Winterhawks Weekly: Hawks Hit B.C. on Three-Game Point Streak
Published on November 7, 2023 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Portland Winterhawks News Release
After opening the Central Division trip on a tough note, the Winterhawks bounced back in week two with points in three straight games and wins in two of those. Portland ousted Medicine Hat 6-3 on Wednesday, then picked up a point in a 4-3 shootout loss in Swift Current before posting a stingy 3-1 victory in Lethbridge on Saturday.
With Alberta behind them, the Hawks head west to B.C. to take on the Kamloops Blazers and Vancouver Giants this week.
Hot Hawks:
Defenseman Luca Cagnoni led all Portland skaters with six points - all assists - across last week's three games. The San Jose Sharks prospect put up three helpers Wednesday, one on Friday and two on Saturday, and ranks tied for second in scoring among all WHL defensemen.
Forward Gabe Klassen posted a goal and three assists on Wednesday - his fourth game of the year with three or more points - then picked up two more helpers in Lethbridge on Saturday. The Hawks' captain leads the team in scoring with 22 points in 15 games thus far.
Forward Josh Davies scored twice in the win over Medicine Hat, then lit the lamp less than a minute into Friday's game against his old team in Swift Current. The Florida Panthers prospect boasts 14 points in his first 11 games as a Winterhawk.
Forward Diego Buttazzoni saw his season-opening 14-game point streak end on Saturday, but not before he recorded two goals on Wednesday and an assist on Friday. Eligible for the 2024 NHL Draft, Buttazzoni has already set or tied career-high marks in goals (10), assists (9) and points (19).
Goaltender Jan Špunar continued his strong play between the pipes in all three games last week, winning twice and helping the Hawks earn a point on Friday. The Czech backstop is 9-2-0-1 on the year with a sterling 1.80 GAA and .929% save percentage.
Play of the Week:
On Friday, Josh Davies made his return to Swift Current for the first time since the August trade that brought him to Portland, and made that return in style. Just 33 seconds into the contest, the Florida Panthers prospect picked up a loose puck at the blue line on the rush and ripped a wrist shot over the shoulder of Reid Dyck for an early Portland lead.
Weekly Rewind:
Portland 6 at Medicine Hat 3 (Wednesday):
Trailing by one entering the third period, the Winterhawks rattled off four unanswered goals to take a 6-3 win over the Medicine Hat Tigers on Wednesday night.
Portland 3 at Swift Current 4 SO (Friday):
Goals from Josh Davies, Josh Zakreski and Nick Johnson helped the Winterhawks earn a point for the second straight game, but the Swift Current Broncos grabbed the deciding tally in a five-round shootout to take a 4-3 win on Friday.
Portland 3 at Lethbridge 1 (Saturday):
Scoring in all three periods, the Winterhawks pushed their point streak to three games (2-0-1) with 3-1 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Saturday night.
The Week Ahead:
The road trip rolls into a third province this week, with the Winterhawks set to battle B.C. Division foes Kamloops and Vancouver.
First up is a playoff rematch at Sandman Centre in Kamloops on Wednesday night at 7:00 P.M. Portland took the first meeting of the season against the Blazers on Oct. 13, a 4-1 win on Keep Portland Fear'd Night.
Then, on Friday, the Hawks head to Langley to take on the Vancouver Giants. Puck drop is set for 7:00 P.M. at the Langley Events Centre, where Portland will look to go 2-0 on the year against the Giants after topping them at the VMC on Oct. 7.
Upcoming Promo Nights:
Friday, November 17 - Hometown Heroes Night - BUY TICKETS
Sunday, November 19 - Hawks Fight Hunger Night - BUY TICKETS
Saturday, December 2 - Fox12/KPTV Toy Drive - BUY TICKETS
Sunday, December 3 - Women of the Rose City Night - BUY TICKETS
Saturday, December 9 - Teddy Bear Toss - BUY TICKETS
Saturday, December 16 - Holiday Sweater Night - BUY TICKETS
- Tickets for the 2023-24 season are on sale NOW! With single-game seats, season tickets, flex packs, group tickets and more, there's an option for every fan.
- The Winterhawks trust Riverside Payments for all of their credit card processing as the team's official credit card processors.
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