kelowna for Game 5 of this series Saturday night at Prospera Place after the Rockets took Game 4 Wednesday to stay alive in this first round, best of seven, match up. The T-birds are still in the driver's seat with a three games to one series lead but they are starting to hear a little chatter from the back seat.

Seriously, raise your hand if back on March 15th you had Seattle up in the series, 3-1, after four games. As I thought, only one guy there in the back of the room, raised his hand. No time to panic after one loss. The one thing about a playoff series, you control your own destiny. Whether up two games or down two games, your fate is in your own hands.

The T-birds were a decided underdog when the series began and after finishing 50 points behind the Rockets in the regular season, they should still be considered underdogs. All the pressure is still on Kelowna. Seattle needs only to win one more game to push on to Round Two. They still need to play with a purpose but they should still be able to play loose and have fun. Most pundits had the T-birds out of this series in four games. Anything from here on is a bonus.

One of Seattle's biggest problems during the regular season was consistency. Whether it was from game-to-game, period-to-period or shift-to-shift,the 'Birds would confound you with moments of brilliant play followed immediately by a series of brain cramps. Through the first three games of the playoffs, the team was very consistent in their play and it resulted in three overtime wins. Wednesday night that strong consistent play was absent. Too many brain cramps!

They were way too undisciplined. They just didn't play smart at all. If you give a good team too many chances to belly up to the bar, they're eventually going to drink you dry. In Game 4 it was a vertiable bottomless glass for the Rockets power play as Seattle kept taking penalty after penalty in the first period. The Rockets power play is just too good to keep giving them chance after chance with the man advantage. Meanwhile, the T-birds own power play is powerless at 0-for-18 in the series. They need to fix that.

Outside of Seth Swenson, I'm not sure how many of the T-birds with any WHL playoff experience (and there are so few)have been in a situation like they were Wednesday with a chance to close out a series. Well, at least now they know how not to do it. Let's hope they've learned their lesson going into Saturday night's contest.

So, in their last 18 head-to-head playoff games, dating back to 2005, home ice advantage has meant very little to the T-birds and Rockets as the road team has won 13 times.

One advantage for draft eligible players in the postseason is more games for NHL scouts to watch them play, and play in pressure situations. It's been fun to watch a pair of young defenseman in this series who could both be first round picks in the NHL Entry Draft this June; Kelowna's Madison Bowey and the T-birds Shea Theodore.

I think the playoff games have especially benefitted Theodore who has been at the top of his game through the first four contests. Both Bowey and Theodore are proof you to don't have to be a high pick in the WHL Bantam Draft to be considered a future NHLer. Bowey was selected in the second round of the 2010 draft and Theodore was the second of Seattle's two third round choices that year.

In fact a check of both rosters shows each team is loaded with young defensemen who will keep these teams competing at a top level for the next 2-3 years.





In memory of Bruce McDonald, 1971-2012