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WHL Portland Winterhawks

Hawks Win OT Thriller Over Saskatoon

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


Portland, Ore. - Jack O'Brien scored the game-winning goal 44 seconds into overtime as the Portland Winterhawks downed the Saskatoon Blades 5-4 at the VMC on Saturday night. Justen Maric posted 36 saves on 40 shots to earn his first WHL victory in the Winterhawks' net.

The Winterhawks move to 15-6-0-1 with the win, recapturing the top point percentage in the U.S. Division (.705).

O'Brien wasted little time in the extra frame, rifling a wrist shot under the glove of Saskatoon's Austin Elliott after Portland carried possession for much of overtime. Marcus Nguyen and Marek Alscher picked up the assists on the goal.

James Stefan started the scoring on the game's first shot, ripping a wrister off the rush just 21 seconds into the contest for an early Portland lead. But Saskatoon soon responded, kicking off a back-and-forth with Brandon Lisowsky's 15th of the season at 7:38. When Stefan potted his second of the night at 13:44, finishing a Josh Davies no-look feed from the corner past an out-of-position Elliott, the Blades again fired back four minutes later as Easton Armstrong deflected a shot to send the teams to intermission tied.

Period two followed a similar script; Gabe Klassen scored in the opening minute of the period, poking home a rebound from a Carter Sotheran shot 25 seconds in, but Saskatoon again knotted things up late in the frame. Newly acquired Fraser Minten got the goal this time, depositing a one-timer at the side of the net on a 3-on-1 rush.

With the game deadlocked at three heading into the third, Saskatoon flipped the script and took the lead on Easton Armstrong's second of the night at 3:15. But Portland would not be denied, tying things up at four on Josh Davies' team-leading 17th of the season at 11:47 to force overtime and set the stage for O'Brien's game-winning strike.

The Winterhawks wrap up a three-in-three weekend tomorrow at the VMC against the Spokane Chiefs - puck drop is set for 5:00 P.M. for that contest.

-- WINTERHAWKS.COM -

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