The first half of the Eastern Swing is over, and questions about what the next half will bring this coming week have already surfaced. In the initial half, the Portland Winterhawks faced the Brandon Wheat Kings, Regina Pats, and Swift Current Broncos.
The next three games will see Portland face Prince Albert, Saskatoon, and Moose Jaw before returning for a home-and-home series with Everett toward the end of the month.
Swings are different. Teams play each other once a year, alternating conferences. This year is the Eastern Swing, and next year those teams will head to Portland, which will then travel on the Central Swing to face teams in Alberta, Canada. Because many players are Canadian, this is a chance to have family come see them play, visit, and enjoy the comforts of home. Swings usually take place either earlier or later in the season, very seldom in December. Weather also plays a part. Earlier swings tend to have little snow, while later ones usually bring abundant snow and bitterly cold temperatures. Right now, most areas are seeing highs in the upper 40s and lows a bit below freezing, while later in the season, temperatures can remain well below freezing.
With that, the Hawks started the swing at the easternmost point, Brandon, Manitoba. South of Brandon are the Dakotas, so you can figure out just how far east they must travel. Brandon has rebounded this year following subpar seasons. Brandon is a relatively small town of just over 36,000 people and sits south of the highway. The Keystone Centre is connected to a hotel where teams usually stay, as Brandon has limited accommodations. Its proximity to the rink makes it easy for traveling teams to use.
Against the Wheat Kings, the Hawks scored with just over 30 seconds left on the power play. After working the puck around, the Hawks fired a shot toward the net, which Reed Brown snatched up and deposited for a 1-0 lead. Despite making some good saves early on, Stebatek gave up a shot through the five-hole as Brandon tied the game.
Early in the second, the Hawks attempted to leave the zone but were pickpocketed at the line, where a backhand pass hit the stick of Joby Baumiller for his first of two goals on the night. Late in the second period, a shot over the shoulder of Stebatek made it 3-1. The third period saw Joby score his second of the night as he cruised in from the right side and roofed a shot over Stebatek to increase the lead to 4-1.
Seven minutes later, it was 5-1. Following pressure from the Hawks in Brandon’s zone, the puck flipped out, and while Stebatek tried to poke it away, he couldn’t do so, leaving the net exposed for an easy shove-in. The Hawks clawed back with a Luke Wilfley power-play goal, but pulling Stebatek for the extra man proved futile. The Hawks were stripped of the puck in the Brandon zone, and with two fast-moving Wheat Kings breaking away, no one could catch up as Brandon secured the 6-2 win. Shots favored Portland 30-26, with the Hawks going 1-for-5 on the power play compared to 0-for-2 for the Wheat Kings.
Two nights later, Portland pulled into Regina, or at least they thought they had. Four goals on nine shots in the first period spelled the end of the night for Ondrej Stebatek. Sam Auld had replied once for Portland to originally tie the game at 1, but the four goals, two of which came just seven seconds apart, gave the Pats control.
The Pats tallied once more, stretching out Chase, now in net for Portland, just before the seven-minute mark of the second period. Sam Spehar scored in the third for the Hawks while on the power play. There was some thought that it would be waved off for goaltender interference, but it was ruled a goal as a Pats defender had pushed a Hawks player into the goaltender.
The Hawks once again went to the well of pulling the netminder but failed again as Maddox Schultz stripped the Hawks of the puck in the defensive zone and buried it for his third of the night, completing the hat trick. Keets Fawcett added a pair for Regina as well in another crushing 6-2 defeat. Regina led 28-25 in shots, while Portland went 1-for-4 on the power play and held Regina to 0-for-7, with 74 total penalty minutes called.
To salvage the week, the Hawks would have to do it against the Swift Current Broncos. Cruz Chase took control of the pipes for the Hawks in a strong defensive battle that produced no goals in the first period. Portland opened the floodgates in the second period with a pair of goals by Jake Gustafson, bookended by a goal from Clarke Schaefer of Swift Current, who scored while using two other Broncos as decoys.
Easton Dorzak scored his first as a Hawk, with Nathan Brown adding another just 55 seconds before the end of the period to make it 4-1. A Hail Mary loft from Will McLaughlin, deep in the Hawks’ zone, made it into the Swift Current empty net for the final 5-1 score and the first victory of the Hawks’ swing. Portland led 30-23 in shots and went 1-for-4 on the power play, while Swift Current was unable to find the scoresheet with the man advantage, going 0-for-2.
The Hawks fall behind the Tri-City Americans for second place in the U.S. Division, though Portland has a game in hand. The Calgary Hitmen lead in goals scored with 82, while the Wenatchee Wild have just 39. When it comes to goals allowed, even though Portland has given up 13 goals on the swing, the Hawks haven’t surrendered the most. Wenatchee, despite scoring only 39, has also been stingy in goals against.
The most goals allowed belong to the Moose Jaw Warriors, whom the Hawks will play at the end of the swing. Moose Jaw has allowed 90 goals over the 20 games they’ve played, while Tri-City is the defensive winner with just 56 allowed in its 19 games so far.
In the OHL, the Brantford Bulldogs have created a bit of separation from the Kingston Frontenacs, but the Guelph Storm still lead the overall OHL standings. The Sudbury Wolves continue to make their statement, as they are tied with Brantford for second overall in the conference. On the other end, the Barrie Colts and Brampton Steelheads haven’t moved the needle much, remaining tied for last overall in the OHL.
The QMJHL sees Val-d’Or holding strong in the overall lead, five points ahead of everyone else, but keeping an eye on the Drummondville Tigres and Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, who have each been on a bit of a winning streak at 6-0-0-0 and 5-0-1-0, respectively.
The CHL Top 10 sees the Guelph Storm at the head of the class following a strong weekend. Val-d’Or slips to second and Spokane to third after its loss to Portland. The Quebec Remparts and Red Deer Rebels round out the top five.
Medicine Hat climbs into the top 10, with Liam Ruck having a banner week in the U.S. games with 11 points. The Victoria Royals, Prince Albert Raiders, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, and Drummondville Voltigeurs round out the top 10 this past week.
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