The Portland Winterhawks posted on their weekly report that Jan Spunar is listed week to week with a lower-body injury. Without speculation, most week-to-week injuries are three weeks or so, not requiring surgery. With that, the Hawks reactivated Justin Maric to the fold after sending him down when Spunar returned, so the tandem, for the time being, will be Luke Brunen and Justen Maric handling the pipes for the Hawks.
The Hawks had four challenging games in five nights, starting with the Victoria Royals. The Royals had picked up former Winterhawks Dawson Pasternak for a 5th-round Bantam pick in early October, and this would be his homecoming.
Things got off fast with a goal by James Stefan before the two-minute mark of the first. Victoria answered on the powerplay nine minutes before Diego Buttazoni pocketed on at 16:38 of the first.
Josh Davies got his second of the night before the nine-minute mark of the second period. The Hawks felt comfortable in their 3-1 lead at the end of two. Two early goals, two minutes apart, the last by returning Dawson Pasternak of the Royals, sent the game to overtime. Despite Portland having a powerplay in overtime and a 5-1 shot edge, they couldn’t put one behind Braden Holt in the net for Victoria. The game wasn’t settled, so they had to go to a shootout. The Hawks prevailed after falling behind in the shootout and won the game 4 to 3. The Hawks outshot Victoria 34-27 but went 0-4 on the powerplay, with Victoria 1-4 on theirs.
The team then headed to Everett as the start of three games in three nights. Against the Tips, the Hawks came out big in the first period. Josh Davies, then a shorthanded marker by Gabe Klassen and finally James Stefan towards the end of the period, put the Hawks up by three, heading to intermission.
The second period then became a disaster for the Hawks. A three-goal performance as a natural Hattrick by Teague Patton, two of them on the powerplay, evaporated the lead, and the teams were deadlocked at three heading to the third.
Portland again had a dreadful third period, giving up a powerplay, regular strength, and empty net goals to fall 6-3 to Everett Silvertips. Everett outshot Portland 43-31 and stymied the Hawks on their two powerplays while the Tips went 2 for 7 on theirs.
Regrouping, the Hawks returned to face a tough task in Saskatoon Blades. The Blades have been in the CHL Top Ten Poll and would provide a stern test for the “Spunarless” Hawks.
Justen Maric took over in the net as the Hawks faced a tough task. However, the Hawks got the crowd going with a James Stefan goal 21 seconds into the game. Seven minutes later, Saskatoon tied it up. James Stefan scored his second of the night, only to see Saskatoon tie it up on the powerplay with just over two minutes to go in the period. Gabe Klassen took a page from Stefan, scoring just seconds into the second period. Saskatoon found an answer in the tying goal to even the teams up at the end of the period.
The third saw Saskatoon jump to its first lead while on the powerplay and held the lead until just past the midway point as Josh Davies finished off a play, tying the game and sending it to overtime. Just 44 seconds in, Jack O’Brien banged home his seventh of the year, and the Hawks returned to winning form 5-4 over the Saskatoon Blades. The teams tied at 40 shots each, and Portland was never on the powerplay, while Saskatoon was devastating at 2 for 2 on theirs.
To complete the weekend, the Hawks hosted the Spokane Chiefs. Justen Maric took his place in the net. Just under halfway through the first period, Spokane opened the scoring, but they didn’t get to celebrate the lead long as they gave up a goal just 23 seconds later to Ryan Millar, who scored his first WHL career goal. Towards the end of the period, with just over two minutes left, Miller struck again as he notched his second of the night, the second of his career. With no scoring in the second period, the teams took to the third. Spokane tied the game up and took the lead thirty seconds later. Try as they might, the Hawks couldn’t muster an answer, but Spokane did. With two empty net goals near the end of the period, the Chiefs gobbled up a 5-2 win to end the weekend. Spokane outshot Portland 37-36, and neither team scored on the powerplay, with Portland having six tries and Spokane two.
With that, the Hawks finish November and get ready for a busy December before the Christmas break with nine games prior to that, one on TV. The Hawks still have three games in hand and remain in third place, just three points back for top spot in the Division, are fourth in the Western Conference and sixth overall in the WHL with 31 points.
One thing is noticeable through just over a quarter of a season: the WHL teams are all reasonably close in points. Only Edmonton and Kamloops could be considered long shots to make the playoffs, as no team is running away with their division.
The last rankings of the CHL Poll had Portland in fifth. Still leading the way were Halifax Mooseheads, followed by Prince George Cougars, Baie-Comeau Drakkar, Kitchen Rangers, Portland Winterhawks, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies., Peterborough Petes, Moncton Wildcats and Moose Jaw Warriors rounding out the top ten.
