With the first round of the playoffs eliminating 8 teams, most would think that the next round would be more competitive. After all, most of the lower seeds would have been eliminated, and the remaining eight teams would compete to be in the final four.
Maybe someone should have told the eight teams that. Without a doubt, the top teams showed not only competitive spirit but showed why they are in the final four.
With the Portland and Everett series, people thought this should be competitive, after all, just three wins separated Portland and Everett in the standings as one two. It wasn’t really close.
Portland as the host team, set the tone soring 14 goals at home while giving up just three in two embarrassing battles 8-2 and 6-1. The first game at 8-2, saw Tyson Juggnauth with a pair, one to start off was a powerplay goal in the contest and six other Hawks in the scoring mix. Along with Tyson Yaremko and Josh Davies, they built up a 3-0 lead before Everett finally put the puck past Jan Spunar. Portland slammed two more in the second frame, including Jugnauth’s second, which was short-handed before Everett got their second goal. Kyle Chykowski added another in the second period, and the Hawks scored the only two in the third, with Nate Danielson and Jack O’Brien tallying for the home team. Shots heavily favored Portland 47-23, with Everett getting eight powerplays and converting on one. Portland took advantage of their 5 powerplays, scoring on three of them. Mild-mannered James Stefan was assessed four minors, which led to Everett’s powerplays, the third of which led to Everett’s only powerplay goal of the night.
The next evening saw Portland take a 6-1 stomping of Everett. The Hawks did most of the scoring in the first period. Marek Alscher, followed by Kyle Chyzowski, set the tone for the night. Everett scored a minute after Chyzowski on the powerplay, but Portland tacked on two more, including Chyzowki’s second of the night also on the powerplay, and Tyson Juggnauth capped off the first period. Portland’s Nate Danielson in the second period and Carter Southeran and n in the third period, finished off the Tips. Shots again favored Portland 43-33, and Portland’s 2-5 on the powerplay bested Everett 1-5.
Owing to building needs, the Silvertips would host the next three games if needed. It didn’t go that far.
Everett, at home, showed it wasn’t going easily as it scored the first three goals of the night. Two in the first period, including a powerplay goal and an extremely early second-period goal, put the Hawks down 3-0.
Three minutes after the Everett goal, the Hawks came to life. A powerplay goal by Carter Southern and a Gabe Klassen goal just past the midway point in the second period seemed to give the Hawks the lift. Kyle Chykowski, scoring less than a minute on the powerplay into the third period, tied up the contest, and despite both teams pressing, the deadlock couldn’t be broken. In overtime, the two teams went and battled for just over fifteen minutes when Southeran nailed a wide goal to win the game. An initial shot by Carter bounced off the glass, hit goaltender Tyler Palmer in the back of the jersey, and rolled in the net. The comeback at 4-3 was complete. The shots were 50-48 Portland, a stark contrast to games before, the closest Everett had gotten. Portland was 2-5 on the powerplay, and Everett was 1-6.
The question would be how much gas was left in the tank for Everett following that heartbreaking loss. At first, the two teams were tentative, with no scoring in the first period. James Stefan finally broke the deadlock, followed by Tyson Juggnauth and Ryder Thompson, capitalizing in the second period. With goals by Jack O’Brien and a powerplay goal by Kyle Chyzowski with less than five minutes remaining in regulation, the deal was done. A 5-0 shutout for Portland capped off the 4-0 series sweep. Portland fired 40 shots to 27 for Everett, and the powerplays saw Portland 1-2 and Everett scoreless at 0-1.
For the first time since 2015, Portland has made it to the third round and the first time with back-to-back sweeps as well.
Their opponent will be the Prince George Cougars. The Cougars split the season series with Portland, with each winning and losing at home in their four-game regular series tilt. Their goaltender, Joshua Ravensbergen, has been tough in the games with the Hawks this year, being only one of two goaltenders to shut out the Hawks this year.
Prince George knocked off the Kelowna Rockets in five games after leading 3-0 in the series; they dropped one in a fiercely contested match 2-1 before claiming a 6-3 win at home to finish the series.
Out East, the Central Division champions Swift Current Broncos fell to the Moose Jaw Warriors in five games. After one game, it looked like the Broncos would laugh their way to the final four after a 7-2 win in Moose Jaw. However, the roles were reversed the next night when Moose Jaw handed the Broncos a 7-2 defeat. From there, Moose Jaw had at least a 2-goal cushion per game and ousted the Broncos.
The Saskatoon Blades dispatched the Red Deer Rebels in four straight. Red Deer showed life in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Blades in game two, but by game four, it was obvious they weren’t going to make it to game five and folded with a 7-0 loss to the Blades.
The top four teams are now set, with the teams with the most points battling for the top spot and the right to represent the WHL at the Memorial Cup.
Portland will head to Prince George for a pair of games on Friday and Saturday. Due to the travel, The Hawks will host games 3-5 in Portland.
The schedule will see Portland host on Monday, April 29, Wednesday, May 1, and Thursday, May 2. If needed, the teams would travel to Prince George on Monday, May 6, and Tuesday, May 7.
If the series goes that long, there would be just three days before the end of that series and the start of the next one.
Out further east in the Ontario Hockey League, the second round is also coming to a close. The Oshawa Generals, North Bay Battalion, and London Knights have swept their series and await Saginaw Spirit against Soo Greyhounds, which is tied at three with game 7 on Tuesday. Oshawa hosts North Bay on Friday, and the London Knights will host the winner of Saginaw and Soo.
Out further east in the QMJHL, Drummondville Voltigeurs will host Victoriaville Tigres, and Baie-Comeaux Drakkar will host Cape Breton Eagles. The Drakkar have swept both series thus far and are closely followed by Cape Breton and Victoriaville, each with 1 loss so far in their series, and Drummondville with 2 losses.
Those series will also begin on Friday. It seems the top teams are doing it this year with little surprise thus far as they battle for their league championships and a berth in the Memorial Cup.
The tournament will be hosted for the first time ever in Saginaw, Michigan, the first American team to host since 1998 and the first American team in the Ontario Hockey League to do so. The Memorial Cup tournament begins Friday, May 24 through Sunday, June 2, at the Dow Center in Saginaw, Michigan.
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