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WHL Portland Winterhawks

Klassen Nets 250th Career Point as Hawks Down Royals 6-2

February 23, 2024 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Portland Winterhawks News Release


Victoria, B.C. - Led by Gabe Klassen's 250th WHL point and a two-goal, one-assist showing from James Stefan, the Winterhawks knocked off the Victoria Royals 6-2 on the road on Friday night.

Jan Špunar finished with 14 saves on 16 shots in the win, while a busy Braden Holt turned aside 47 of 53 for Victoria. Portland's record now stands at 38-14-2-1 on the year (79pts).

Tyson Laventure capitalized on a 2-on-0 rush just 7:56 into the game to give the hosts a lead, but it was all Winterhawks from there. Klassen knotted things up with his milestone marker at 10:36, capping off a pretty give-and-go between Marek Alscher and Stefan for the tying tally. Marcus Nguyen then put Portland ahead with a rebound goal at 14:29 and the Hawks hit the intermission up 2-1.

The second stanza saw more of the same as three unanswered Portland goals saw the visitors race out to a 5-1 lead. Stefan grabbed his first with a stellar individual effort at 4:37, weaving through Victoria defenders and ripping a shot along the ice underneath Braden Holt. Josh Zakreski joined the fun five minutes later with a slick play in tight to chip home a Jack O'Brien feed from behind the net, and Stefan wrapped things up with his second of the contest at 12:53. The 20-year-old sniper earned his 41st of the season on the power play, rifling a one-timer set up by Nate Danielson at the bottom of the left circle.

Portland potted its sixth straight goal through a perfectly placed Tyson Jugnauth shot at 13:52 of the third, before Casper Evensen Haugen bookended the game for Victoria with a power-play marker at 15:18.

The Winterhawks and Royals face off again in fewer than 24 hours, with a 6:05 P.M. puck drop at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre set for Saturday night.

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