When Winnipeg ICE moved during the offseason to Wenatchee to become the Wild, it was thought that they would falter this season after acquiring so much in their failed bid to win the WHL Championship and, with it, a spot in the Memorial Cup. This has genuinely been the Achilles heel of the Hawks this season, as they were unable to secure victory in their opener in Wenatchee and then had two games to play this past weekend.
The teams met in Wenatchee, where the Wild’s Karter Prosofsky lit the lamp, and the Teddy Bears rained down in their Teddy Bear Toss. Thirty seconds later, Gabe Klassen seemingly handcuffed Brenden Gee to tie things up. Moments later, Luke Brunen left the game and was replaced by Justen Maric. Luca Cagnoni scored on the powerplay towards the end of the period to put the Hawks up 2-1.
Four straight Wenatchee markers, including a powerplay goal starting at the 17-second point of the period, put the Wild up 5-2. In the third, Savoie got his hat trick goal before Luca Cagnoni, also on the powerplay, got one for the Hawks. The Wild finished with an empty net goal and a regular strength one to take the game 8-3. Portland outshot Wenatchee 36-27, and Portland went 3 for 9 on the powerplay with Wenatchee 1 of 3. Despite having so many powerplays, goaltender Brenden Gee made one miraculous save after another, including 18 in the third period.
The same two teams met in Portland, with Hawks out early for blood. Just fifty seconds in, Josh Davies scored from the right faceoff dot to bring the hometown fans to their feet. The Hawks went to the powerplay and saw the fruits of their labor when Marcus Nguyen got a Kyle Chyzowski drawback to him and buried it to put the boys up by 2.
To the second, where Wenatchee had a quick breakaway and scored to bring them closer. Portland then went on a tear with three straight goals, one by Josh Davies on the powerplay, another by Tyson Yaremko, and then Diego Buttazoni finished the period.
The Connor Geekie show took over. Following a goal by Matthew Savoie, Geekie rattled off four straight goals, including the one in overtime that finished the Hawks 6-5. The Hawks have yet to win against Wenatchee this year.
Luke Brunen appears to have suffered an injury, so the Hawks dealt a seventh-round Bantam choice to Tri-City for goaltender Nicholas Avakyan, who they put in the net to face the Prince George Cougars.
The Cougars won in Tri-City on Friday but did not face Avakyan. Prince George has been a tough customer in the WHL this year and saw it to befuddle their hosts. Halfway through the first period, Zack Funk hit the twine, and the Cougars added another to end the period up by two. Funk stole the show in the second with two goals, giving him a hattrick and the Cougars a 4-0 lead despite being outshot 10-6. No one scored in the third as Portland tried to press with 17 shots. In the end, Prince George wins 4-0, being outshot 33-29 and going 1-2 on the powerplay. Portland went scoreless on three tries.
Gabe Klassen was honored by the WHL as the November Player of the Month. Scoring 25 points in eleven games, 18 of those as assists, Klassen ranked fourth in the scoring race. It is truly a bright spot in what would have otherwise been a tough weekend.
Portland will next be in a three-game-in-three-night stand versus the Chiefs, Thunderbirds, and Silvertips as the annual Teddy Bear Toss happens on TV vs the Thunderbirds on the 9th.
