By Mike Caccioppoli

(32-20-4-3) Spokane Chiefs 3, (20-37-1-1) Seattle Thunderbirds 0

We missed the net ten times I bet. We had them beat for a lot of shots. That's probably the biggest difference in the game tonight. We generated some stuff but when you miss the net you let them off the hook.That's the frustrating part tonight because we take a scoring chance and make it into nothing.

Well it's not a must win till you are mathematically eliminated so I'm going to say no but it's a very urgent win (Saturday vs. Everett).I'm excited. I hope our guys are excited, we are going to have fun and get them ready this week. We're going to have fun all week. We are going to bring energy. We have put ourselves in this situation where it means something. As much as we'd like to have more points we're still in the race and this is a huge game where we can control our destiny so it's not all bad....Head Coach Steve Konowalchuk

KENT- After being embarrassed in Portland the night before the Thunderbirds play a curiously sleepy game against the Chiefs. Generating few shots while once again making some mistakes inside their own blue line, Seattle was shut out 3-0.

It was the 10th loss in their last 11 home games.

The Chiefs took a 1-0 lead at 10:05 of the first period. Dominick Uher (25) scored when he deflected a shot past Calvin Pickard.

Seattle was down 1-0 after 20 minutes and were outshot 17-4.

Spokane took a 2-0 lead at 13:45 of the second period. Collin Valcourt scored his 14th goal of the season.

The Birds trailed 2-0 at the end of the 2nd period. They were being outshot 28-11.

More problems inside the blue led led to the Chiefs taking a 3-0 lead at 1:24 of the third period. Seattle lost the puck inside the blue line and couldn't recover which led to a two on none break for Spokane and Liam Stewart scored his 11th goal of the season.

The Birds got a late power play and also pulled Pickard for a six on four advantage. A too many men on the ice call wiped away the final few seconds of the advantage.

Seattle is shutout 3-0.

Post game Q & A with Head Coach Steve Konowalchuk:

MC:After not playing well Friday they give a poor effort yesterday and tonight the effort isn't there either...

SK: Don't say they didn't give effort..it's execution.

MC: Did they not execute tonight?

SK: They (Spokane) were the better team tonight. I don't want to question any of my guys effort for the most part.

MC: Sometimes when a team isn't playing well the fans and even the media have trouble differentiating between effort and execution. How do you as the coach know that your guys are giving it their best, that they are playing with heart?

SK: I can see who is determined and who is moving their feet, back checking, fore checking. Who is going into those dirty areas and finishing checks, little thing like that. You know a lot of times guys do too much and it makes them worse hockey players. That was the case a lot vs. Portland, guys are chasing the puck instead of playing the system. You have to be smarter. Sometimes there is just a natural frustration when you aren't getting results. I like my guys effort most nights but they have to execute. You have to get your skill level up and make sure you are mentally ready to go.

MC: Spokane is always tough when it comes to getting shots through and tonight we saw the same thing.

SK: We missed the net ten times I bet. We had them beat for a lot of shots. That's probably the biggest difference in the game tonight. We generated some stuff but when you miss the net you let them off the hook.That's the frustrating part tonight because we take a scoring chance and make it into nothing.

MC: In fact there was one play when you won a neutral zone battle and it turns into a partial breakaway and yet nothing comes of it.

SK: And that's execution. Hitting the net is execution. That's the stuff we have to get better at.

MC: Is it that they are just holding the sticks too tight?

SK: A litte bit. I don't know, that's a term guys use. I've heard that my whole life. I held my stick the same way all the time (laughs) maybe that's why I didn't score too much. It's really just trying too much. The first play you see is usually the right play. We have to trust our instincts. It's thinking too much instead of just playing.

MC: It could be a mental thing more than physical, the whole 'holding the sticks' thing.

SK: Yes exactly. It's thinking too much.

MC:There were still problems inside the blue line leading to goals.

SK: On the third goal the forward turned it over at the blue line and put our D in the soup there. I thought our D rebounded from last night. I'm pretty proud of Hauf, and Theodore, Wardley played a good game. I'm not happy, we lost the game but I'm happy because it shows maturity. There is a big picture with some of these guys. Our D core had a tough night in Portland but they put it behind them and had a strong game.

MC: You just mentioned the younger guys. Some of the older players have a very high minus rating..between -25 and -35. Does that bother you?

SK: It's a team stat. When we have a record like we have you are going to be minus when you play a lot of minutes. I don't put that much into the minuses but guys have to find a way to come up big for us the rest of the way. I think Gallimore is playing a better stretch of hockey now. It's a team stat but you want to be out there for more goals for than against. I know they are frustrated by that. The older guys in whatever league are the guys that make the difference.

MC: With the teams you are fighting for a playoff spot with like Everett gaining ground is there a sense that things are slipping away?

SK: We've lost ground there's no doubt about it. I don't think by any means we think it's gone or we aren't getting there. But we've lost ground and we're aren't winning as much as we'd like. If we bring the same effort tonight against Everett we will be fine. I'm excited now because you look at games and you circle certain games. Next game is going to be a playoff game.

MC: Does what happened with Machacek (getting suspended) in Portland bother you?

SK: He has to control himself there. We don't know how long he's going to miss and he was playing well for us. I'm not happy with that. I thought it was pretty darn borderline that if he didn't have trouble earlier in the year he wouldn't have gotten the misconduct. That bothers me a bit. But what he did last night he really can't do. If he wants to scrum that's one thing but then he has to cut it. He can't come flying in there again.

MC:Well I'm going to say those words again 'must win'. Is Saturday vs. Everett a must win game?

SK: Well it's not a must win till you are mathematically eliminated so I'm going to say no but it's a very urgent win. I'm excited. I hope our guys are excited, we are going to have fun and get them ready this week. We're going to have fun all week. We are going to bring energy. We have put ourselves in this situation where it means something. As much as we'd like to have more points we're still in the race and this is a huge game where we can control our destiny so it's not all bad.

Plus side:

Defense improves. After a very bad day in Portland the defense does rebound especially the younger players.

Minus side:

No zip. Not sure what you want to call it and while Konowalchuk is mostly happy with his teams effort the game seemed kind of.. well.. sleepy. Spokane controlled play too much of the time especially in the first period.

Missing the net. As has been the case so often this season when the Birds get their scoring chances they miss the net by a wide margin. Even from five feet or so out. Call it what you will, but it's very frustrating especially when you don't get many scoring chances.

Bodies in front and shoot. It doesn't seem that complicated. In fact on two of Spokane's goals that's exactly what happened. They got bodies in front and shot.. on net. The Birds need to learn how to do that.

Power play. Not a great night for the power play either. They had zero shots on their first two and two shots on their third advantage.

Home woes. In a very critical time the Birds have lost 10 of 11 at home. Several of those losses were in front of good crowds as well.

Game Notes:

-F Dillon Wagner (unsure), D Cason Machacek (suspension), and D Brad Deagle (banged up) were scratched.

-F Tyler Alos took a hit and left the game.

-Seattle drops to 11-18-0-1 at home. They are now ensured of a losing record at home. They are 1-5 against Spokane after losing four in a row. (0-3 home, 1-2 road).

-Calvin Pickard falls to 20-31-1-1. Mac Engel improves to 24-16-1-2.

Thunderbirds second half record: 7-20-1.

PLAYOFF CHASE:

7.Seattle..lost tonight..(20 wins..42 points..13 games left)

8. Victoria..no game..(18 wins..42 points..13 games left)

9. Everett..no game..(16 wins..41 points..13 games left)

10. Prince George..no game..(19 wins..40 points..13 games left)

710Sports.com three stars:

First star: Liam Stewart (goal, +2 rating)

Second star: Collin Valcourt (goal, +2 rating)

Third star: Connor Chartier (assist, +2 rating)

Thunderbirds play Saturday night at 6:05 pm at the ShoWare Center against the Everett Silvertips. The action can be heard live at 710Sports.com.

Game summary is on the WHL website.

twitter @mike710espn

mike.caccioppoli@yahoo.com

By Mike Caccioppoli

(40-15-2-1) Portland Winterhawks 11, (20-36-1-1) Seattle Thunderbirds 2

PORTLAND- An embarrassing afternoon of hockey in Portland for the Thunderbirds who allow five goals in the second period and nine straight goals against on their way to a 11-2 defeat at the hands of the Winterhawks.

Letting the Winterhawks skate wherever they wanted whenever they wanted, the Birds certainly didn't play even close to the physical kind of game they needed to compete with one of the best teams in the league.

The Winterhawks scored on an early power play to give them a 1-0 lead. Ty Rattie scored his 46th goal of the season at 5:50 of the first period.

Justin Hickman (12) tied the game at 9:22. The assist went to Burke Gallimore.

Just after scoring the tying goal Hickman took a penalty and Brad Ross (34) scored on the power play to put Portland back up 2-1 at 11:10.

After 20 minutes Seattle was down 2-1 and were being outshot 23-16.

Chase De Leo (11) gave Portland a 3-1 lead at 3:35 of the second period. Daniel Cotton made a couple of saves but Seattle couldn't get the puck out of the zone and De Leo buried one.

Rattie scored his 47th goal to put Portland up 4-1 at 10:25. Luke Lockhart turned the puck over behind the net and Marcel Noebels passed to Rattie who was right out in front.

Noebels scored when Shea Theodore gave up the puck in front of the net. Noebels scored his 16th goal of the season at 12:36 and Portland led 5-1.

Rattie scored the Hat Trick and got his 48th goal at 16:31 to make it a 6-1 game.

It became 7-1 at 17:05 when Brad Ross (35) scored.

The Birds trailed 7-1 after two periods and were being outshot 36-26.

Only 10 seconds into the third period Oliver Gabriel (13) made it 8-1. It was another turnover by the Birds that helped cause the goal.

Noebels (17) scored at 8:47 to make it 9-1 and Portland had their 8th straight goal.

The Hawks reached double digits when Brendan Leipsic scored his 21st goal of the season at 10:36 and they had a 10-1 lead.

Seattle finally answered the streak of nine straight Portland goals when Colin Jacobs (8) scored to make it 10-2 at 17:25. Shea Theodore got the assist.

Pearce Eviston scored his 1st goal of the season with 15 seconds left to end the scoring and the Birds lose 11-2.

Plus side:

Cotton. As usual Cotton plays well but his teammates do him no favors, hanging him out to dry shift after shift.

Minus side:

What can you say? I have to admit that it's getting tiring writing the same old minuses but the Birds are doing the same things wrong game in game out.

Inside the blue line. They continue to lose those battles inside their own blue line. They are being out worked, and out hustled to the puck and they are turning the puck over within five feet of the net way too often.

No pride. Where is the pride as a hockey player? Isn't it embarrassing losing game after game to teams like Portland? In this game the Birds looked like could care less. Is that really the case? It's hard to argue the opposite after this one.

Still no finish. The Birds still had their chances but they continue to not finish. They don't get to those second chances and they over shoot the net time and again. If there were a stat for shots on glass they would end up ahead every game.

Where are the vets like Lockhart? It certainly wasn't all his fault but it just shows what a bad season he's having as the team captain and as a 19 year old. When Lockhart flipped himself on the net and coughed the puck up leading to Portland's 4th goal it seemed as though the team quit after that. Bad on him but worse on the team.

Playoffs? There are still 14 games left but after today's game it really seems like too many players don't care enough about making the post season.

Big minus ratings. For the second straight night Dave Sutter was a -4 rating. Mitch Elliot was -5 tonight. Luke Lockhart was -4. Seth Swenson and Tyler Alos were both -3.

Third time not the charm. With the loss the Birds are ensured of a third straight season with a losing record.

Game Notes:

-F Dillon Wagner and D Brad Deagle were scratched.

-Seattle falls to 9-19-1 on the road. They are now 1-8 vs. Portland after losing the last six games against them. (1-4 home, 0-4 road).

-Daniel Cotton drops to 0-6. Brendan Burke improves to 4-2-1-1.

Thunderbirds second half record: 7-19-1.

PLAYOFF CHASE:

7.Seattle..lost today..(20 wins...42 points...14 games left)

8.Victoria..lost tonight...(18 wins..42 points..13 games left)

9.Everett..won tonight..(16 wins..41 points..14 games left)

10. Prince George..won tonight..(19 wins..40 points..15 games left)

710Sports.com three stars:

First star: Ty Rattie (Hat Trick, two assists,+5 rating)

Second star: Marcel Noebels (two goals, assist, +4 rating)

Third star: Brad Ross (two goals, assist, +2 rating)

The Thunderbirds play Sunday at 5 pm at the ShoWare Center against the Spokane Chiefs. The action can be heard live at 710Sports.com.

Game summary is on the WHL website.

twitter @mike710espn

mike.caccioppoli@yahoo.com

By Mike Caccioppoli

(39-15-1-2) Tri-City Americans 5, (20-35-1-1) Seattle Thunderbirds 2

We need points. It felt like we came out ok in the first 10 minutes then we just didn't keep it up. They raised their level and we didn't raise ours.

Yes it's disappointing. It's disappointing whenever you don't win and more guys need to give us more effort than they did tonight....Head Coach Steve Konowalchuk

KENT- The Thunderbirds couldn't take advantage of a banged up Americans team as they allow 53 shots including 45 in the first two periods and lose 5-2. A late comeback fell short.

The Birds were doing a nice job of controlling play early with a few good scoring chances however it was the Americans that would strike first when Adam Hughesman notched his 33rd goal of the season at 9:41 of the first period.

The Ams went up 2-0 with 38 seconds left in the period. Connor Rankin scored his 15th goal of the season.

The Birds were down 2-0 after 20 minutes and were being outshot 23-14. After the Americans scored their first goal Seattle stopped playing defense and allowed the Americans to play their speed game and they took over.

The Americans got their 40th shot of the game with 3:47 left in the second period.

Seattle had two full and one partial power play chance in the period and could not convert.

With 11 seconds left the Ams went up 3-0. Rankin (16) beat Calvin Pickard from about 50 feet out. Pickard got a good piece of the puck it trickled past him and into the net.

Along with the 3-0 deficit the Birds were being outshot 45-24.

The Americans would get their 50th shot with 15:58 left in the third period and it would also be their 4th goal with Brendan Shinnimin scoring his 30th goal of the season. Seattle was down 4-0.

Seattle thought they had a power play goal but it was waived off and not officially reviewed. The call was no goal because the puck went into the net due to "contact." The only contact the replay showed was with a stick (see more in the Q and A below).

Seattle got on the board at 13:42 to make it a 4-1 game. Brendan Rouse (5) put one past Eric Comrie. Connor Honey and Branden Troock got the assists.

Honey (5) scored at 15:24 and Seattle was down 4-2. Troock and Shea Theodore got the assists.

Seattle had a six on four advantage after going on the power play and then pulling Pickard however they couldn't score and Shinnimin (31) put the puck into the empty net to give the Ams a 5-2 win.

Post game Q and A with Head Coach Steve Konowalchuk:

MC: Too little too late at the end with the comeback?

SK: Yes. We came on a little bit at the end but in the first period we were just too casual around the crease. It's something we talked about before the game.

MC: In the first two periods you allowed almost 50 shots on net, obviously not what you want to see.

SK: No. Not good enough defensively that's for sure. We were showing them too much respect, not taking away time and space.

MC: Isn't being physical and slowing a team down one of the ways you take away time and space?

SK: You have to. We weren't physical enough to a man tonight that's for sure.

MC: At this point in the season I'm guessing you can't look at any moral victories such as 'we didn't give up' simply because you need points.

SK: We need points. It felt like we came out ok in the first 10 minutes then we just didn't keep it up. They raised their level and we didn't raise ours.

MC: It seemed as though that all started after their first goal, them taking control.

SK: They came out and were feeling things out a bit and as the game went on we relaxed physically and they started to out skate us.

MC: Another thing you want to see at this point in the season is your team come out and play a strong 60 minutes. Are you disappointed that they didn't do that?

SK: Yes it's disappointing. It's disappointing whenever you don't win and more guys need to give us more effort than they did tonight.

MC: You are getting scoring from Honey but I'm sure you want to see other guys, especially the older guys pitch in.

SK: Yes. I mean good for him. He gets dirty.. he goes into those dirty areas. He knows where to jump in and he battles and competes. Those aren't always pretty goals.He's a smart hockey player.

MC: You look back and you have to regret not scoring on several power play chances.

SK: Well we actually did score. That was a bad non call (when the goal was waived off).

MC: That's my next question. That was a big call especially after you get back to within two goals even though it may not have seemed as big at the time.

SK: You know what, there is more time left. He (the ref) said we made contact with the goalie but clearly our guy was pushed into him. It's not the reason we lost the game but we did score there.

MC: The word they used was "contact" but we didn't know exactly what happened up in the press booth.

SK: The ref said our guy was impeding their goalie. It was 100 percent clear that our guy was hit into the goalie.

MC: What happened with Connor Sanvido?

SK: He wasn't putting in the work we needed so we sent him home.

MC: Why were Brad Deagle and Colin Jacobs scratched?

SK: Deagle is a little banged up and as far as Jacobs is concerned it will just stay within the locker room.

MC: How do you rebound so quickly with the 3 o'clock start tomorrow in Portland?

SK: Well it's all part of being a hockey play and an athlete. You just get back on the horse and you try to muster a better effort.

MC: Do you see the desperation needed from this team right now? With fighting for every point?

SK: Some games. Not every shift tonight that's for sure, by every guy. There are times that we need to be more desperate.

MC: Do you see anything from this team that says they might be tired of losing to these teams (Tri..Port) and maybe want to beat them at some point?

SK: Well they looked that way at the end of the game. You would think you would come a little more pissed off to start the game. After the first 10 minutes we started getting tentative. You have to play with a chip on your shoulder every time.

MC: Is the idea tomorrow to play a physical game?

SK: You have to. You have to play smart. There is a fine line between being physical and running out of position but when there is a time to be physical you have to be.

Plus side:

Pickard and Honey. Two of only a few guys who put in a solid 60 minutes tonight. Pickard kept them in the game and Honey helped give them some late life.

Minus side:

53 shots against. The Ams had 40 shots before the second period was over. Terrible defense and just not enough effort to keep the Ams talented forwards off the puck.

Can't finish. When it really would have mattered early in the game the Birds had several scoring chances and couldn't find a way to put the puck in the net.

Lack of physical play. I'm sure they were told to be physical against this talented yet small Americans team yet after a decent start they abandoned that game and let Tri use their speed and skill. Way too much time and space allowed for some very skilled forwards.

Which team was banged up? You would think it were the Birds but it was the Ams who were missing some players and had to skate 19 guys while double shifting and playing three lines. Didn't matter though.

No desperation. Where is the heart, the desperation? The Birds are in the final month of the season and need points desperately but too many guys aren't giving their best effort. If they had seven or eight more guys playing like Honey they would be in much better shape.

Game Notes:

-F Connor Sanvido was sent home.

-F Colin Jacobs and D Brad Deagle were scratches.

-The Birds drop to 11-17-0-1 at home. They have lost nine of their last 10 home games. They are now 1-7 against Tri after losing the last seven games against them (1-3 home, 0-4 road).

-Calvin Pickard falls to 20-30-1-1. Eric Comrie improves to 17-5-1-1.

Thunderbirds second half record: 7-18-1.

PLAYOFF CHASE:

7. Seattle...loss tonight..(20 wins..42 points...15 games left)

8. Victoria..win tonight..(18 wins..42 points...14 games left)

9. Everett..loss tonight..(15 wins..39 points..15 games left)

10. Prince George..loss tonight..(18 wins..38 points..16 games left)

710Sports.com three stars:

First star: Connor Rankin (two goals, +3 rating)

Second star: Brendan Shinnimin (two goals, assist, +3 rating)

Third star: Connor Honey (goal and assist)

The Thunderbirds play Saturday at 3 pm in Portland against the Winterhawks. The action can be heard live at 710Sports.com.

Game summary is on the WHL website.

twitter @mike710espn

mike.caccioppoli@yahoo.com

By Mike Caccioppoli

(20-34-1-1) Seattle Thunderbirds 4, (24-25-3-5) Kelowna Rockets 3

It feels great especially after losing eight in a row. We have confidence. Coach just said the other day that we have to figure it out now or never. We don't want to be there with two games left and hoping for a playoff spot, we want to be there now...Connor Honey

They scored the first goal, we kept going. Special teams were huge. If they get that second goal on the power play it could be a different situation. We get a power play goal and are right back in the game. We came out the right way. I would have liked to see a little more..it seems like we relaxed a little bit at times instead of just bearing down all the way through...Head Coach Steve Konowalchuk

KENT- They certainly don't come easy for the Thunderbirds these days and Tuesday nights tilt against the Rockets was no different as a two goal Seattle lead evaporated when a penalty shot goal with 53 seconds left sent the game into overtime.

Seattle leads the league in winning percentage in the shootout and they increased that lead when Colin Jacobs and Connor Honey scored while Calvin Pickard stopped both shooters. With the win the Birds break an eight game home losing streak.

The Rockets got a quick 1-0 lead when a failure to clear out the puck resulted in a somewhat controversial goal as the puck was batted out of the air and into the net by Carter Rigby (17) at 1:34 of the first period.

Seattle tied it on the power play at 8:34. Branden Troock scored his 12th goal of the season. A flurry in front of the net that resulted in four shots on goal ended with Troock beating Jordon Cooke. Braeden Laroque got the assist.

Burke Gallimore scored a four on four goal to give the Birds a 2-1 lead. He had lost the puck in the offensive zone but recovered it and broke in and put it top left corner to notch his 19th goal of the season. The unassisted goal was scored at 12:26.

The Birds continued to control play and a giveaway in front of Cooke allowed Justin Hickman to net his 11th goal of the season and put Seattle up 3-1 at 17:40. Jacob Doty and Tyler Alos had the assists.

Probably the best first period the Birds have had in a long time. Along with the 3-1 lead they also outshot Kelowna 11-7.

The Birds came out a bit sloppy in the second period and after not registering any shots on a power play chance the Rockets made it a 3-2 game whenZach Franko notched his 8th goal of the season at 5:50.

After 40 minutes the Birds had a 3-2 edge and were outshooting the Rockets 19-17.

Kelowna got a power play opportunity with 1:41 left in the third period and with 53 seconds left they were awarded a penalty shot when the refs ruled that the net was intentionally knocked off its moorings.

Myles Bell (12) beat Calvin Pickard to tie the game 3-3 and the game would end up going to overtime.

No scoring in OT so the game went to the shootout.

The Birds win 4-3 with Colin Jacobs and Connor Honey scoring and Pickard stopping both Kelowna shooters.

Post game Q and A with Connor Honey:

MC: How does it feel to know that if you score (in the shootout) you will win the game?

CH: It felt pretty good. I wanted to make it really simple. I don't have the hands like Colin (Jacobs). I just wanted to win one for the team. Thanks to the coach for giving me the opportunity.

MC: Were you thinking about how you were going to beat him?

CH: I was thinking backhand roof from the get go but he's a small goalie and quick so I decided to get him on his knees and go backhand. I got a little lucky on that but it happens.

MC: Were you guys a little down after that penalty shot goal?

CH: Oh heck yeah. That was frustrating especially when we have a minute left and you think we are going to win it but we battled through adversity and that's just one of the wins we need to have going through the stretch here.

MC: Did the coach say anything after the third period?

CH: He said 'just relax boys relax'. We just needed to battle through it.

MC: Does it feel good to get a win at home?

CH: It feels great especially after losing eight in a row. We have confidence. Coach just said the other day that we have to figure it out now or never. We don't want to be there with two games left and hoping for a playoff spot, we want to be there now.

Post game Q and A with Head Coach Steve Konowalchuk:

MC: How does it feel to get that first home win of 2012?

SK: It feels good. Harder than it had to be. We were going ok until the penalty (with 1:41 left).

MC: Probably one of the better first periods the team has had recently.

SK: It was good. They scored the first goal, we kept going. Special teams was huge. If they get that second goal on the power play it could be a different situation. We get a power play goal and are right back in the game. We came out the right way. I would have liked to see a little more..it seems like we relaxed a little bit at times instead of just bearing down all the way through.

MC: It seemed like you guys came out a bit flat in the second period. There were several icing calls early and then a power play chance with no shots and then they scored.

SK: I thought the first half of the second period we were a bit..inexperienced with that killer instinct. You can't let up for one second. If we get a goal on that power play we can go up 4-1.

MC: You can say these two teams are pretty evenly matched and all four games against them were close games.

SK: They've all been good games. The scoring has been pretty even. They don't quit. I liked a lot of things tonight. You have to win to learn how to win too.

MC: Is it frustrating that you watch the first 18:30 of the third period and the refs don't call anything then they decide to call a penalty and a penalty shot at the end?

SK: We deserved the penalty with 1:41 left. The penalty shot doesn't even frustrate me. But if you are going to call those then you have to call the trip on Gallimore in overtime. We should have had a four on three power play there.

MC: How do you make the decision on who goes in the shootout?

SK: You watch in practice and it's some of that and also a gut feeling.

MC: You are top in the league in winning percentage in the shootout.

SK: Well when you have Picks back there, he's good in the shootout and we have some guys that can score too.

MC: You see the special teams coming around now?

SK: I do. It's going to be a big part. We have to be tight five on five but special teams will have to keep pitching in.

MC: How do you take this momentum into Friday against Tri?

SK: It will take itself. We should be a little more relaxed and confident and we'll take it from there.

Plus side:

A home win! After eight straight losses on home ice the Birds get their first win in 2012 at the ShoWare Center.

Out of the gates strong. Something that has been an issue for Seattle this season. Tonight they have a solid opening 20 minutes and they needed it to get the two points.

Controlling play. Certainly wasn't the case for 60 minutes but the Birds were able to control play for stretches and cut down on their D zone issues for the most part.

More Honey. Quickly becoming a fan favorite Connor gets the game winner in the shootout after another solid effort all night. In fact the younger guys had a rebound game after the previous two losses.

Calvin in the shootout. Pickard is now 6-1 in the shootout after winning his last five. He hasn't allowed one goal in those five wins.

Minus side:

No killer instinct. Up 3-1 the Birds allow Kelowna to eventually tie the game. After scoring three goals in the first period Seattle doesn't score again until the shootout. They need to learn how to finish off a team when they are down. Almost seemed like they thought they had the game won after 20 minutes. Kelowna was without several key players as well.

Bad penalties. I'm going to get to the officiating shortly but the penalty with 1:41 left was a bad one for Jacobs to take. He's done that more than once late in a game or in overtime. It almost cost them the game tonight.

Officiating. That penalty shot might not have disturbed Konowalchuk but I thought it was a bogus call by Sean Raphael. You have two teams that are playing a hard fought game then you decide to interject yourself and a give a team a chance to tie the game on a penalty shot because you think the net was purposely knocked off. That was at least the third time in the game the net was knocked off..why was it intentional this time? The Rockets were already on the power play so let them try to tie it themselves. The fans came to see two teams play a hard, tough game not to watch Raphael make a bad call and try to become the story.

Game Notes:

-F Connor Sanvido, D Jared Hauf and D Evan Wardley were healthy scratches.

-The Birds improve to 11-16-0-1 at home. They finish 3-1 against Kelowna (1-1 home, 2-0 road).

-Calvin Pickard improves to 20-29-1-1. Jordon Cooke falls to 6-6-2-3.

Thunderbirds second half record: 7-17-1.

PLAYOFF CHASE:

7. Seattle...win tonight..(20 wins..42 points..16 games left)

8. Victoria..no game..(17 wins..40 points..16 games left)

9. Everett..no game..(15 wins..39 points...16 games left)

10. Prince George..no game..(17 wins..36 points..18 games left)

710Sports.com three stars:

First star: Branden Troock (power play goal)

Second star: Justin Hickman (goal, +1 rating)

Third star: Madison Bowey (assist, + 2 rating)

The Thunderbirds play Friday night at the ShoWare Center against the Tri-City Americans. Game time is 7:35 pm and the action can be heard live at 710Sports.com.

Game summary is on the WHL website.

twitter @mike710espn

mike.caccioppoli@yahoo.com

By Mike Caccioppoli

(37-15-2-1) Portland Winterhawks 7, (19-34-1-1) Seattle Thunderbirds 2

Our D didn't have their legs, a couple of them did. Some of them didn't have their legs, you can tell they are mentally tired right now. It's not an excuse but they didn't have the jump they needed and with a team as good as (Portland) they will expose you.

I wouldn't say we aren't confident (about making the playoffs) but I wouldn't say we are as confident as we need to be. We can go out there and play some good hockey. Still we have shot ourselves in the foot. A lot of these games are basically one goal games. Our PK and PP have never been better, now we need to get on track five on five....Head Coach Steve Konowalchuk

KENT- It was another night of defensive woes for the Thunderbirds and the Winterhawks took advantage by scoring seven goals and registering 48 shots on their way to an easy 7-2 victory.

It was a sloppy game by a Seattle team that can ill afford any more sloppy games. Calvin Pickard had to be pulled after Portland's sixth goal and the Birds only managed 20 shots on net.

The Birds troubles getting the puck out of the defensive zone led to a few good scoring chances for Portland and they scored when Cam Reid (6) buried one right post and past Calvin Pickard at 8:20 of the first period.

Portland took a 2-0 lead at 16:22. Brendan Leipsic scored as he was falling down, and it was his 20th goal of the season.

Along with the 2-0 lead the Winterhawks also outshot Seattle 18-6 through 20 minutes.

A series of deflections in front of Mac Carruth led to the Birds first goal of the game at 2:22 of the first period. Burke Gallimore scored his 20th goal of the season. Colin Jacobs and Shea Theodore had the assists.

Portland got the two goal lead back at 5:10 and then took a 4-1 lead just 20 seconds later. Cam Reid scored his 2nd goal of the game and 7th of the season just before Oliver Gabriel notched his 10th goal of the season.

As the Hawks continued to dictate play Sven Bartschi scored his 20th goal of the season to put them up 5-1 at 12:49.

A power play goal by Ty Rattie (44) gave Portland a 6-1 lead at 15:14 and led to Pickard being pulled and Daniel Cotton taking over in net.

Along with being down by five goals after 40 minutes Seattle was also being outshot 32-12.

The Winterhawks second power play goal in as many chances gave them a 7-1 lead at 7:04 of the third period. Cam Reid (8) scored the Hat Trick.

The streak of five unanswered goal for the Hawks came to an end when Luke Lockhart scored his 11th goal of the season at 9:40 to make it a 7-2 game. It was a power play goal and the assists went to Brendan Rouse and Seth Swenson.

That's the way it would end with the Birds dropping their 8th straight home game.

Post game Q and A with Head Coach Steve Konowalchuk:

MC: My game story lead tonight was about the defensive woes. I guess you would agree with that?

SK: Our D didn't have their legs, a couple of them did. Some of them didn't have their legs, you can tell they are mentally tired right now. It's not an excuse but they didn't have the jump they needed and with a team as good as (Portland) they will expose you.

MC: It seemed like there were so many odd man rushes tonight.

SK: They make good outlet passes but our D has to have a better awareness.

MC: At times they just went around our defense.

SK: They are a top end offensive team and we didn't have our legs on the back end collectively and that's a bad combination.They exposed us because we didn't have our legs.

MC: You had a good defensive effort in Kelowna. Do you feel these last two games have been a real set back?

SK:Well..yeah. We played good in Kelowna, Spokane was able to generate some stuff against us. It's still those one on one breakdowns.. one on one. We have to continue to teach guys and work with guys to be better.

MC: Is it disappointing that with 17 games left guys haven't 'gotten it' yet. Making the same mistakes?

SK: I don't know if its been disappointing. I see some progress with a lot of our guys. You look back at our younger guys and where they started and there has been progress. We have shown progress in some of the games recently but we still have to be able to do it better consistently.

MC: Young guys like Hauf and Theodore have played a lot of minutes. Is that a concern at this point in the season?

SK: I think it's good for them. They have done a really good job up until the last couple of games. They have done as much as any 16 year olds on the back end can be asked to do . It's caught up to them a bit lately. We've gone through a tough stretch of games here lately. We've got a breather here now. It's time to get them focused, get their legs back under them.

MC: It has to be a catch 22 for a coach because this is the time of year you want your team playing the best yet the young guys aren't used to playing so many minutes so you are kind of caught in between.

SK: This is our team. They are the first to know that I'm not happy with the way the game went. But they are good kids.. and that's exactly what they are. They are going to rebound and be good for us down the stretch. We had a very casual schedule the first half. This has been travel.. hockey.. travel ..hockey.. and for the younger guys it's showing a bit, for some of them. It's a tough job on the back end.

MC: Are you happy with the older guys?

SK: Sometimes. Lately its been better but I expect guys like Gallimore, Jacobs, and Lund and some of these guys to pick up their games at times, yes.

MC: Obviously another thing that adds to the pressure is that you are playing 'must win' games now because of the playoff chase.

SK: Oh yeah. It's a whole new thing they are looking at. That's why our older guys have to step up down the stretch. The young guys being such a big part of the team I don't think in midget hockey you really worry about a playoff stretch. Here it's a whole different learning curve and something in the end they will be better for.

MC: Honestly, is this team still confident about making the playoffs at this point?

SK: I wouldn't say we aren't confident but I wouldn't say we are as confident as we need to be. We can go out there and play some good hockey. Still we have shot ourselves in the foot. A lot of these games are basically one goal games. Our PK and PP have never been better, now we need to get on track five on five.

MC: Is Tuesday's game a 'must win' game?

SK: We figure we need to win 7-9 games to get into the playoffs. So is it a must win? No because you have more games. As the games go by it gets more urgent. It's a big (game), we want to win but we are looking at needing 7-9 wins.

Plus side:

None.

Minus side:

Defense? A real step back for the defense tonight as Portland skates circles around them. Mistakes in the neutral and defensive zone lead to way too many odd man rushes and breakaways. Portland really seemed to take advantage of every mistake.

48-20. One of many lopsided shot totals this season for the Birds. Really nothing was working tonight and because of all the time spent in the D zone they had very few scoring chances.

8 in a row. At a time when they should be playing their best hockey at home the Birds have lost eight straight and haven't won a home game since late December.

Tired blue liners. The young guys on the blue line have looked tired lately and their games have suffered for it. Not being used to playing so many games especially with the tough schedule as of late has taken its toll.

Veterans. If the older guys on the team were playing to their potential this season there wouldn't be as much pressure on the younger players. It all goes hand in hand. The vets need to step it up.

Game Notes:

-F Jacob Doty, F Connor Sanvido and D Evan Wardley were healthy scratches.

-Seattle falls to 10-16-0-1 at home. They are now 1-7 against Portland (1-4 home, 0-3 road). They have lose five straight to the Hawks.

-Calvin Pickard drops to 19-29-1-1. Mac Carruth improves to 34-13-1.

Thunderbirds second half record: 6-17-1.

PLAYOFF CHASE:

7. Seattle.. Loss tonight (19 wins...40 points..17 games left)

8. Victoria ..no game...(17 wins..40 points..16 games left)

9. Everett...win tonight..(15 wins..39 points...16 games left)

10. Prince George..loss tonight..(17 wins...36 points..18 games left)

710Sports.com three stars:

First star: Cam Reid (Hat Trick, assist,+3 rating)

Second star: Brendan Leipsic (goal, two assists, + 2 rating)

Third star: Oliver Gabriel (goal, two assists, +2 rating)

The Thunderbirds play Tuesday night at the ShoWare Center against the Kelowna Rockets. Game time is 7:05 pm and the action can be heard live at 710Sports.com.

Game summary is on the WHL website.

twitter @mike710espn

mike.caccioppoli@yahoo.com

By Mike Caccioppoli

(31-16-4-3) Spokane Chiefs 5, (19-33-1-1) Seattle Thunderbirds 4

SPOKANE- The good news is that the Birds power play has suddenly come to life, the bad news is their defensive zone play continues to fall short and therefore a four goal night wasn't enough as Seattle loses for the second time in five days to the Chiefs.

A pair of power play goals and a shorthanded goal gave the Birds a chance to win but their five on five play was lackluster as they were outscored 5-1 in that category.

The Chiefs went up 1-0 at 14:59 of the first period.Dylan Walchuk scored his 6th goal of the season.

The Birds had some chances on back to back power play opportunities and while they had some good pressure they couldn't put one past Mac Engel.

Seattle was down 1-0 after 20 minutes and were being outshot 8-6.

Colin Jacobs (7) tied the game on the power play at 4:17 of the second period. The Birds had a five on three advantage and Shea Theodore took a feed from Calvin Pickard and made a great pass to Jacobs who shot it past Engel. Theodore and Pickard got the assists.

Another great pass from Theodore got the Birds up 2-1 as Burke Gallimore (19) scored their second power play goal of the game at 5:03. Theodore and Jacobs got the assists.

That 2-1 lead quickly turned into a 3-2 deficit as some sloppy play in their own end cost Seattle. First it was Mike Aviani (11) scoring at 9:08 then Collin Valcourt scored his 13th goal of the season at 11:17 when the puck wasn't cleared out of the zone.

Brendan Rouse (4) scored an unassisted shorthanded goal to tie the game 3-3 at 16:54.

A great special teams period for the Birds but not in the five on five category. The game was tied 3-3 after two periods with Spokane outshooting Seattle 24-11 including 16-5 in the period.

Branden Troock gave the Birds a 4-3 lead at 4:40 of the third period. It was his 10th of the season. Brad Deagle got the assists.

That lead lasted all of 1:07 as Marek Kalus (15) tied the game 4-4. Then Spokane took a 5-4 lead when Cole Wedman scored his 2nd goal of the season at 6:22.

Seattle pulled Pickard with just over a minute to play and had some chances to tie the game but failed to bury the puck and they lose 5-4.

Plus side:

Special teams. For the second straight game the Birds special teams were good. They were 2 for 5 on the power play and a perfect 5 for 5 on the penalty kill (including a shorthanded goal).

4 goals. The offense due in large part to the power play was able to do some damage.

Minus side:

Failure along the boards. Losing too many battles along the boards in their own zone which led to pucks ending up in the back of their net. The Birds fail to put together back to back solid defensive efforts.

Giving back the lead. While it was a back and forth game, the Birds gave back two leads by allowing very fast back to back goals by the Chiefs. The worst being the 4-3 lead they had in the third period only to give up a pair of goals in less than a minute which would end up costing them the game.

5 on 5 play. There is a reason why the Chiefs have so many plus rating players while the Birds have mostly minus players. Spokane scored five even strength goals while Seattle only scored one.

Not enough shots. Yes the Birds scored four goals but they only managed 20 shots. Mac Engel did not have a good game and if the Birds had managed more shots the result may have been different.

Another one goal loss. As has been the case in the second half of the season Seattle loses another close game. With only 18 games left there are no moral victories.

No points. The Birds need to learn how to get at least a point out of these games. If you look at the other teams fighting with them for a playoff spot those loser points could end up being the difference in the end.

Game Notes:

-F Connor Sanvido, D Evan Wardley and D Jared Hauf were healthy scratches.

-Seattle drops to 9-18-1 on the road. They are 1-4 against Spokane (0-2 home, 1-2 road).

-Calvin Pickard falls to 19-28-1-1. Mac Engel improves to 23-14-1-2.

Thunderbirds second half record: 6-16-1.

710Sports.com three stars:

First star: Davis Vandane (three assists..+3 rating)

Second star: Colin Jacobs (goal, assist)

Third star: Collin Valcourt (goal, assist..+3 rating)

The Thuunderbirds play Saturday night at the ShoWare Center against the Portland Winterhawks. Game time is 7:05 pm and the action can be heard live at 710Sports.com.

Game Summary is on the WHL website.

twitter @mike710espn

mike.caccioppoli@yahoo.com

By Mike Caccioppoli

(19-32-1-1) Seattle Thunderbirds 2, (24-24-2-4) Kelowna Rockets 0

KELOWNA- Behind a 32 save shutout by Calvin Pickard the Thunderbirds special teams comes up big as two third period power play goals propel them to a win against the Rockets. The Birds six game losing streak comes to an end.

The Birds came out fairly strong but lost some of that momentum after only getting one shot on their first power play chance. The Rockets dominated the second half of the period and outshot Seattle 12-6 in a scoreless first period.

The game remained scoreless after 40 minutes. The Birds had to kill off six minutes of power play time for the Rockets. Seattle's best chance to score came on their own power play late in the period and Jordon Cooke made a superb glove save, robbing Seth Swenson of a goal.

Shots through two periods were 23-17 in favor of Kelowna.

There were 47 seconds remaining on the power play for the Birds to begin the third period and Seth Swenson scored his 6th goal of the season to give Seattle a 1-0 lead. Shea Theodore and Connor Honey got the assists.

Colin Jacobs (6) put the Birds up 2-0 when he scored a power play goal at 8:55. Burke Gallimore and Shea Theodore got the assists.

A late power play chance for Kelowna allowed them to play the last 1:10 with a six on four advantage after pulling their goalie. Seattle was able to kill off the penalty and the final seconds as they break their six game losing streak with the 2-0 victory.

Plus side:

Special teams. We haven't been able to put the special teams on the plus side much this season but tonight it certainly belongs here. They were 2 for 3 on the power play while Kelowna was 0 for 5.

Pickard. Calvin registered his 4th shutout of the season, a career high as he stopped all 32 shots.

Third period. The game was scoreless going into the third period and the Birds outshot Kelowna 13-9 while scoring two goals.

60 Minutes. Seattle plays a full 60 minutes of hockey. No issues with turnovers or lazy passing. The question is can they put in this kind of effort the rest of the way. This team can ill afford another extended losing streak.

Theodore. A tough game for Shea in Spokane on Monday night and he rebounds with a two point night.

Minus side:

None.

Game Notes:

-F Connor Sanvido, D Jared Hauf and D Evan Wardley were healthy scratches.

-F/D Mitch Elliot played his second game on the blue line.

-Seattle improves to 9-17-1 on the road. They are 2-1 vs. Kelowna (2-0 road, 0-1 home).

-Calvin Pickard improves to 19-27-1-1. Jordon Cooke falls to 6-6-2-2.

Thunderbirds second half record: 6-15-1.

710Sports.com three stars:

First star: Calvin Pickard (32 save shutout)

Second star: Shea Theodore (two assists)

Third star: Cason Machacek (solid effort both ends of the ice)

The Thunderbirds play Friday night in Spokane against the Chiefs. Game time is 7:05 pm and the action can be heard live at 710Sports.com.

Game summary is on the WHL website.

twitter @mike710espn

mike.caccioppoli@yahoo.com

By Mike Caccioppoli

(30-16-4-3) Spokane Chiefs 7, (18-32-1-1)Seattle Thunderbirds 3

SPOKANE- A three game road trip started poorly for the Birds as bad special teams play and too many turnovers allowed the Chiefs to score seven goals and extend Seattle's latest losing streak to six games.

The Birds got on the board first only to see the Chiefs tie the game just 12 seconds later. Brendan Rouse (3) scored at 5:04 with assists from Connor Honey and Branden Troock. Blake Gal (11) scored unassisted at 5:16 after Brad Deagle turned the puck over.

Davis Vandane (2) gave the Chiefs a 2-1 lead at 14:19 with Connor Honey (4) answering that goal at 15:48 to knot the game at 2-2. It was unassisted.

Brenden Kichton (13) put the Chiefs up 3-2 when he scored on the power play with just 23 seconds left in the period. The goal came with Spokane having only a nine second power play after four on four action.

Seattle outshot the Chiefs 16-14 but were down 3-2 after 20 minutes.

Seattle had a couple of power play chances in the second period and couldn't get anything going because of some lazy passing.

The Birds continued to trail 3-2 after 40 minutes. Spokane led 22-20 in shots.

Marek Kalus (14) scored on the power play at 1:44 of the third period to give the Chiefs a 4-2 lead.

Justin Hickman (10) got the Birds to within a goal at 4-3 at 8:17. Brad Deagle and Dillon Wagner got the assists.

Spokane gets their two goal lead back at 10:01. Darren Kramer scored his 19th goal of the season.

A shorthanded goal for the Chiefs gave them a 6-3 lead at 13:02.Connor Chartier scored his 4th goal of the season.

Mike Aviani (10) made it a 7-3 Chiefs lead at 16:37.

Seattle loses 7-3 and has now dropped 16 of their last 18 games.

Plus side:

More Honey. Connor continues his hot streak with a goal and assist.

Minus side:

Special teams. It was the difference in the game as Seattle went 0 for 6 on the power play (allowed a shorthanded goal as well) while Spokane was 2 for 4. This has been a theme most of the season for the Birds.

Lazy passes. Lazy passing is hurting the Birds in both their own zone which leads to turnovers and on the power play which has caused turnovers in the neutral zone and the inability to gain the zone.

Defensive zone play. From the crease on out the Birds had all kinds of trouble. The majority of the Chiefs goals were a result of sloppy play inside their blue line.

Can't put it all together. Seattle just can't put together a full 60 minutes of solid strong hockey. Whether it be special teams or missed scoring chances or bad turnovers, it's all going wrong for the Birds right now.

Right direction? After back to back solid efforts the Birds regress and make those mistakes that have been killing them all season long.

Gallimore. Burke is now taking lots of penalties and not scoring. His inconsistent play this season is really starting to show now. He even got a dirty look from Konowalchuk during the game. Why not sit him and play Elliot or Doty? CORRECTION: Well not so much a correction as a better description. I said that Konowalchuk gave Gallimore a "dirty" look. That is how I interpreted it.. this is what happened....On the power play Gallimore was behind the Spokane goal and backhanded a pass back to the point...but no one was at the point so the puck ended up all the way down at the other end of the ice. As the puck went by the Birds bench Steve looked back in the direction of Gallimore as to say "What were you doing there?" This is how it was described. You can make up your own mind as to whether it was a "dirty" look or not.

More bad numbers. Seattle has now lost six straight games and 16 of 18 overall. They have only won five games (11 points) since the break.

Game Notes:

- F Jacob Doty, F Mitch Elliot and D Evan Wardley were healthy scratches.

- Seattle drops to 8-17-1 on the road. They are 1-3 against Spokane (0-2 home, 1-1 road).

- Calvin Pickard falls to 18-27-1-1 .Eric Williams improves to 14-17-3-2.

Thunderbirds second half record: 5-15-1

710Sports.com three stars:

First star: Mike Aviani (goal, two assists, +1 rating)

Second star: Darren Kramer (goal, assist, + 1 rating)

Third star: Connor Honey (goal, assist, +2 rating)

Thunderbirds play Wednesday night in Kelowna against the Rockets. Game time is 7:05 pm and the action can be heard live at 710Sports.com.

Game Summary is on the WHL website.

twitter @mike710espn

mike.caccioppoli@yahoo.com

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Mike Caccioppoli

Mike Caccioppoli covers the Seattle Thunderbirds for MyNorthwest.com. A lifelong hockey fan and native of Brooklyn, Mike has also covered the NHL's Rangers for WABC Radio in New York.

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