After the trade deadline, it is always fascinating to see how teams with real firepower stack up against those that stood mostly pat. Some clubs know they will make the playoffs, but also know that getting past the first round is a long shot. Portland is starting to feel that reality.
The Winterhawks moved a couple of veterans, and now the kids are being asked to fill bigger roles. They are learning fast, but this weekend showed how steep that learning curve still is.
Friday in Kelowna started tightly. The first period was scoreless before Kyle McDonough finally broke the deadlock at 5:29 of the second. After that, the Rockets began to tilt the ice. Kelowna poured 23 shots on Ondrej Štěbátek in the second period alone, scoring once shorthanded just past the 15-minute mark and again on the power play with 45 seconds left in the frame.
Štěbátek was outstanding, turning aside 44 of 46 shots, but Kelowna’s pressure told in a 2–1 win as the Rockets outshot Portland 46–29. Each team had four power plays, with Kelowna scoring the lone man-advantage goal of the night. Before puck drop, both Štěbátek and Max Pšenicka were honored for their silver medals at the IIHF World Junior Championship.
Saturday was a tougher watch. Shane Smith exploded for three power-play goals and added an empty-netter for a four-goal night as Kelowna rolled to a 5–2 win. Trade-deadline pickup Ty Halliburda also scored for the Rockets, while Nathan Free and Alex Weiermair replied for Portland. Special teams told the story: the Hawks went 0-for-4 on the power play, while Kelowna went a blistering 4-for-5. Shots again favored the Rockets, 42–32.
With the two losses, Portland slipped into a tie for seventh place with Kamloops, though the Blazers have two games in hand. The standings are still very tight. Outside of Everett, which has built a healthy division lead, the Hawks sit just three points back of Tri-City for second place. With 26 games still to play, there is plenty of time to move up.
Portland now heads into a busy week, starting Tuesday at home against Moose Jaw, followed by road games in Wenatchee and Seattle. On Monday, a special 3 p.m. game against Spokane will feature the always-popular Mascot Game, with Tommy Hawk and a cast of mascots taking on the Junior Hawks during intermission.
Before the trade deadline, the Winterhawks also did some housecleaning in goal, sending Tyler DiCarlo to Alaska and Jordin St. Louis to Olds (AJHL), cementing Ondrej Štěbátek and Cruz Chase as the tandem going forward.
Around the CHL, Kitchener’s blockbuster, 10-pick trade has already paid off in the win column, although those victories came against sub-.500 opponents. Still, the Rangers have created some separation in their division. Oshawa remains the OHL’s lone team without double-digit wins, sitting at 9-39 while scoring just 92 goals, 12 fewer than the next-lowest team.
In the QMJHL, Chicoutimi and Moncton lead the Eastern Conference with single-digit losses. In the West, Rouyn-Noranda and Drummondville are tied atop the standings with 49 points, three clear of the next group. Baie-Comeau continues to struggle, stuck at nine wins through 39 games.
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