Thunderbirds to Memorial Cup Final as Dach Gets Game Winner

.Peterborough netminder Michael Simpson couldn’t be solved nearly all night long. No matter what the Seattle Thunderbirds threw at him, he was there to make the save. It took 31 shots but a Brad Lambert goal broke the scoreless tie and got Seattle rolling to the Memorial Cup Final. Colton Dach would get the then insurance goal as the Seattle Thunderbirds punched its ticket to the Memorial Cup Final with a 4-1 win Friday night.

Dach’s goal would ultimately end up being the game winner, giving Seattle its first Memorial Cup Final appearance.

The Thunderbirds dominated play early, including a power play where they held the puck in the Petes zone for the entire two minutes. Despite outshooting Peterborough 14-5, the first period ended scoreless. The scrappy Petes weren’t giving an inch on the ice. Physical and finishing every check they could, even the intermission interview had some fire.

Shawn Spearing with the most honest interview you'll see 😂@PetesOHLhockey | #MemorialCup pic.twitter.com/5s58tZRQWA

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) June 3, 2023

The Thunderbirds finally prevailed when Brad Lambert back handed a rebound that squirted through Simpson’s pads and finally gave Seattle a 1-0 lead. In a wide open third period, Dach’s goal was matched in just eight seconds by the Petes. It cut the deficit to 2-1.

Then, both teams traded chances until Seattle scored again with 10:24 left in the game. Seattle would end up peppering Simpson with 47 shots, but would add an empty netter to seal it 4-1.

Blackhawks Prospects Help Punch Ticket to Memorial Cup Final

Dach ended up on the scoresheet, continuing the consecutive point streak that the Blackhawks prospects have maintained through the postseason. Defensemen Kevin Korcinski and Nolan Allan had chances as well, but both logged heavy minutes in the victory.

Dach, meanwhile, had high quality chances all evening long and could easily have secured a hat trick if not for Simpson’s strong play. If there’s anything the Blackhawks should be thrilled with, it’s how Dach has gotten better as the postseason continues on.