The regular season Western Conference champion Seattle Thunderbirds pushed back in the third period to take the opening game of their playoff series with the Kelowna Rockets 3-2 on Friday night at the accesso ShoWare Center in Kent, WA.
The Rockets were able to hold off the Thunderbirds in the opening frame, grabbing a 1-0 lead just past the midway point. Kelowna's power play pushed them out to a two-goal lead in the second period, 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, Seattle was able to grab the lead.
The Rockets elected to go with Jari Kykkanen in net, he turned aside 36 of the 39 shots he faced.
The Thundrebirds were able to push their way past the Kelowna Rockets in the third period at the accesso ShoWare Center in Kent, WA on Saturday night for game 2.
The eighth-seeded Rockets held their own for 40 minutes against the top-ranked T-Birds.
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. 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.
Jari Kykkanen was in net again for the Rockets, facing 47 shots he was able to turn aside 44 of them.
The series will shift to Kelowna for game three on Tuesday, April 4 and game four on Wednesday, April 5 at Prospera Place – puck drop is set for 7:05 pm.