Kyle Crnkovic celebrates his second goal against the Peterborough Petes on May 27, 2023. (Photo via Candice Ward/CHL)
Kyle Crnkovic scored three times as the Seattle Thunderbirds used a four goal third period to get past a pesky Peterborough Petes team 6-3 in Saturday’s Memorial Cup opener for both teams.
Seattle, who beat the Blazers in the WHL Western Conference final earlier this month, trailed the Ontario Hockey League champions 1-0 and 2-1, but they refused to quit.
“In a tournament format, you want to get off on the right foot,” T-birds Head Coach Matt O’Dette said.
“Every game is magnified. Getting the win is important. We didn’t have our best game and sometimes you have to find a way to win and tonight we did that.”
J.R. Avon gave the Petes a 1-0 lead on a breakaway at 1:24 of the first period. Initially ruled out by the referees, the call was reversed after a video review showed the puck crossed the goal line.
#FueledbyPhilly prospect J.R. Avon goes forehand-backhand as he converts on the breakaway! #MemorialCup pic.twitter.com/YV1e1zv0Hd
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) May 27, 2023
Lucas Ciona tied the game 39 seconds into the second period, before Owen Beck went end-to-end to put the Petes back up 2-1 at 15:53.
#GoHabsGo prospect Owen Beck goes end-to-end! 😲 #MemorialCup pic.twitter.com/Enp69qQSRU
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) May 27, 2023
Less than a minute later Kyle Crnkovic tied it at 2-2, with the gave evenly poised after 40 minutes.
Crnkovic’s second of the game, 10 minutes into the third period, gave Seattle its first lead of the game before Nolan Allan made it 4-2 at 11:22, the first multi-goal lead of the night.
Avery Hayes pulled Peterborough back to within one with a power play goal at 13:56 but that is as close as the Petes got. Jordan Gustafson scored at 16:45 to make it 5-3 before Crnkovic iced it with his third goal – a short-handed effort into an empty net – at 18:26.
No excuse needed to re-watch Kyle Crnkovic’s #MemorialCup hat-trick 🎩🎩🎩 pic.twitter.com/S2O9AzX0oS
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) May 28, 2023
Thomas Milic, the WHL playoff MVP, turned aside 23 of 26 shots for the win, while Michael Simpson, the OHL playoff MVP, stopped 34 of 39 shots he faced.
Sunday’s action will see the Kamloops Blazers face off against the Petes in a 3 p.m. puck drop, with coverage on RadioNL beginning at 2:00 p.m. Both teams will be looking for their first win of the tournament after the Blazers fell 8-3 to the Quebec Remparts Friday.
The T-Birds will face the Remparts on Monday in a clash of 1-0 squads.
You can find a schedule of events and more of RadioNL’s coverage of the Memorial Cup here.
– With files from The Canadian Press
