Kieffer Bellows had an interesting return to the lineup for the Portland Winterhawks against the visiting Everett Silvertips. Bellows, who had posted seven points in three games after returning from the World Juniors went down with an upper body injury on January 14th.
This was his return to the ice for Portland and it came on the same night that Cody Glass came back form his lower-body injury. Glass had not played since January 17th.
Bellows had an inauspicious return going over the first 40 minutes of the game as he found himself having spirited conversations going with the referees on tow occasions. Both of those revolved around two different minor penalties he committed.
Many forwards at this level would have been thrown off their game, but Bellows still came out with confidence. It could be that he was not as easily phased by what is one of the better goalies in the WHL in recent history in Carter Hart. Hart was his normal otherworldly self over the first two periods, stopping all 25 Portland shots and looking unbeatable.
Leave it to Bellows who while playing for Team USA at the WJCs twice beat Hart, who was representing Canada, to not be shaken by the two-time WHL goalie of the year.
The first round pick by the New York Islanders broke a scoreless tie 11:11 into the third period on the power play and added another to pace Portland to a big 3-0 win over the U.S. Division-leading Silvertips.
With the win, Portland closes to within three points of Everett, with a game in hand. They also kept five points between themselves and their opponent on Friday night, the Tri-City Americans.
Glass assisted on each of the Portland goals and all were memorable.
There was Glass on the power play with three Sivlertips surrounding him, banking a pass back to the line for Dennis Cholowski. The d-man then slid it over to Henri Jokiharju, who now found Glass with space that the center had created for himself. Glass barely had the puck on his stick, before it was on Bellows’ tape at the back door to the net. Bellows, while celebrating the goal, immediately recognized the slick pass that Glass had just given to him with a point of his right glove.
Bellows could have done the same for his second goal as well. Glass skated back hard and stripped the puck away from an Everett player, before finding Bellows in stride going into the Everett zone. Bellows appeared to be looking for a deflection from Skyler McKenzie, who was driving hard at the net. Instead, McKenzie missed the puck and it slid through Hart’s legs.
Glass finished off the night with an unselfish pass over to McKenzie for the team’s leading scorer’s 38th of the year. This one into an empty net.
Somewhat lost in the excitement over Bellows and Glass returning was the third shutout of the year for Cole Kehler. The overage netminder stopped all 21 shots he faced. He was at his best in the first period when Everett had control of the possession and outshot the Hawks 10-5. Kehler actually had one shot slip through his pads and nearly trickle across the goal line, before he dove back with his glove to stop its progress.
Hart was stellar for the ‘Tips with 39 stops on 41 shots.
Everett’s power play went 0/5, while Portland’s was 1/5.
Glass’ back-check may have been the most important one for the Winterhawks on the night, but it certainly was not the only key one. Portland overall played their best team-defensive game since their long winning streak ended in November. Jake Gricius and Alex Overhardt both had solid games defensively.
Overhardt also succeeded in getting under the skin of the usually unflappable Everett players. He drew two different penalties, including the one that led to the game-winning power play goal.
Notes:
-Portland fans will still have to wait another two game for a full forward group. Joachim Blichfeld was out serving the first of his two-game suspension.
-Seth Jarvis was reassigned before the game, meaning Portland still skated with Conor MacEachern up front playing forward. When Blichfeld returns, they will ice their first 12-forward group since January ninth.
