Entering the playoffs this season, many thought it a foregone conclusion that the Portland Winterhawks were a lock to represent the west in the Memorial Cup. They had racked up a ridiculous .812 winning percentage during the regular season and featured the top three scorers in the Western Hockey League. To make matters worse for opposing teams, their defense was led by World Junior Gold Medallist and possible #1 NHL Draft pick Seth Jones, and their crease was manned by Mac Carruth, who only put together the second-best collection of GAA and SV% stats of any goaltender in the WHL this season.
So it probably doesn’t come as a surprise that the Hawks picked up their sixth win in a row to open the Western Conference Final series, a 4-1 win over the Kamloops Blazers on Saturday. It seems they have corrected the feeling of overconfidence that saw them lose twice to the lowly Everett Silvertips, who by all rights shouldn’t have made the post-season at all. Next to the massive 117-point campaign of the Hawks, the Silvertips’ 57 points in 72 games was downright cute in comparison.
More after the break.
Since that opening round wakeup call, the Hawks obliterated the Spokane Chiefs in four straight, outscoring them 18-3 in the process.
The Kamloops Blazers are no busload of slouches, to be sure, but there were the Winterhawks coming in waves last night, launching 41 shots at Cole Cheveldave and getting a three-point night from WJC Silver Medallist and WHL Playoff Scoring Leader Ty Rattie. On the back end, the Hawks kept offensive threats like JC Lipon and Brendan Ranford — only numbers two and three behind Rattie, mind you — off the score sheet.
Curruth was, as expected, solid in net for the Hawks, stopping 33 of 34 shots he faced. Jones was a plus-two on the night, and anchored a penalty kill that stifled all five Blazers power plays on the night.
Rattie was the centre of attention all night long, collecting a goal on a penalty shot, two assists, and 17 minutes in penalties including a game misconduct for hitting from behind with three minutes left on the clock. In fact, most of the game’s 85 minutes in penalties came in the final frame, once the score was 4-1 and out of reach for the Blazers. It’s clear these two teams don’t like each other very much — exactly what we as fans want to see in playoff best-of-sevens.
Game two goes tonight at Portland’s Memorial Coliseum.
Coverage in the Portland Tribune by Kerry Eggers. (@kerryeggers)