WHL Portland Winterhawks

Spokane Explodes in Second Period to Beat Winter Hawks, 8-3

March 18, 2007 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Portland Winterhawks News Release


After an emotional, uplifting 4-3 win over Seattle in the Rose Garden Friday, the Spokane Chiefs scored 5 goals in the second period to spoil the Hawks' season finale, 8-3, Sunday in Memorial Coliseum.

16-year-old first round bantam draft pick Mitch Wahl led the way with a goal and 3 assists for the Chiefs.

Portland had the game tied 2-2 at the 6:10 mark of the second period when captain Colton Sceviour scored a power play goal. But, then Spokane reeled off 5 goals in a 9:32 span, taking advantage of their speedy transition game to create odd-man rushes on 3 of the 5 goals.

Sceviour finished with 2 goals for Portland and Chris Francis had a single. 16-year-old defenseman Bo Montgomery notched his first 2 Western Hockey League assists. Spokane outshot the Hawks 37-29.

Portland finished the season (17-52-1-2) with, perhaps, the most first-year players of any team at this level ever. This is just the 5th time in 31 seasons that Portland has missed the WHL playoffs, the first since 1999-2000.

Spokane, (36-28-4-4), rested a lot of players preparing for the beginning of its first round playoff series against the Everett Silvertips that starts Friday in Everett. Veteran defensemen Sean Zimmerman and Evan Haw along with forwards Michael Grabner (1st Round Vancouver) and captain Adam Hobson were all held out of the lineup. Portland defenseman Scott Gabriel returned from a league suspension, but defenseman Cameron Cepek was scratched after taking warm up, unable to play due to a minor knee injury.

Spokane plays with a lot of confidence against Portland. The Chiefs have been a very difficult opponent, winning all 7 previous meetings and beating Portland more and more handily as the season has gone on. The Chiefs are a very quick, skating team that is excellent in transition. But, Spokane scored both of its first period goals off their forecheck. Drayson Bowman set up Chris Langkow, nephew of former Winter Hawks' goalie Scott Langkow, in the slot. Hawks' netminder Chris Ward made a good pad save on the first shot, but Langkow tipped home the rebound at 4:13. The Hawks tied it on a transition rush. Max Gordichuk's outlet pass hit Tristan King, streaking down left wing. King cut to the slot, made a hesitation move, losing the puck off his stick, but it slid right to Francis, who banged in a backhand at 11:50. Spokane took the lead on a power play. The puck came free in the low slot and Derek Ryan found it and his quick-release snapper was in the twine in no time to make it 2-1 after one. Shots were 16-7, Spokane.

Portland had a chance to tie it early in the second period as King came away with a puck at center ice and steamed toward the Chief net, getting hauled down for the first Winter Hawk penalty shot of the season. King made a nice hesitation move to the forehand, but Spokane goalie Dustin Tokarski made a nice pad save along the ice. The Hawks appeared to tie the game again when Matt Schmermund zoomed around the Spokane net and went for a wrap around, lifting the puck over Tokarski toward the goal, but the puck bounced back out. It was hard to tell if it was off the crossbar or it bounced off the netting under the crossbar. The goal light did not go on, and after a discussion among all the officials, no goal was counted. Portland did get a power play on the sequence and capitalized as Sceviour buried a deep angle rebound over Tokarski's shoulder to tie the game 2-2. But, the Chiefs went to the speed game and the Hawks just did not have the answer. Wahl raced down left wing with Rutherford cutting to the net and Ward went out to aggressively deny the cross-slot pass and the puck went underneath him to Rutherford for an open net goal. Hawks' defenseman Stefan Langwieder went in aggressively on a pinch and the Chiefs played it around him for a 3-on-1 break, Wall finishing over Ward's blocker. Drayson Bowman made it 4-2 on a shorthanded goal, another 2-on-1 as they steamed behind Max Gordichuk leaving King, playing the point of the power play, back alone. Langkow scored his second of the game on a power play tip in front as Ondrej Roman fanned on an entry shot that produced a weird bouncing puck on edge. Rutherford made it 7-2 after two periods on a developing 2-on-1 down low, taking a feed at the net from Wahl. Spokane outshot the Hawks 15-12 in the period.

The Hawks went with Kurtis Mucha in goal for the last period and he was immediately greeted with a partial breakaway from Wahl, but he made the save. Bowman's second of the game at 9:56 was a nifty give and go back pass from behind the net from Roman. Sceviour closed out the scoring at the net on a power play, Nick Hotson the set up, with 3:50 left.

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