The weekend for the teams trying to make the playoffs remains unclear, and it will have to go down to the final weekend. The Portland Winterhawks are masters of their own destiny after 1 win and 2 regulation losses. If they’d gone to overtime, there is a possibility that the team would have been close, if not assured, of a playoff spot. Portland also has 1 less game than both Seattle and Victoria, which further adds to the heart-attack hockey. Let’s dive into the Hawks’ weekend.
Though a win wouldn’t necessarily drive a nail into the coffin of the Tri-City Americans’ playoff hopes, it would make things next to impossible to gain enough points to further their season.
The Hawks played Ondrej Stebetak for two of the three games, a strategy that looks like they will play him for the final two games this season as they look to gain a foothold in the playoff race.
At one point in the first period, Tri-City had a commanding shot lead, which was evaporated by the end of the period. After a scoreless first period, the Hawks banged home a pair. First up was Jordan Duguay with a blast off the initial rebound from Tri-City. Nathan Free made it 2-0 with a close-in shot on the short side.
Tri-City came back in the third with a pair of goals of their own. Tri-City scored just before the midway mark and then struck just under six minutes later. With time winding down in the period and Tri-City getting a couple of close chances, Alex Weiermair snuck into the Tri-City zone and shot, with the save being made. However, Duguay shot once, got his own rebound, and scored with less than 5 seconds left in regulation to get the win at 3-2. Portland was 0-1 on the power play with Tri-City 1-3. Portland held the shots edge at 36-32.
The next night, the Hawks headed to Seattle for a road game vs. the Thunderbirds. Seattle got the home crowd going with a goal less than a minute into the game after Portland gave up the puck twice in their own zone. The Hawks tied it after Alex Weiermair intercepted a pass at center ice and walked in. Seattle would get a power play goal late in the first period, which gave them the lead heading to the dressing room.
After a scoreless second period, the Hawks answered with a power play goal of their own when the Hawks played a little tic-tac-toe, eventually finding the stick of Ryan Miller out front, and he smashed it home to tie the game. With no scoring in the rest of the period, the teams headed to overtime, where the Thunderbirds used numbers to stretch out Stebetak and fire past him just over a minute into overtime for the 3-2 Seattle win. Shots were tied at 32 and both teams went 1-2 on the power play.
The final game of the weekend saw the Everett Silvertips in Portland. Chase Cruz got a surprise start in net for Portland. Reed Brown for Portland scored just over 4 minutes into the game, with Everett gaining the equalizer 8 minutes later. Ryan Miller scored shorthanded just 24 seconds into the second period, with Everett tying it again just over a minute later. Former Winterhawk Kayd Ruedig scored 10 minutes later to take the lead.
The Hawks weren’t done yet. A power play goal by Alex Weiermair and only the second goal of the season for Allesandro Domenichelli put the Hawks up to end the second period.
The third period was where Everett pulled away. Everett scored just over two minutes into the period, then three minutes later, and with a pair of goals 21 seconds apart at the midway mark, extended the lead. Ryan Miller scored on the power play for Portland two minutes later, but Everett shut the door with an empty-net goal with less than three minutes left to gain an 8-5 win.
Everett held a 37-23 shots advantage, with Portland going 2-5 on the power play versus 1-5 for Everett.
So where does this put us all? With Everett’s win, they claim the Scotty Munro Trophy for best overall record. Penticton, with their record, claims the BC Division crown. Kelowna and Prince George are a point apart in 3rd and 4th. Kamloops and Spokane are a point apart but claim the 5th and 6th spots. Seattle is one point ahead of Portland and Victoria, with both Seattle and Victoria having a game in hand on the Hawks.
In the East, the Prince Albert Raiders take the Eastern Division with the Medicine Hat Tigers claiming the Central title, and both are tied atop the conference standings with Prince Albert holding a game in hand. Other conference battles see the Edmonton Oil Kings being a whisker from locking in third. The Calgary Hitmen are five up on the Brandon Wheat Kings, who are 5 up on the Saskatoon Blades, which most likely won’t change in positions. The final 2 spots are held by Regina, 4 points up on Red Deer, who is a point up on Moose Jaw, with one of those two teams missing the postseason.
Left in games are Seattle with 3: Spokane twice and Portland sandwiching those battles. Portland has 2: Tri-City and Seattle. Victoria has 3 with home games versus Everett and a pair versus Prince George. Of the three, the Hawks would have the easier schedule, but cannot afford a loss or a run by Seattle or Victoria. The games in hand will play on Tuesday and will see if the weekend games are as necessary for points in the scheme of things.
Out East, the playoff teams are set with only Owen Sound and Guelph tied in points with three games left. The teams will play two other teams but will meet in their final regular season game, where if they are tied heading into that game, it will be the tiebreaker.
In the QMJHL, the top three teams in the Western Conference are two points apart between them with 2 games left to go. The 4th and 5th place teams are a point apart. The East sees the top two teams a point apart and teams 3 through 7 are jostling for their eventual placings. The 7th and 8th teams can’t do better than switch spots, whereas the current 7th spot could switch with 6th and 4th, and 3rd could switch. That all comes down this weekend as well.
The matchups as they stand: In the Western Conference, the 7th place team will travel to Penticton and the 8th place team heads to Everett. The 6th or 5th place team will either travel to Prince George or Kelowna.
In the Eastern Conference, 7th and 8th place head to either Prince Albert or Medicine Hat. 6th will head to Edmonton, with 4th and 5th meeting. Currently Brandon heads to Calgary, though slim, there may be some travel adjustments within those groupings.
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