WHL Portland Winterhawks

Winterhawks Lose Overtime Heartbreaker 6-5 To Saskatoon

January 3, 2010 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Portland Winterhawks News Release


The Portland Winterhawks lost a 6-5 overtime heartbreaker Saturday night to the East Division-leading Saskatoon Blades.

The game opened with a wild first period in which the two teams combined for six goals. Saskatoon got on the board 3:22 into the game when Josh Nicholls came down the right side, cut across the middle and put it past Winterhawks goaltender Ian Curtis to give the Blades an early 1-0 lead. The Blades made it 2-0 on a power play at the 7:50 mark when a shot by Stefan Elliott from just above the right faceoff circle found the back of the net.

But Portland responded less than a minute later while shorthanded when Ryan Johansen fed Chris Francis in front of the net, who put it past Saskatoon netminder Adam Morrison to make it 2-1. It was the fourth shorthanded goal of the season for Francis. The Hawks then tied the game on a power play at 15:39 when Johansen stickhandled through Saskatoon's defense and put a shot high past Morrison to make it 2-2.

The Blades would again take the lead at the 16:46 mark on a scramble in front of the net. Jeremy Boyer found a loose puck in the crease and fired it into the net to give Saskatoon a 3-2 lead. The Hawks would get it back with two minutes to go in the frame, when Eric Doyle found Spencer Bennett, who beat Morrison to tie the game at 3-3 heading into the second period.

The Winterhawks took their first lead in the second period on a four-minute power play when Jacob Berglund brought the puck through the Saskatoon zone and beat Morrison with a high shot to give the Winterhawks a 4-3 lead. Saskatoon came back and tied the game at the 15:24 mark on Derek Hulak's 17th goal of the season as the two teams went into the third period tied 4-4.

Portland opened the third period scoring 1:42 into the frame when Johansen found Ross, who put it by Morrison to make it 5-4. Late in the period Saskatoon was pressing, but the Winterhawks kept fending them off. But with just under two minutes to go the Blades' pressure paid off as Boyer scored his second of the game in a scramble in front of the net.

The game went to overtime, and with just 25 seconds left Saskatoon got the winning goal from Charles Inglis as they escaped with the win.

For the Winterhawks, Johansen finished with one goal and three assists for a career-high four points. He now has 10 points in his last three games, and 16 points in his last eight games. With one goal, his linemate, Brad Ross, has 10 points in the last four games and like Johansen, 16 points in the last eight games.

The Winterhawks are back on the ice tomorrow when they host the Everett Silvertips at 5 p.m. in the Coliseum.

Check out the Portland Winterhawks Statistics



Western Hockey League Stories from January 3, 2010


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