Kozun, Hickman Lead Seattle To Shootout Win Over Red Deer

By Anthony Dion

For as good as Taran Kozun played Tuesday night, the 20-year-old netminder still needed help to lift the Thunderbirds to a 3-2 shootout win over Red Deer.

Late in the third period as the Rebels’ attack swarmed Seattle’s defense, Kozun had a shot ricochet off his left shoulder and off the far post. It was just one of Kozun’s 37 saves and helped maintain a 2-2 tie. After a scoreless five-minute overtime period, Justin Hickman added to his two earlier goals with the lone shootout goal to cap the victory at the ShoWare Center.

“I’m just thanking the post after that one,” Kozun said. “I had to make some big saves at the end there and I was making them, so I was having a blast.”

Seattle (7-6-2-1) took a 2-0 lead thanks to two goals from its captain in a physical affair early. Five fights in the first 21 minutes of play set the tone for a hard-nosed, gritty game between two inter-conference opponents that rarely see one another. The Rebels of the WHL’s Central Division won 5-1 in the teams’ lone meeting last season.

Playing with Mathew Barzal and Ryan Gropp primarily, the 20-year-old Hickman beat Red Deer (8-7-1-1) goalie Rylan Toth at 15:45 of the first period and again at 1:46 of the second. Hickman found some space as he circled towards the left point and cut in at the left face-off circle for his first goal. His shot beat Toth over his left shoulder.

“It was a fun first period to play in,” Hickman said. “I think there (were) five fights . . . It’s good to see all the boys giving it up for the team.”

Seattle head coach Steve Konowalchuk thought his veterans had the team ready to establish their identity at home against a solid Eastern Conference team in the Rebels.

“They came out in the first two periods and played really good hockey,” Konowalchuk said. “Neither team wanted to back down and it was a good hockey game.”

Seattle’s strong penalty kill, ranked ninth in the WHL with an 82 percent success rate entering Tuesday, was instrumental in holding its lead. The physical play resulted in five power-play opportunities, including a 5-on-3 chance, through the first two periods and the T-Birds killed each one. Coach Konowalchuk praised his team’s effort, particularly the willingness to block shots.

“Huge,” Konowalchuk said. “We took a couple of penalties that were undisciplined penalties. (I) can’t say enough about the way (Jerret) Smith and (Scott) Eansor (were) blocking shots there.”

“It really gets the bench up and we start going to work,” added Hickman of the penalty kill effort.

But Red Deer didn’t need the man advantage to make it a new game in the early minutes of the third period. Shortly after Hickman tapped in a rebound off Ethan Bear’s shot at 1:46 in the second period, Austin Strand found teammate Adam Musil with a stellar cross-ice pass for the Rebels’ first goal. The pass found Musil open on the near post as a late-reacting Kozun couldn’t defend the open side of the net at 3:17.

A T-Birds turnover while on the power play at 4:45 in the third period led to the tying goal. The puck escaped Barzal deep in the Seattle zone where a waiting Brooks Maxwell sent a rocket past Kozun. It was a harbinger of events in the period. Red Deer dominated puck possession while out-shooting the T-Birds 17-8. If not for the superior effort of Kozun, any one of a number of excellent scoring chances for Red Deer would’ve spelled defeat.

“Really, really good game from Kozun. He’s a good goalie,” Konowalchuk said.

The win sends Seattle, last in the U.S. Division, on a long six-game road trip through the Eastern Conference with some needed confidence. The T-Birds begin the trip in Prince Albert Friday, before ultimately finishing November 16 at Swift Current. It’s a trip that many of the players look forward to having grown up in that part of the world where hockey is religion.

“It’s a tough trip with the travel and all the games,” Hickman said. “But it should be fun for the guys to go see . . . some of the old-time hockey buildings which (are) fun to play in.”

SCORING SUMMARY

First Period

1. SEA Justin Hickman (3) (Barzal, Ottenbreit), 15:45

Second Period

2. SEA Justin Hickman (4) (Bear, Smith), 1:46 (PP)

3. RD Adam Musil (7) (Strand), 3:17

Third Period

4. RD Brooks Maxwell (4), 4:49 (SH)

NOTES

Seattle re-assigned goaltender Logan Flodell, 17, to the Nipawin Hawks of the SJHL prior to Saturday’s game against Vancouver. Flodell made one start with the T-Birds, taking a 3-1 loss against Prince George. The move will allow Flodell to play more regularly . . . T-Birds D Shea Theodore is currently on a conditioning assignment with the Norfolk Admirals of the AHL after injuring his elbow in training camp with the Anaheim Ducks. His assignment is limited to 10 days with the Admirals before Anaheim must decide whether to add him to its roster or option him to Seattle . . . In addition to the absent Theodore, Seattle also scratched D Scott Allan, F Nick Holowko and F Nolan Volcan.

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