WHL Portland Winterhawks

Hawks Shut Out Cougars, End Losing Streak, 5-0

Published on October 17, 2004 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Portland Winterhawks News Release


Garrett Festerling had a goal and two assists, Braydon Coburn had three assists and goaltender Dustin Butler stopped 21 shots for his third career shut out as the Portland Winter Hawks ended a three game losing streak with a 5-0 win over the Prince George Cougars Saturday in Memorial Coliseum.

Darrell May, Dan Da Silva (Duh-SILL-vuh) and Brian Woolger (WULL-ger) each had goals for Portland and Frazer McLaren scored his first career goal to pace a solid Portland win at both ends of the ice.

Portland, (5-5-0-0), completes an eight game stretch where seven are played at home this Wednesday when Gilbert (Jill-BARE) Brule (Broo-LAY) and the Vancouver Giants visit Memorial Coliseum at 7:00. Brule is considered a top five pick in next summer's NHL draft.

Prince George came into Saturday's game in last place in B.C. Division. The Cougars dropped their fourth straight to fall to (2-6-0-1). They lost 4-2 in Tri-Cities Friday and complete a three game road trip in Seattle Sunday.

Portland is still completely healthy and has to sit out three skaters. The Hawks scratched defenseman Cameron Cepek and forwards Nick Hotson and Sasha Golin. Portland also acquired 20-year-old goalie Blake Grenier (GRENN-yay) this week from the Swift Current Broncos. Grenier did not arrive in Portland until after practice Thursday and backed up starter Dustin Butler both Friday night and tonight. Kevin Opsahl was the odd goalie out.

Prince George is without their team captain, forward Myles Zimmer, who had 21 goals and 205 penalty minutes last season due to an abdominal injury. The also scratched NHL draft pick, forward Eric Hunter, one of their top players last season, due to coach's decision.

Portland came into Saturday's game being outscored 14-6 in the first period of the first 9 games of the season and had only scored the first goal in a game once all year. But Saturday started out a lot better, a lot quicker. It only took 5:37 for May to bang in his own rebound with a backhand stuff after he deflected Coburn's quick-release point shot off the pad of Cougar goalie Justin Pogge. It was the same recipe for the second goal as Hawks' defenseman Michael Sauer pulled the trigger from the blue line, the puck deflecting off a Cougar, right to Coburn at the left point. He snapped the puck on goal with no hesitation and Festerling was there for the tip-in. The Hawks had all four of their forward lines involved in the forecheck in the first period and they all were banging as the Cougars rarely escaped their zone. Portland outshot Prince George 12-4 even though two Hawks' power plays produced very little.

The Cougars, who, on paper, seem to have some offensive punch returning from last year's team which finished second in the Western Conference in goals, now have been shut out three times and have scored only 11 goals in 9 games. The Hawks' forecheck kept them in their own end most of the evening. The Hawks made a couple of mistakes on pinching situations, allowing two 2-on-1 breaks, but Butler stopped both of them with excellent, focused solid saves. Meanwhile, Portland added to the lead in the second period on the very first shift. Coburn pinched down into the Cougar corner to contain the puck and allow the May, Bailey, Mc Laren line to do its thing. Bailey, who made a great play off the end wall to Alex Aldred for a goal Friday against Everett, made another dandy to McLaren who one-timed it from the lower right circle for his first career goal 35 seconds into the second period. That ended the evening for Pogge as Real Cyr, rookie 17-year-old, entered the game. Cyr had no chance on the Hawks' fourth goal as Woolger made a determined play on the boards to muscle off a check, steal the puck, and feed Da Silva on the back door. Da Silva, who has a very special set of hands, neatly tucked it in and it was 4-0 at 9:54 of the period. The period also featured a fight between Portland's Ivan Dornic, who had sat out the two previous games as the "odd man out" of the Hawks' line-up and Prince George's Brett Parker, who had 159 penalty minutes last season. Dornic played with more vigor between Czech rookie Martin Bucek and Shane Halifax, both known for enjoying the hitting game.

The third period featured more of the same as Shane Halifax took on 6'3", 264 pound Dustin Byfuglien, who was looking for someone to dance with the whole third period. Cody McLeod went with former Winter Hawk Danny LaPointe, who had a few good scoring chances steered aside by Butler. Brendan Mikkelson dueled rookie forward Jordy Johnson, who had more than 400 penalty minutes in tier two last season. The Cougars were fingered as the aggressors several times in the third period and the Hawks finally rang up a power play goal with 3:46 left and it was a beauty passing play. Festerling at the left circle fed Da Silva on the goal line and he put a perfect pass on the tape of Woolger in the low slot for the one-timer.

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Western Hockey League Stories from October 17, 2004


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