Following a tough, gritty win over Everett in Game 2 of the season, the Portland Winterhawks had two back-to-back games against BC Division opponents. The BC Division is one where teams will play four games against an opponent, two at home and two away. Still, it seems that as the playoffs progress, the Hawks end up playing a BC Division opponent in the first round and, by the second round, it’s essential to make a good showing in those games.
First up was the Penticton Vees, a team that took a beating from the Hawks in preseason play. Preseason is more about figuring out lines, goaltender play, and creating strategy. That 6-1 score in preseason was, in hindsight, at best, as the two teams took to the ice in Penticton, BC.
The Vees are an expansion team that won’t be totally dominating during the season, but will have enough talent to create a buzz come playoff time for the next couple of years.
The Vees took a pair of goals early in the game and bore the middle of the first to put the Hawks on their heels, and turned up the heat with a goal early in the third period. The Hawks struggled to get shots on goal in the first two periods, managing only five each. Penticton was hitting double digits.
The Hawks also took the first four penalties of the game, including two delay of game penalties for slinging the puck over the boards, one of which resulted in the Vee’s second goal. It is something a new team will have to work on.
It wasn’t until the Vee’s third goal, midway through the third, that the Hawks were able to knuckle down and make things interesting, A goal by Nathan Free while on the powerplay at the midway point of the period, seemed to lift the Hawks and a second tally with Ondrej Stebatek out for an extra attacker with just over a minute left in the game, got the Hawks close. Still, the three-goal deficit was too much to overcome, and they fell 3-2. Portland was 1-5 on the power play, the Vees 1-4. It was the 13 shots in the third period by the Hawks that earned some respectability on the shot clock, where they still trailed 33-23, but some valuable lessons were learned.
The next night was a match with Kamloops and the Blazers, a team that hosted the Memorial Cup three years prior. They had bounced back somewhat but may still be a couple of years away from fully recovering.
Kaye Reudig started the game off with a goal less than two minutes in, and what seemed a simple transition was followed by a goal by the Blazers 50 seconds later. Max Psenicka scored for the Hawks less than four minutes later, only to see the Blazers pop in three goals, one late in the first period, the only goal of the second period, and an early tally in the third period.
The Hawks rattled off the next four in the period in a span of nine minutes. Jordan Duguay, Psenicka, with his second of the night, Jake Gustafson, and an empty net goal with Duguay’s second of the night, and the Hawks took a 6-4 decision. Portland was 0-1 on the man advantage with Kamloops 1-2. The Hawks’ 36-29 shots lead was the first game where they led in shots.
Next up is the Central Swing, featuring six games in 9 nights, and the end of the road trip, which lasts 11 games before they turn to their home opener on October 25 against Saskatoon.
After three weeks, two teams in the WHL have yet to suffer a regulation loss, with the Prince George Cougars remaining undefeated at 4-0. Both Everett and Prince Albert are 4-0 in regulation, but have taken an overtime loss, so they stand at 4-0-0-1. The Edmonton Oil Kings are the first to 5 wins, but suffered a regulation loss.
Tri-City has yet to win in its three games thus far, and the Brandon Wheat Kings have a point due to an overtime loss.
In the East, the Windsor Spitfires are dominating thus far, with a perfect 7-0 record. The Ottawa 67’s are 4-0, and the Brantford Bulldogs are 3-0-1-1. The Sudbury Wolves are 0-5-0-1 gaining their single point in a shootout loss.
The QMJHL appears to have the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada as the only perfect team, with five wins and 10 points. Baie-Comeau Drakkar still clings to their single point as a result of a shootout loss and are seeing teams start to separate from them as the season progresses.
