T-birds blow past Oil Kings in third period, 8-2

Jim O'Brien scored twice and the Seattle Thunderbirds erupted for five goals in the third period Tuesday night against Edmonton.

The T-birds drilled the Oil Kings 8-2, their highest-scoring output in what has been a difficult beginning to Seattle's Western Hockey League season.

"I think we've been playing a lot better lately," O'Brien said. "We had a rough start, no doubt, and I think this is a turning point."

The T-birds, who play 26 of their first 34 games on the road until they move to the Kent Events Center in January, are 3-1-0-0 at home, 5-10-1-1 overall.

O'Brien, a first-round draft pick of the Ottawa Senators, gave the T-birds a lead with his sixth goal of the season at 18:57 of the first period. He then scored again to make it 3-1 for the T-birds with only 29 seconds left in the second.

The T-birds then exploded with five goals in the third period.

There were only 2,791 at KeyArena on election night to watch Greg Scott score on a penalty shot, one of his two goals in the third period. Prab Rai had a goal and two assists and Devon LeBlanc and Sena Acolotse also scored for the T-birds.

Edmonton fell to 8-11-1-1.

Seattle coach Rob Sumner saw improvement for the T-birds, especially the third and fourth goals of the season for Scott, who had 38 last season.

"Our older guys were good tonight," Sumner said. "Rai [who had his team-high 11th goal of the season] was the best player on the ice. He's really been excellent for us lately."

Sumner said he wasn't starting to think about all those home games in the season's second half.

"With our schedule the way it is, we just have to concentrate on getting better," Sumner said.

Source: seattletimes.nwsource.com