-Through the first 16 games of the Portland Winterhawks season, one of the notable things has been the drop in secondary scoring over the past six games or so. The top line of Kieffer Bellows, Cody Glass and Skyler McKenzie and top defensive pairing of Henri Jokiharju and Matt Quigley has accounted for 41 of the team’s 72 goals or 57 percent. Over the last six games, the quintet has scored 13 of the team’s 17 goals or 76 percent.
Watching up in Everett on Saturday, it was pretty obvious that for large stretches the team struggled to control possession when the group of five on the ice did not contain any of that group. That is not to say that there were not good scoring chances for some of the other lines. The trio of Ty Kolle, Alex Overhardt and Joachim Blichfeld did get some good looks and ended up scoring the game-winner.
I thought that the best way to look at who is getting the looks outside of that group and just not hitting the net was to pull up the player’s shooting percentages. With the WHL now recording who gets what shots, this is a new type of stat that we can run pretty easily.
The two that really stand out on this list are Joachim Blichfeld and Jake Gricius who are shooting at 4.8 and 7.3 respectively. A lot was expected of these two this year and their shot totals of 41 and 42 (which is good for sixth and fifth on the team) is a clear sign that they are getting pucks on net. The average shooting percentage in the NHL is 9.11, but one would expect a higher number in a developmental league like the WHL. Both Blichfeld and Gricius are below his number. Both possess good shots, but are clearly struggling right now. They may need to get into the tough areas more often and score a greasy goal to get the monkeys off their backs. I would look for these two to both break out at some point.
One thing that has impacted the secondary scoring is the loss of Ryan Hughes and Brad Ginnell. Both were shooting at a high rate before their injuries. Hughes has now missed nine games and is likely out for another seven to eight weeks at least. Ginnell has been out six games and has been day-to-day for awhile. They both play on the left side and this has forced Portland Head Coach Mike Johnston to move players like Lane Gilliss and Ty Kolle up in the lineup. They have played well, but have no showcased as much high-end creativity as the injured two have, as of yet.
Kolle was key in the game-winner Saturday and if he can start to contribute more offensively, that would be a positive to come out of this.
Bellows, McKenzie and Glass are all in the top-11 in the league on shots on goal and with how much they control the puck while they are out there, I would look for this to continue. Johnston looked a little bit during the three-game skid with moving these three around and trying to get some of the other lines going. With how good they are when they are out there together though, he ended up moving them back to playing together. There is enough talent elsewhere in the lineup, that the secondary scoring should figure itself out without breaking those three up.
| Player | Position | Shots | Goals | Shooting % |
| Kieffer Bellows | LW | 85 | 13 | 15.3 |
| Skyler McKenzie | LW | 70 | 13 | 18.6 |
| Cody Glass | Center | 74 | 8 | 10.8 |
| Henru Jokiharju | Defense | 51 | 5 | 9.8 |
| Alex Overhardt | Center | 41 | 5 | 12.2 |
| *Ryan Hughes | LW | 15 | 4 | 26.7 |
| Keoni Texeira | Defense | 19 | 4 | 21.1 |
| Joachim Blichfeld | RW | 41 | 3 | 7.3 |
| *Brad Ginnell | LW | 18 | 3 | 16.7 |
| Mason Mannek | Center | 13 | 3 | 23.1 |
| Matthew Quigley | Defense | 21 | 2 | 9.5 |
| Ty Kolle | Center | 22 | 2 | 9.1 |
| Conor MacEachern | Defense | 11 | 2 | 18.2 |
| Jake Gricius | Center | 42 | 2 | 4.8 |
| Ilijah Colina | RW | 28 | 1 | 3.6 |
| Lane Gilliss | LW | 18 | 1 | 5.6 |
| Bronson Sharp | LW | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| Reece Newkirk | Center | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| John Ludvig | Defense | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Clay Hanus | Defense | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Cicek | Defense | 2 | 0 | 0 |
*=currently injured.
Next up:
-The Winterhawks will be off until they take on the Tri-City Americans on Friday at the Moda Center. That will also be the setting for their game Saturday against the Prince Albert Raiders. The first game should be a good one as both teams are tied atop the U.S. Division right now. 
Glass in Moose Jaw
-Cody Glass will be playing in the CIBC Canada Russia Series for Team WHL today and tomorrow. Today’s game will be in Moose Jaw, while tomorrow’s is in Swift Current. Glass will be trying to earn some consideration for a spot on the team that will represent Team Canada at the U-20 World Junior Championships this December/January.
Cole Kehler named WHL Goalie of the Week
-Not surprisingly, Cole Kehler took home his second goalie of the week honor after stopping 120 of 123 shots over three games. His play was a big reason they were able to win all three games and take home all six points, despite not scoring at the rate they were earlier this year.
