This weekend was like one of those Oprah shows where everyone in the audience finds a gift under their seat. "You get a point, and you get a point...". The Thunderbirds broke out the offense in two games, striking for 18 goals in a pair of lopsided wins.
Ten different players scored a goal this past weekend, led by four from Lucas Ciona. Of the 20 skaters who dressed in either of the two games, 16 earned at least a point. And it just wasn't about scoring or getting an assist. It was about playing to the Thunderbirds identity.
No one exemplified that more this weekend than Gabe Ludwig. Ludwig was one of the players who got a point, assisting on a late power play goal Friday against Edmonton, but it was his play all over the ice that showed what it is to play the T-bird way. he was constantly in the mix on puck battles. He went to the drity areas as he was grinding out every shift.
Another player who stood out was 16 year old defenseman Bryce Pickford. He would probably be best described as an offensive defenseman but he plays the 200 foot game the Thunderbird coaches covet. He can be physical when need be, and he makes good reads on plays in the defensive zone. His hockey IQ is tremendous for such a young player as I watched him break up more than a few scoring opportunities for the opposition. Seattle found a gem in the second round of the 2021 WHL Prospects draft with the Pickford selection.
At the end of the day, the Thunderbirds are winning because their best players are being their best players most nights. Of their top eight scorers, five are NHL draft picks. Two are eligible for the NHL draft for the first time next summer and one is a 20 year old point producing machine. I would still argue not one of them has hit their stride yet.
Everett's Angel of the Winds Arena has always been a tough place to play for Seattle, even more so the past five years. Coming into this season the T-birds were just 3-9-1-1 in that building over that span. Don't look now though because Seattle has won their last two road games in Everett. The commmon denominator in those two wins? Lucas Ciona. Last March 5th in a 4-3 Thunderbirds win he had the game winning goal. Saturday he had a six point night, including a hat trick. His stat line from his last two road games against the Silvertips reads: 4g, 3a, 7 pts +7.
When you outscore two opponents by a combined 18-3, goaltending can get lost in the wash. This weekend both Scott Ratzlaff and Thomas Milic were outstanding. Together they stopped 58 of 61 shots. That's a .951 save percentage and a 1.50 goals against average. They surrendered just one even strength goal. Ratzlaff stopped a penalty shot and Milic made a number of top notch saves early against Everett with Seattle getting into penalty trouble. In doing so, he helped settle the team down until they got going.
There are a lot of new faces in the WHL officiating crews, especially it would appear among the referees. I think that is why you get a games with double digit power play chances. The new officials are going to call it by the book until they get used to the WHL level. Seattle also has to be more disciplined. As Sam Popowich told me after the Everett game, playing with a large lead can be a challenge. Players have to stick to the systems and not veer off or take short cuts looking for easy points.
With Everett looming on the schedule, Seattle didn't look past a struggling Edmonton team. Instead they put the hammer down and beat the Oil Kings, 7-0. If the T-birds want to get off to an 8-0 start they can't look past Spokane next Saturday either. I have a feeling they won't.
The Thunderbirds have compiled their 7-0-0-0 start to the season with a roster that has an average hockey age of 17. That makes them one of the youngest teams in the league. I haven't included 19 year old Mekai Sanders in that breakdown because he hasn't played yet this season. He would only bring that average age up slightly (17.2). But I also didn't count 17 year old Sam Oremba who has been traded after playing in two games. he would bring that average age down slightly (17.1). So it s a wash.
My T-birds Three Stars for the Weekend:
Third Star: D Jeremy Hanzel. Three points on the weekend including his first goal. he finished at +3. Such a clever bank pass to spring Jared Davidson on his shorthanded goal Friday night. That's how you kill a penalty. He has points in four straight games. He leads the team with a +11.
Second Star: C Jared Davidson. He had a six point weekend with two goals and four assists. He was also 25 of 36 in the faceoff circle, a 69 percent success rate. A reliable player in all situations and continues his role as a team leader. There were a couple of instances this weekend I can recall where he was on the ice with a young group and helped the T-birds get out of trouble by winning puck battles deep in the defensive zone.
First Star: W Lucas Ciona. Statistically the best weekend of Ciona's Thunderbids career with nine points and his first WHL hat trick. He's now tied for second in league scoring with 14 points. He does a lot of the grunt work for the Seattle power play by screening the goalie and retrieving pucks. Most of his goals will come from within a few feet of the net but he's getting better shooting off the rush and from distance. He's also gained a lot of confidence pushing the puck up ice and skating it through the neutral zone.
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