Olen Zellweger in action against the Seattle Thunderbirds in Game 1 of the WHL Western Conference Championship. (Photo via Brian Liesse)
Jared Davison scored twice and added an assist as the Seattle Thunderbirds beat the Kamloops Blazers 5-1 in Game 1 of the WHL Western Conference Championship.
The Thunderbirds stayed perfect at 9-0 in the 2023 playoffs while Blazers dropped to 8-1. It’s the second time Seattle has started the playoffs with nine straight wins, having done so in 2017 as well en route to winning the only Ed Chynoweth Cup in franchise history.
Davidson struck first for Seattle, scoring the only goal of the first period with three minutes left to play to give the Thunderbirds the 1-0 lead after 20 minutes.
Nico Myatovic doubled Seattle’s lead midway through the second before Olen Zellweger cut the lead in half when he put the Blazers on the board with his eighth goal of the playoffs.
Zellweger’s goal was his 30th as a Kamloops Blazer – 22 in the regular season and eight in the playoffs – since January’s blockbuster trade with Everett.
Olen Zellweger now has 30 goals as a Kamloops Blazer.
Olen Zellweger has been a Kamloops Blazer for three months and 21 days.@blazerhockey | @AnaheimDucks#WHLPlayoffs | #FeedingTheFuture pic.twitter.com/PlZ2rNMj9k
— The WHL (@TheWHL) April 30, 2023
It was all Seattle in the third period as Dylan Guenther, Davidson, and Gracyn Sawchyn – on the power play – found the back of the net to put the game out of the Blazers’ reach.
Blazers trailed 2-1 mid-third and had their PP chance. Didn’t score. Turned a puck over next shift to the wrong line. 3-1 at that point and it was basically over.
Shots 35-25 SEA.
Blazers can be way better, and will have to be at their best to win this series.— Jon Keen (@JonKeenNLSports) April 30, 2023
Dylan Ernst turned aside 30 of 35 shots in a losing effort – the first of his WHL career. Seattle’s Thomas Milic made 24 saves on 25 shots to take the win.
Game 2 of the series goes Sunday afternoon at the accesso ShoWare Center. Note the change in start time as the puck will drop an hour earlier at 4:05 p.m., with pre-game coverage on Radio NL beginning at 3:30 p.m.
‼️**Time Change Alert**‼️
Tomorrow’s game two in Kent will now start 4:05PM.
5:05PM ➡️ 4:05PM pic.twitter.com/kSCaNjJFPn— Kamloops Blazers (@blazerhockey) April 29, 2023
Games 3 and 4 will be played at Sandman Centre on Tuesday, May 2, and Thursday, May 4, respectively.
