Even though fans of the Seattle Thunderbirds are getting excited about the upcoming playoff games that are rapidly approaching this weekend, they can’t help but be saddened that the regular season is already over. The Birds played their final game on Sunday night, winning against the Portland Winterhawks with a score of 4-1. At this point, it’s pretty much just showing off as they have already secured their place in the playoff games and have proven over and over again that they are a team to contend with during the past few months.

As we near the playoffs, we can take a step back to see just how far the team has come this season and all of the incredible progress they’ve made.

The Birds are also boasting a record of 45-23-4-0, which makes this their second most successful year in the history of the team. Their record from 1989-90 stands at 52-17-3, making it a pretty close second season. The Birds also have the best penalty shot blocking record for the season, with a 85.3% success rate. Altogether, they have blocked 44 goals on 300 attempts, a feat we can definitely thank both Bow and Flodell for helping the team to achieve. In fact, Bow led the goaltenders this season in shutouts, racking up seven altogether, two of which he had before joining the T-Birds. Cory Hart was second in the league, just one shutout behind Bow. Flodell did well, too, with his three shutouts, and together they had the highest combined number of shutouts in the league this season.

Speaking of notable T-Birds, you can’t have that conversation this year without Matthew Barzal. Barzal tied for 11^th place in the league with his 27 goals and 61 assists, totaling 88 points for the season. Ethan Bear actually scored much higher among defensemen, ranking at number 5 in the league with his 19 goals and 46 assists for a total of 65 points. After scoring 70 power plays during the season, the Thunderbirds also had the third best power play overall, only behind the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Kelowna Rockets in total power play scoring.

The Birds have just won 17 out of their last 19 games, with 14 of those won consecutively. They definitely have a shot at winning that cup this year. Let’s throw all the support we can at the team this weekend and hope that they get it.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia