WHL Portland Winterhawks

Winterhawks Fall 5-4 in Game 1 vs. Spokane Saturday

Published on March 20, 2010 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Portland Winterhawks News Release


Despite three points apiece from Portland's Ryan Johansen and Nino Niederreiter, the Spokane Chiefs took Game 1 of the first round Western Hockey League playoff series by a score of 5-4 Saturday at the Rose Garden.

Spokane's Kyle Beach scored two goals, including the game-winner with 1:28 remaining in the third period.

The Winterhawks opened the scoring just 2:47 into the game when Stefan Schneider gloved down a Spokane dump-in attempt at center ice, brought the puck over the blueline and fought off a defender as he fired a shot glove side past Chiefs netminder James Reid to make it 1-0. The Hawks extended the lead at the 9:31 mark on a power play when Ryan Johansen took a shot that hit the post and ricocheted right to defenseman Taylor Aronson on the opposite side of the goal, who put it past a prone Reid to make it 2-0, a score that would remain through the end of the period.

The Chiefs tied the game in the second period when they scored two goals in a span of 2:03, one by Beach at the 4:00 mark on a power play off a one-timer, the second one by Steve Kuhn to tie the game at 2-2.

However, Portland would get those ones back. They regained the lead at the 15:37 mark when Nino Niederreiter fed a lead pass to Brad Ross past the Spokane defense, who beat Reid on the breakaway to make it 3-2. Then with under a minute to go in the period, Niederreiter brought the puck into the Spokane zone, fed Johansen, who cut across the middle and made a drop pass to Luca Sbisa. The defenseman took advantage of the space created by Johansen to fire a shot past Reid to make it 4-2 Portland going into the third period.

But like they did in the second period, the Chiefs again got two quick goals to even the score in the third, tying the game at 4-4 on goals 1:48 apart by Stefan Ulmer and Tyler Johnson. With time winding down in the period and overtime looming, Beach would get the game-winner with just 1:28 remaining when a shot from the slot got past Winterhawks netminder Mac Carruth to give Spokane the 5-4 win.

The Winterhawks got three points apiece from Johansen and Niederreiter in their first career playoff game. The Winterhawks outshot the Chiefs 31-25 on the night.

The two teams return to the ice tomorrow night as the Winterhawks will look to even the series in Game 2. The puck drops at 5 p.m. at the Rose Garden.

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Western Hockey League Stories from March 20, 2010


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