VANCOUVER – The top rated power play in the Canada West somehow got even better Friday night as the UBC Thunderbirds (20-2-3) scored six times on the man advantage in an 8-3 rout of the visiting MacEwan Griffins (9-9-5) at Father Bauer Arena.
Jace Weir scored twice as part of his first Canada West career four-point game while
Sasha Mutala finished with a goal and three helpers to stake out a four-point lead over Calgary's Adam Kydd for the conference scoring race, now with 42 points.
Ty Thorpe notched three assists for the second straight game while
Josh Williams,
Jake Lee and
Jake Wright also all had multiple point efforts in the dominant offensive showcase that also featured a combined 80 minutes in penalties.
"That was a man's game for sure, big boy hockey, heavy hockey," said UBC head coach,
Sven Butenschon, following his team's fifth straight victory. "Every 50/50 puck was heavily contested, they don't back down. I think they tried to run us a little bit and we stood up for ourselves and gave it right back to them. I've been in hockey for a long time and that was like a professional, heavy hockey game."
The game started well for the Griffins – the only team to notch multiple wins over the No. 2 ranked T-Birds this season – as Sam Simard scored on their first power play attempt just 2:38 after puck drop.
But it was almost all Thunderbirds from there on,
Sasha Mutala getting the power play party started with his 12
th of the season at 8:10 followed by a beautiful
Chris Douglas end-to-end rush, also on the man advantage, giving the 'Birds the lead at 16:49.
Weir and MacEwan's Ethan Sundar traded tallies late in the period as the visitors remained very much in the battle through 20 minutes.
It took all of 32 seconds into the middle frame for Weir to strike again with a wrist shot from the half boards slipping past Eric Ward.
Williams and
Nathan Sullivan scored just 2:07 apart, both on the man advantage, opening up a 6-2 T-Birds lead.
Vincent Scott scored MacEwan's second power play goal of the night at 11:20, the final puck to get by
Brett Mirwald who earned his conference leading tenth win between the pipes.
Williams' second of the night at 2:39 of the third provided UBC's sixth power play goal of the game and 11
th in the last two contests as the T-Birds' power play is now up to an incredible 34.7 per cent.
Wright equalled his previous season's goal total with his 14
th less than a minute after Williams to get the 'Birds to eight for the second straight game and the fourth time this season.
"It's like these guys are in a cage and I'm opening the door and letting them go and they're just savages," said Butenschon of his forward group of late. "Scotty (Atkinson's) line early on, Thorpy's line early on, just savages on the forecheck, hunting pucks back. The energy level I think is what I've noticed recently, it's at another level. I think it's just that time of year, games matter more, there's more on the line and our guys recognize that."
Now rolling with five straight victories, the T-Birds are just one win away from clinching first overall in the Canada West and home ice throughout the playoffs after the Saskatchewan Huskies lost to the Regina Cougars Friday night.
Standing in UBC's way of winning the regular season for the second time in the last three years is a gritty Griffins squad the T-Birds know all too well.
"That was our 12
th game against them in the last two years and every game's been difficult. Maybe the score at times isn't showing that, but that team plays right to the end. They're well-coached, they play the game the right way. I have a lot of respect for that group and we're going to expect another tough one tomorrow."
The sixth and final regular season meeting between the T-Birds and Griffins Saturday also serves as UBC's final home game until the upcoming Canada West semifinals late in February.
Puck drop at Father Bauer Arena is set for 3:00 p.m.
Tickets are available online and the game will also be streamed live on
Canada West TV.
