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WHL Portland Winterhawks

Hawks Secure Home Ice with 7-2 Win over Vancouver

April 9, 2022 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Portland Winterhawks News Release


Portland, Ore. - Jack O'Brien scored twice and six different Portland skaters lit the lamp as the Winterhawks roared past the Vancouver Giants by a 7-2 final on Friday.

With the win, Portland secured home-ice advantage for at least the first round of the 2022 WHL Playoffs.

Vancouver got the scoring started just under 90 seconds into the game with Mazden Leslie's fourth of the year, but Marcus Nguyen and Gabe Klassen quickly responded to send the Hawks into the first intermission with a 2-1 lead. Nguyen finished off a beautifully executed passing play with Ryan McCleary and Cross Hanas for Portland's first, while Klassen nabbed his team-best 33rd of the year with a spin-around shot from the high slot two minutes later.

In the second period, it was Portland's turn to light the lamp early on as Tyson Kozak struck in his return to the lineup. Clay Hanus found Hanas with a pass to the left of the net before Hanas sent a cross-crease pass to Kozak for a tap-in finish. Zack Ostapchuk reduced Portland's lead to just one goal midway through the middle stanza, but O'Brien's first of the evening restored the advantage as the Colorado native found twine on a strong wraparound.

Despite the close-checking first 40 minutes, the third period was all Portland. O'Brien kept his scoring touch going in the third, depositing a rebound at 6:08 of the third to give the Hawks their largest lead of the night, and the rout was on. Hanas lasered a shot top shelf to make it 6-2 after Will Gurski misplayed a puck behind the net, and shortly after it was Kyle Chyzowski joining the fun in front of friends and family as he potted a rebound of Kurtis Smythe's wraparound bid.

Taylor Gauthier stopped 21 of 23 shots to pick up his 22nd win in 26 games for the Winterhawks.

Portland now heads to Kamloops to take on the Blazers at the Sandman Centre on Saturday night.

Check out the Portland Winterhawks Statistics



Western Hockey League Stories from April 9, 2022


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