Post by krakengm on May 12, 2023 20:05:00 GMT -5
Kent, WA - It started so well, then fell apart. The Seatac Aviators won their first ever playoff game 4-2 over the Adirondack Angels, but that would prove to be their only win of the series.
"That's a good team over there. We were close in the standings, and they players us hard," said veteran forward Nathan Gerbe. "It would have been good to go out with a magical little run, but I've had a good career and really enjoyed being a part of this for my final year."
Gerbe gave it his all and was tied for third in playoff scoring behind Isac Lundestrom and Marian Studenic.
After that big first win, Adirondack stormed back with a 5-3 win. Getting the split in Kent worked perfectly for Adirondack. They held Seatac to just 2 goals total back home, winning 3-1 and then 2-1 in overtime. For the Aviators, they just could not solve JF Berube, who put up a sparking 2.39 average.
Seattle had some strong goaltending of their own, with Kaapo Kahkonen putting up a 2.48 average and .916 save percentage in the first four games. Coach Jeff Daniels played a hunch going with Arvid Soderblom for the final game. While Soderblom was solid, it wasn't enough to extend the series.
With expansion teams change is inevitable. The Aviators have a large number of players under contract for next year, so the core of the club is likely to remain relatively stable. It would not be surprising to see Lundstrom, Jacob Peterson, or Sebastian Aho make a serious push for a spot with the Kraken next season, but otherwise most of the younger players are expected to need at least one more season of development. Players that are not expected to return are Gerbe, who is retiring. Veteran defenseman Robert Bortuzzo is likely to head to UFA, and Tyler Steenbergen and Peter Abbandonato will most likely not be tendered a qualifying offer. All other RFAs are expected to return.
--- Lois Clark for the Kent Reporter
"That's a good team over there. We were close in the standings, and they players us hard," said veteran forward Nathan Gerbe. "It would have been good to go out with a magical little run, but I've had a good career and really enjoyed being a part of this for my final year."
Gerbe gave it his all and was tied for third in playoff scoring behind Isac Lundestrom and Marian Studenic.
After that big first win, Adirondack stormed back with a 5-3 win. Getting the split in Kent worked perfectly for Adirondack. They held Seatac to just 2 goals total back home, winning 3-1 and then 2-1 in overtime. For the Aviators, they just could not solve JF Berube, who put up a sparking 2.39 average.
Seattle had some strong goaltending of their own, with Kaapo Kahkonen putting up a 2.48 average and .916 save percentage in the first four games. Coach Jeff Daniels played a hunch going with Arvid Soderblom for the final game. While Soderblom was solid, it wasn't enough to extend the series.
With expansion teams change is inevitable. The Aviators have a large number of players under contract for next year, so the core of the club is likely to remain relatively stable. It would not be surprising to see Lundstrom, Jacob Peterson, or Sebastian Aho make a serious push for a spot with the Kraken next season, but otherwise most of the younger players are expected to need at least one more season of development. Players that are not expected to return are Gerbe, who is retiring. Veteran defenseman Robert Bortuzzo is likely to head to UFA, and Tyler Steenbergen and Peter Abbandonato will most likely not be tendered a qualifying offer. All other RFAs are expected to return.
--- Lois Clark for the Kent Reporter