WHL Portland Winterhawks

Vancouver Downs Winter Hawks 7-1

Published on January 31, 2007 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Portland Winterhawks News Release


The defending WHL Champions and 2007 Memorial Cup hosts got points from 13 different skaters, opening up a close game with a 4-goal second period, to beat the Portland Winter Hawks 7-1 Wednesday at Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver.

J.D. Watt's power play snipe from the left circle, and a shorthanded goal by Michal Repik, early in the second period sent the Hawks away right after they had their best scoring chances of the game.

Vancouver outshot Portland 35-17, led by a very gifted and mobile defense corps that triggers an impressive skating and transition game. The Hawks just could not keep pace.

16-year-old Tristan King scored Portland's only goal on its first shot of the game at 10:23 of the first period that tied the game 1-1. But, Tim Kraus scored in a crease scramble on his own rebound with two minutes to go in the first period and the Giants never looked back.

Portland, (14-35-1-1), lost its 9th straight. The Hawks have lost 6 in a row at home since beating Prince George in a shootout, 3-2, on January 10 in the Coliseum. Portland hosts Seattle Friday at 7:30 in Memorial Coliseum (TV on Comcast CNW-14, Audio Webcast at winterhawks.com, In-Arena Audio at 96.5 FM). Then, the Hawks hit the road for 5 straight games, starting Saturday in Seattle at 7:05 (Audio Webcast), in Kelowna on Wednesday at 7:00, in Prince George for two games next Friday and Saturday, both at 7:00, and then in Kamloops Sunday February 11 at 7:00. The Hawks return home to play the Kootenay Ice for the only time this season on Valentine's Day, Wednesday February 14 at 7:30 in the Coliseum. (No TV).

Vancouver, (32-11-3-6), snapped a 3-game losing streak, 2 of those losses in shootouts, with a win over Prince Albert on home ice Saturday. The Giants, who won the league championship last season and host the Memorial Cup in May, started the season (15-0-0-1) in their first 16 games but have seen the scalding Kamloops Blazers go past them into first place in the B.C. Division. The Giants came into Wednesday's game (4-6-0-2) in its last 12 games. They have made some chances to try to add some high end scoring, adding Kendal McArdle (1st round, Florida) and former Saskatoon Blade Wacey Rabbitt as a 20-year-old in pro hockey, but things have not clicked the way they envisioned so far.

The Giants are missing key forward Mario Bliznak (knee). The Hawks scratched Colton Sceviour, still out for 2-3 weeks with a broken foot, and Chip Petrino (numbers).

Kurtis Mucha, who shut out Vancouver with 41 saves in Game 1 of last year's Western Conference Semi-Finals and might have been even better with 46 saves in a 2-0 loss in the series-clinching Game 5, was tested immediately. Mucha also shut out Vancouver with 33 saves on "Teddy Bear Toss Night" this season, a 1-0 win back on November 25 in Memorial Coliseum. He made an incredible point blank range save on Spencer Machacek and a good stop on a J.D. Watt re-direct before the Giants opened the scoring. Michal Repik rifled a well placed shot past Mucha's stick side from the mid-slot at 9:58. But, Portland came right back as Matt Betker started a transition rush with a chip pass off the boards from his own zone. The Giants had brief possession, but the puck took a bounce to King and he drove the slot, hesitated, and wired a shot past the blocker of Vancouver goalie Tyson Sexsmith on Portland's first shot of the game. Ex-Hawk Brendan Mikkelson had the best chance after that as he set up at the left circle on the power play, taking a crossing pass from Kraus at the right point. Mucha made an incredible pinwheel save, leaving Mikkelson with an extended look at the Pacific Coliseum ceiling. Portland did not give up too much after that until Krauss gave the Giants the lead with two minutes left in the period when he followed his own shot to the net, finishing off a rebound from the crease. Shots were 15-4, Vancouver, in the first period.

The Hawks opened the second period with a 3-on-1 break, but Matt Schmermund's pass for a streaking Chris Francis in front of the net was barely tipped out of his reach. That could have tied the game, but, instead, Watt, who signed an NHL contract with the Calgary Flames two weeks ago, scored his 26th of the season on power play blast from the left circle, high glove, on Mucha at 2:57. Repik followed that with a shorthanded goal as Milan Lucic won a footrace to the puck deep in the Hawks' zone and found Repik open in the slot. Defenseman A.J. Thelan, a 1st round craft pick of the Minnesota Wild picked up in a deal with Prince Albert at the trading deadline, scored from the left point on a shot that changed directions in front of Mucha. Blum made it 6-1 by jumping down in the low slot and one-timing a power play feed out of the corner from Kendal McArdle at 15:18. Shots were 11-7, Vancouver. Portland had a flurry of three glorious chances during a 5-on-3 when the score was still only 3-1. Max Gordichuk hit the left goal post, Moore was stopped in tight by Sexsmith, and Hotson also could not convert on a nice back-door feed. The Hawks had a lot of motion and a lot of good looks at the net during the 5-on-3 power play, one of their better ones of the season.

With the score 6-1, Portland started the third period with two good chances as Sexsmith robbed Viktor Sjodin with the glove in tight off a Frazer McLaren centering pass and Schmermund could not cash on a 2-on-1 break with Francis. Michael Wuchterl added his first goal as a Vancouver Giant since being acquired at the trading deadline. After a face-off win in the Hawks' zone, Brett Festerling's point shot snuck behind Mucha, Wuchterl there for the tip-in. Shots in the third period were 9-6, Vancouver.

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Western Hockey League Stories from January 31, 2007


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