Home ice was finally an advantage in the playoff series between the Seattle Thunderbirds and Kelowna Rockets.

The T-Birds scored five unanswered goals Thursday in a 6-2 victory over the Rockets and a 3-2 lead in their best-of-seven WHL Western Conference quarter-final series.

Seattle erased a 1-0 deficit with three goals on eight shots before the game was 13 minutes old.

Jan Eberle, Bud Holloway and David Richard with his fifth of the series staked Seattle to a 3-1 lead and chased starter Kris Westblom from the Rockets net.

He was replaced by Torrie Jung, who gave up the final three goals on 20 shots in his first ever WHL playoff appearance.

Brady Leavold scored his fourth of the series just 22 seconds in to get the Rockets rolling. Eberle tied it seven minutes later, just seconds after a penalty to Tyler Myers expired.

Prab Rai increased the lead to three before Holloway scored the back-breaking 5-1 goal with just one second left in the second.

Luke Schenn and Ian McKenzie exchanged third period goals.

The Rockets will try and stave off elimination Saturday when they host the T-Birds in game six of the series.