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WHL Portland Winterhawks

Hawks Hit 40 Wins with 3-1 Victory Over Seattle

March 25, 2023 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Portland Winterhawks News Release


Kent, Wash. - Josh Zakreski posted two points and Jan Špunar turned aside 29 of 30 shots as the Winterhawks (40-20-5-3) knocked off the top-seeded Seattle Thunderbirds (54-11-1-2) by a 3-1 final to wrap up the regular season.

The victory helps Portland reach its sixth-straight 40-win season.

Seattle picked up where it left off last night with a quick strike from Dylan Guenther, but the Winterhawks held strong and punched back with two tallies of their own in the second period. Luke Schelter tied things up at 9:22 of the middle frame with a wrister off the rush from the left circle, set up by Zakreski. Then, Zakreski nabbed his own to put Portland ahead for the first time at 12:53 as he tapped home his own rebound on the power play after a slick cross-ice feed from Marcus Nguyen.

Špunar put on a fine display in the final frame with 11 saves to preserve his team's lead, and Ryan McCleary iced Portland's victory with a late empty-netter after a push from the T-Birds.

The Winterhawks now look ahead to the WHL Playoffs, which open in Portland on Friday, March 31 against the Everett Silvertips at 7:00 P.M.




Western Hockey League Stories from March 25, 2023


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