For just the second time in the 46-seasons they've been playing in the Seattle area, the Thunderbirds have won fifty games in a season. Win number fifty came Saturday in a 5-1 victory over Everett and in the midst of a stretch where the team has gone 15-0-0-1. That in itself is a franchise record. The most consecutive games with a point earned. The previous record was set in the 1994-95 season.
And, hopefuly, they're not done creating new franchise benchmarks. With six regular season games remaining, the T-birds need just three wins to surpass the 52-games won by the 1989-90 team. Remember too, back in '89-90, they played 72-games. This year's team is attempting to eclipse that 52-win record in just 68 games.
Another potential record to set? Home wins. Seattle won 29 home games in 2015-16. they currently have 27 with three home games remaining.
And with their win Saturday over the Silvertips, the Thunderbirds have also guaranteed they will finish with the fewest losses in regulation. During the 1989-90 campaign they lost just 17 games in regulation, finishing 52-17-3 (they still had ties back then). Currently the T-birds have just nine regulation losses (50-9-1-2). With six games remaining the most regulation losses this year's team could suffer, if they were to lose their final six games, would be fifteen.
Of course I can tell you there is only one achievement this team really cares about. Those franchise records are nice, but they would probaly tell you they mean nothing if they don't win a championship. That's where their focus is and where it will be until the final horn sounds on this season.
Does anyone have a more difficult schedule remaining then the Thunderbirds? They will play just two teams, Portland and Kamloops, over the final six games and combined the record of those two clubs is 82-28-8-5. Now, you could argue Portland is not playing at the level they were back in January (4-10-2-1 since the start of February), but they are still a rival and still have the third best record in the Western Conference.
The T-birds played a lot of hockey the last couple of weeks, playing six games in nine days. They went 5-0-0-1 and were one overtime interference penalty away from sweeping all six. And to be honest I don't think they played to their optimal best in any of the games. Let's hope they use the final six games to put a full sixty minute effort together. It's great they can flip the switch and go turbo in the third period, just not sure you want to be doing that in the playoffs.
Of course Seattle isn't playing with a full deck, missing four players to various injuries. It is what most teams are going through as you get down to the final half dozen games of a grueling 68-game schedule. Fortunately the T-Birds have the depth to overcome those missing components.
One player stepping forward is Coster Dunn. He has been quite noticeable on the ice the last couple of weeks. We are starting to see his complete game develop. He's winning faceoffs, winning puck battles and chipping in with a few points along the way. Dare I say he is starting to remind me of last season's version of Nico Myatovic?
I also think for Dunn it is a bit of a Catch-22 situation. Being on such a deep team lets him develop on the fourth line while those top nine forwards do the heavy lifting. But being on such a deep team means he might not be getting the minutes that would get him more notice. I think he's got enough skill in him that on a lesser team he could be a consistent second line player. He was listed at 6'0" to start the season. He looks like he might be an inch or two taller now. Either way I think he has the frame to add more muscle. That would be the next step in his evolution. I'm not saying he'll go from four goals to 27 goals next season, as Myatovic did this year, but I could see him taking a big leap in 2023-24.
Seattle spent a lot of draft capital to build this roster. They'll be lacking quite a few draft picks for a couple of seasons. That puts the onus on the scouts to unearth some late round gems or discover those undrafted players who fit what the T-birds do. The club's track record in that regard recently is pretty good. They found players like Matt Rempe and Jared Davidson outside the WHL Prospects Draft. Neither was drafted into the WHL but both were drafted into the NHL. Davidson is on the verge of his second 40-goal season and the past two years he's led one of the top teams in the league in scoring.
Reid Schaefer was an eighth round draft pick who turned into a first round NHL selection. Myatovic was taken in the sixth round. He too is most likely to get chosen in the next NHL draft this summer. Dunn was selected by Seattle in round seven. Mekai Sanders was a ninth rounder. Sam Popowich came to the T-Birds out of round five. Yes, you still have to hit on your top picks, but championship teams get built on the strength of depth players found in later rounds, free agency and through smart trades.
The Thunderbirds finish the regular season playing their final six games over a span of nine days; three at home, three away. Half a dozen games left and then the playoffs begin!
My Three T-Birds Stars for this five-games-in-nine-days stretch:
Third Star: G Thomas Milic and G Scott Ratzlaff. Goaltending is the backbone of a team. Sometimes it can be more difficult in the crease when you are facing fewer shots than the opponent. It can make it harder to stay focused. That has not been a problem for this dynamic duo. Milic is now number one in the league in both GAA and save percentage. Ratzlaff is right behind at number two. Together they have combined for a league leading nine shutouts.
Second Star: C Jared Davidson. Six goals and an assist in the five games. He now sits one shy of 100 goals as a Thunderbird, something only eleven other players in franchise history have accomplished. A training camp invitee who made the team as a 16-year old, he is two goals away from his second consecutive 40-goal season. On the cusp of leading the team in point production for a second straight season.
First Star: C Brad Lambert. Sent down to Seattle by the NHL's Winnipeg Jets after spending the first half of the season with the Jets AHL affiliate, he has embraced the opportunity. In just 21 games with the Thunderbirds he has 32-points (14g, 18a). Three of his goals are game winners. His 1.52 points per game average is best on the team. In the five games just played he earned eight points (2g, 6a). Had a highlight reel type goal Friday against Tri-City but did himself one better with a highlight reel assist Saturday against Everett.
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