PHOTO CREIDT: BRIAN LIESSE/SEATTLE THUNDERBIRDS
The Kelowna Rockets and Seattle Thunderbirds first-round series will shift back to Prospera Place on Tuesday and Wednesday night for games three and four in their best-of-seven first-round playoff series.
Both games will also be Fan First Menu nights with $2 hot dogs and $5-$6 options from Blue Ribbon.
The Rockets trail 2-0 in the best-of-seven series after two tightly contested games that were both decided in the third period. The eighth-seeded Rockets held their own for the first 40 minutes against the top-ranked T-Birds in both games. Kelowna led 2-1 heading into the third period of game one before Seattle took over in the third to take the opening game 3-2. During the second game, the two were tied at one before Seattle once again took over in the third period to skate away with a 4-1 victory.
Game one recap
The best-of-seven First Round series began on Friday, March 31 in Kent, Wash. with the top-seeded Thunderbirds squeaking past the Rockets 3-2 in a tightly contested game one.
The Rockets were able to hold off the Thunderbirds in the opening frame, grabbing a 1-0 lead just past the midway point on a bomb from Jackson DeSouza. Kelowna’s power play pushed them out to a two-goal lead in the second period on another long-distance shot from Caden Price, but Arizona Coyote prospect Dylan Guenther was able to score late in the second and add another early in the third to tie things up. With captain Gabriel Szturc in the penalty box, Nashville Predator prospect Reid Schaefer at the side of the net turned and put a shot past Kykkanen to give the T-Birds their first lead of the game.
The Rockets elected to go with Jari Kykkanen in net, he turned aside 36 of the 39 shots he faced.
Game two recap
Seattle pushed their way past Kelowna in the third period for the second night in a row on Saturday at the accesso ShoWare Center.
Kelowna fell behind in the first period on a power play goal, but the Rockets were able to battle back in the second period and tie the game with a greasy goal from Dylan Wightman. Much like the night before, Seattle was able to pull ahead in the third period with two unanswered goals before adding an empty net goal.
Single-game tickets for all Rockets games are available at Select Your Tickets. Tickets can be purchased online through www.selectyourtickets.com, at the Prospera Place box office, or by phone at 250-762-5050.
The Thunderbirds are looking to defend their Western Conference Championship from last season, they fell in six games to the Edmonton Oil Kings in the WHL Championship last spring.
Their roster boasts ten NHL prospects and six Canadian World Juniors stars on the roster, they made several key trades that saw five first-round picks moved in exchange for Dylan Guenther, Colton Dach, Nolan Allan and Luke Prokop.
Seattle finished the regular season atop the Western Conference standings with a franchise record 54 wins.
Colton Dach will make his first trip to Kelowna since the Rockets dealt him to Seattle on January 7th in exchange for Ty Hurley, Ethan Mittelsteadt, a 2024 first-round pick and two more conditional draft picks.
Drafted Thunderbirds:
Thunderbirds Ranked on Central Scouting:
Injury updates are not public during the playoffs.