VANCOUVER – Despite once again outshooting and outchancing their opponent, the UBC Thunderbirds came away with just a single point Saturday in a 3-2 double overtime loss to the Grant MacEwan Griffins who will gladly grab the weekend split after the 'Birds earned a convincing 6-2 win Friday night.
Tied 2-2 after two, the T-Birds (4-2-2) dominated the final 20 minutes but couldn't slip another one past Ashton Abel who made 42 saves all-told Saturday. Still tied after five minutes of four-on-four overtime, the Griffins (4-4) made sure it was going to be a happy plane ride home when Jordan Taupert converted on a two-on-one for his first of the season, securing the series split while UBC took three of four points on the weekend.
"I thought we came out with a ton of energy, a ton of jam," said a disappointed UBC Head Coach Sven Butenschon. "We spent a lot of time in the O zone again, put up another 50 shots, but for whatever reason we just lacked a little bit of the same thing that's been ailing us a bit this year where we're in tight games and we can't close it out and we can't get that save or that goal when we need it."
The Griffins managed just 20 total shots through 66 minutes and change, but were opportunistic, including early in the opening frame.
Put on the power play just 1:13 after puck drop, the Griffins took all of 18 seconds to convert when Neithan Salame fired a low shot from the point that found its way past Cole Schwebius, giving the visitors the first period lead for the second straight game.
Just two minutes later, Schwebius made an incredible cross-crease save, robbing Jordan Taupert of what appeared to be a sure fire goal into the empty cage. The rookie netminder somehow got his glove on the puck as his defencemen showed their appreciation for the timely stop which prevented an early multi-goal Griffins lead.
With 3:30 remaining in the opening frame, the 'Birds evened things up at one a piece on Jack Wismer's second in as many games. The second-year forward roofed the puck from the low slot off a MacEwan turnover over Abel's left shoulder for his third of the season.
The opening minute of the second saw Abel deny the T-Birds the go-ahead goal with a fantastic save of his own off a two-on-one, but he couldn't prevent Cyle McNabb from doing just that mere seconds later. Jonathan Smart sent a point shot towards the goal, deflecting it off McNabb's stick. The puck bounced onto the blue paint and McNabb poked it into the net for his sixth of the season, equalling his rookie campaign total in just eight games.
MacEwan eventually tied things up on a delayed power play just after the nine minute mark of the second. Schwebius stopped a Merritt Oszytko one-timer on the back door from a nice pass by Salame, but Brecon Wood was able to backhand in the rebound for his first of the season.
Despite the T-Birds putting up 14 shots in the third period alone, the game remained deadlocked forcing extra time.
Early into 3-on-3 double overtime, the Griffins were able to capitalize and earn their fourth straight weekend split of the season. The T-Birds lost control of the puck in MacEwan's zone, leading to a 2-on-1 rush the other way. Salame carried the puck on the right wing and passed across to Taupert who blasted the puck home for the game winner.
After Friday's game saw a combined 18 power plays, Saturday's rematch had just two aside with MacEwan converting once while UBC went 0/2.
UBC outshot the Griffins 44-20, had the lion's share of scoring opportunities, but Abel was indeed able, routinely stoning the T-Birds for his fourth win of the season.
"Quite honestly, we've never had a team that's looked so good at all the little stuff, but hasn't resulted in the win column every night," Butenschon said of his team's consistently solid offensive play, something the analytics backs up. "We've outplayed all these teams every night but haven't been able to win two games against them. There are so many good players in this league and it's such a good league, anybody can beat anybody any night."
The 'Birds will turn their focus back to the Calgary Dinos as UBC travels to southern Alberta next week while the Griffins head back to B.C. for a series against the TWU Spartans in Langley.
