WHL Portland Winterhawks

Hawks Beat Cougars 7-6

Published on January 21, 2004 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Portland Winterhawks News Release


Tonight the Portland Winter Hawks played their fourth game in five nights and came out victorious with a 7-6 win over the Cougars in Prince George, British Columbia before 3,274 at the Prince George Multiplex.

Portland, who started rookie Dustin Butler between the pipes for the second game in a row, made 16 saves on 22 shots in his sixty minutes of play, while the Hawks got goals from five different players, including three from 17-year old Alaska native Brandon Dubinsky who scored his first career Western Hockey League hat trick in tonight's win. Dubinsky got the Hawks on board early in the first, then added his second with about seven minutes remaining in the first period to put Portland up 2-0 before scoring his third of the night with about five minutes remaining in the second before being tossed out of the game with a game misconduct late in the second period. Winter Hawks' rookie Garrett Festerling scored his first career W.H.L. goal on Portland's third goal (and also recorded an assist), while Dan Da Silva (23) (had a goal and two assists), C.J. Jackson (3) and Darrell May (12) all also added goals for the Winter Hawks. Portland's Richie Regehr finished with three assists, while rookie Kyle Bailey, Taylor Sutherlin, Brian Woolger and Braydon Coburn also added assists on the night. Prince George Cougar, Jonathan Filewich, also with a hat trick in tonight's match up recorded his 23rd, 24th and 25th goal's in the Cougar loss while Colin Patterson (15,16) added two goals and Stanislav Bolshakov one goal for the Cougs.

Winter Hawks 16-year old rookie goaltender Dustin Butler got the start tonight between the pipes for his fourth appearance this season and went on to make a total of 9 saves in the period as Brandon Dubinsky scored both goals for the Hawks to give Portland a 2-1 lead at the end of the first. Dubinsky, who netted his 21st goal of the season on Portland's first shot in the game, gave the Winter Hawks a early 1-0 lead as he sent a quick release wrist shot past Cougars goaltender Jordan McLaughlin, 1:34 into the game. Prince George evened the score, as the Hawks were unable to clear the zone, which allowed Colin Patterson to go to the net and score point blank range as he went behind the Portland defense, at 10:37 to give him his 15th goal of the season. Former Winter Hawk Danny LaPointe, who the Cougars acquired in a trade from the Hawks in early October, was called for obstruction hooking at 11:19 to give Portland their first power play in the game. Portland's 20-year old defenseman Richie Regehr fired a rocket shot from the right point just above the blue line, but his shot bounced off the right pad of McLaughlin to an open Dubinsky who was able to shoot it in past McLaughlin for his second goal of the night and 22nd of the season at 13:02 while on the power play to regain the lead for the Hawks heading into the intermission.

It was anything but a quiet second period as there were a total of 18 penalties called between the two teams and a total of five goals scored, four of which were for the Hawks. Portland took target practice on the Prince George goaltending which began with Hawks rookie Garrett Festerling scoring his first Western Hockey League goal on a deflection tip in which was initially shot by Taylor Sutherlin that found it's way thru traffic in front of the net and landed on Festerling's stick at 6:52 to give Portland a 3-1 lead. At the 12:21 mark of the period, Dan Da Silva had a clean breakaway and netted his 23rd goal of the season on a forehanded shot on McLaughlin to give the

Hawks a 3-goal lead, where McLaughlin would then be pulled and replaced by Justin Pogge between the pipes for Prince George. Ten seconds later, Winter Hawks second year veteran right winter C.J. Jackson gave the Hawks a 5-1 lead over the Cougs as he steamrolled in on Pogge, from center ice to score his 3rd goal of the season with a backhand shot, blocker side, giving Pogge a taste of things to come. After scoring 3-unanswerd goals, the Hawks Dubinsky added another for his 23rd of the season and his first career Western Hockey League hat trick. Dan Da Silva and Dubinsky broke in to the Cougar zone on a 4-on-4 situation as Da Silva's pass was a bit out of reach of Dubinsky who had to reach out towards the puck and was able to flip it past Pogge with a forehanded shot, top shelf, blocker side at 14:58 to make the score 6-1. Ten seconds later, Prince George Cougar Jonathan Filewich intercepted a cross ice pass as Hawks defensemen Braydon Coburn and Brendan Mikkelson miss-connected with one another, which allowed Filewich to net his 23rd goal of the season past Hawks goaltender Dustin Butler. At 19:34, "Dubi" and Cougars Curtis Cooper battled one another, while Da Silva and Brett Parker exchanged a few tosses with one another, which resulted in Dubinsky being given a game misconduct. Portland dominated much of the play in all zone's and out shot the Cougars 17-5 in the second period alone.

Portland opened up the third period with 4:33 of power play and five seconds worth of 5-on-3 man advantage, but the Cougars would be the one's to jump out of the shoot and score. Jonathan Filewich was able to connect on a pass from Chris Falloon that went thru Butler's crease to put it in at the backdoor for his second goal of the night and 24th of the season, 1:36 into the period.

Portland then answered back as Darrell May fired a blast from the right circle on a cross ice pass from Regehr, while on the power play at 4:47 for his 12th goal on the season. Prince George however would come back to score three un-answered power play goals to make it 7-6, Portland with just under five minutes remaining in the game. Stanislav Bolshakov (5) got the Cougars first of three power play goals at 7:58 as he put it past Butler point blank range, glove side over Butler's shoulder to make it 7-4. At 14:34, while 5-on-3, Cougars left-winter Colin Patterson would pull a deek move for his 16th of the year to make it 7-5. Finally at 15:39, Cougs Filewich would add his third of the night for the hat trick and 25th of the season on a turn around shot, short side from down low just inside the right face off dot to pull the Cougs within one. The Hawks then called a time out and turned on their defense and checking as they didn't allow anyone to come close to goaltender Dustin Butler to hold on for the 7-6 win and advancing their record to 21-20-4-1 on the season.

Tonight the Portland Winter Hawks skated without (D) Michael Funk, who is away attending the Top Prospects game in London, Ontario and will return to the Hawks line-up in time for Thursday's game against Spokane; (LW) Robin Big Snake, flu; and (RW) Shane Halifax due to numbers. The Hawks now return home to host the Spokane Chiefs on Thursday night for "Hat Trick Thursday's" at 7:00pm in the Rose Garden, then will travel to Seattle to face the Thunderbirds on Friday and to Kelowna to take on the Rockets on Saturday, both beginning on air at 6:35pm on 970-am KUPL. Tickets for Thursday's game against the Chiefs, and all other Hawks home games are available by stopping by any G.I. Joe's Ticketmaster location, the Rose Quarter box office or by calling Ticketmaster at (503) 224-4400.

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Western Hockey League Stories from January 21, 2004


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