O’Dette Identifies Crucial Factor in Thunderbirds’ Match Against Royals
The Seattle Thunderbirds found themselves on the wrong side of a 5-2 scoreline against the Victoria Royals on Saturday, extending a challenging start to the season that has seen them struggle with consistency. Despite the best efforts of their top players and a few strong moments of individual brilliance, the Thunderbirds couldn’t overcome their early mistakes or capitalize on crucial power-play opportunities. The loss dropped them to 5-11-2-1 on the season, a record that doesn’t reflect the talent and potential within the squad. In the aftermath of the game, Head Coach Matt O’Dette took a moment to reflect on the key factors that led to the Thunderbirds’ defeat, but he also maintained a positive outlook, emphasizing the lessons learned and the resilience his team is building as they continue to fight through a tough stretch.
One of the most critical moments of the game came in the opening period. For the 12th time this season, the Thunderbirds found themselves trailing after the first intermission. The Royals came out fast, and the Thunderbirds were unable to contain them early on. Victoria wasted little time in capitalizing on a power play, taking the lead with a goal in the first few minutes of the game. From there, they doubled their advantage with another even-strength goal, leaving Seattle in an early hole. For a team that has struggled to find consistency in the first periods of games, falling behind early has been a theme that has plagued the Thunderbirds all season.
Coach O’Dette pointed to the early deficit as one of the key factors in the game. “We’ve had our struggles with coming out strong in the first period,” O’Dette said after the game. “When you give up early goals, it can put you on your heels, especially against a team like Victoria, who is skilled and capitalizes on mistakes quickly. We’ve been working on improving our starts, and I thought we did some good things after those early goals, but the hole we dug was too deep to climb out of tonight.”
But despite the early setbacks, there were moments where Seattle showed resilience. After killing off a critical 5-on-3 power play early in the second period, the Thunderbirds found a glimmer of hope. The penalty kill, which had been under fire in recent games, came up big, preventing any damage during the two-man advantage. That gave Seattle some momentum and a sense of confidence as they moved back to even strength.
Shortly after that kill, the Thunderbirds earned their own power play chance. With Matej Pekar and Scott Ratzlaff working the puck around the perimeter, the Thunderbirds found an opening for Coster Dunn, who buried a one-timer past Royals goaltender Kamil Pasic to make it a 2-1 game. The goal was Dunn’s third of the weekend and his fifth of the season, and it provided a much-needed spark for the Thunderbirds. Dunn’s performance was a highlight in an otherwise disappointing game, as he continued to show the scoring touch that has made him one of the team’s most consistent offensive threats.
However, just as the Thunderbirds seemed poised to build some momentum, they gave up a goal 37 seconds after Dunn’s strike, allowing Victoria to regain their two-goal lead. That quick response by the Royals deflated Seattle’s hopes of a comeback, and the Thunderbirds would struggle to generate sustained offense for the rest of the game. Despite earning a couple of power-play chances in the final frame, they were unable to convert, and Victoria would eventually score two more goals in quick succession to seal the win.
The game ultimately slipped away from Seattle, but there were bright spots that O’Dette took note of. While the team couldn’t overcome the early hole they dug, they continued to fight until the final whistle. Brayden Holberton scored a late goal with just 19 seconds left in the game, a small consolation in what was otherwise a frustrating evening for the Thunderbirds. Holberton, who has been quietly effective this season, had a strong showing in limited ice time and his late goal was a testament to the team’s resolve to never quit, even when the game was well out of reach.
Seattle’s power play, which had been one of their strongest suits in recent games, also continued to be a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing performance. Despite failing to score on the two chances they had in the final period, the Thunderbirds still finished the night 1-for-4 with the man advantage, maintaining a strong power-play percentage of 29.1% for the season. O’Dette was quick to point out that the team’s special teams have been a strength, and they would need to continue to rely on it moving forward.
“We’ve got to take the positives where we can find them,” O’Dette said. “Our power play continues to click, and that’s something we can build on. We’ve got some skilled players who are really starting to find their rhythm with the man advantage, and that’s a huge part of the game. We know we’re capable of more, and we’ve got to stay positive and keep working at it.”
With the loss, Seattle’s record drops to 5-11-2-1, but O’Dette was careful not to let the negative results weigh too heavily on the team. He acknowledged that while the Thunderbirds have had their struggles, the season is still young, and there is plenty of time to improve. “We’ve got to stay with it. We’ve got a lot of young guys on this team who are learning how to play at this level,” O’Dette explained. “It’s going to take time, but we’ve got a group that’s hungry and committed to getting better. I’m confident that we’ll turn things around.”
Despite the loss, there were lessons to be learned. O’Dette emphasized the need for a stronger start to games, as the Thunderbirds had too often found themselves in a hole early, forcing them to chase the game. The team has to find a way to be more prepared mentally and physically in the first period, and O’Dette knows this will be an area of focus in the coming weeks.
“It’s all about putting a full 60-minute effort together,” he said. “We can’t afford to dig ourselves into holes, especially against teams like Victoria, who are very good at capitalizing on mistakes. We’ve got to be sharper from the drop of the puck and put ourselves in a position to compete right from the start.”
Looking ahead, the Thunderbirds will need to find consistency in their play as they continue their homestand. Seattle will play the Red Deer Rebels on Tuesday night at the accesso ShoWare Center, and O’Dette is hopeful that his team can build on the positives from the game against Victoria. Despite the setbacks, there is a sense of optimism in the locker room. The team is young, and there’s plenty of talent on the roster that just needs to be nurtured and developed. For O’Dette, it’s about creating a culture of improvement and teaching his players how to win consistently at this level.
“I believe in this group,” O’Dette said. “There’s a lot of talent here, and we just have to stay focused on the process. The results will come if we stay the course. We’ve got a lot of hockey left to play, and we’re just going to keep working hard and improving every day.”
Ultimately, while the Thunderbirds suffered another loss, the mentality in the locker room remains one of optimism and growth. The team knows that there’s work to do, but they’re confident that they have the pieces to compete. The road ahead will be challenging, but if the Thunderbirds can learn from their mistakes and build on their strengths, better days are ahead. As O’Dette put it, “It’s a marathon, not a sprint. We’ve got to keep working and keep believing in ourselves.”
Leave a Reply