Back on November 28th, the Portland Winterhawks had a 10-game win streak halted by a superb 44-save performance form then Lethbridge Hurricanes netminder Stuart Skinner. That was a game where Portland had countless high-quality chances at key points in a tight game, but could not find a way to beat a goalie having an incredible night.
Valentine’s Day night at Veterans Memorial Coliseum, David Tendeck halted a five-game Portland win streak and seven-game home win streak with a 47-save performance in a 4-2 Vancouver Giants road win.
Ty Ronning provided both the game-tying and game-winning goals for Vancouver in the third period, as his squad came back from a 2-1 third period deficit to get the road win, despite being outshot 49-18 and out-possessed consistently.
Sometimes it’s more about making key stops at big moments in games than about the quantity of shots. In this game’s case, Tendeck had both quantity and quality. There was a left pad stop on Kieffer Bellows moments before Ronning tied the game in the third period. There were big stops on Alex Overhardt and Brendan De Jong right after that Ronning goal. Then there were breakaway stops on Joachim Blichfeld and Ryan Hughes right after Ronning gave Vancouver a 3-2 lead.
This was not the first time Tendeck had put in great performances against Portland. He had a 37-save game shutout at the VMC in a 1-0 Giants win back on December eighth and 43 saves on 46 shots in a 5-3 win in Langley three days earlier. The only time he has lost to Portland this year was when Kehler got the shutout and he gave up just one goal on 26 shots on January 20th.
Doing the math, Tendeck has stopped 152 of 158 Portland shots and won three of four games. That is a save percentage of 0.962.
Dawson Holt started the scoring in the game as he came out of the corner and had the puck come to him on Kehler’s right post. He banged it home for his 10th of the year.
After out-shooting Vancouver 10-8 in the first, the Hawks turned the heat on in the second. Facing a Giants team without two key forwards in Milos Roman and Owen Hardy and four defensemen in Dylan Plouffe, Matt Barberis, Darian Skeoch and Alex Kannok-Leipert, Portland seemed like the more intact team by pouring on 21 shots to Vancouver’s six.
Tendeck somehow kept 19 of those shots out of his net.
Reece Newkirk tied the game with his fifth goal this year. He drove at the Vancouver net before dishing to Lukus MacKenzie. The ensuing rebound of MacKenzie’s backhand shot came right to him and he shoveled the puck in.
Hughes then scored his fourth goal in five games to give Portland a slim lead. While on the power play, Hughes pump-faked a shot and used a double screen form Blichfeld and Overhardt to wire a shot over Tendeck’s left shoulder and into the net.
The period had the feel though of being one where Portland might regret not putting more distance between themselves and the short handed Giants.
That would be the case in the third as Ronning took advantage of Portland twice not being able to clear their own zone by having a shot from Tyler Popowich deflect off his body and in. The goal was his 50th of the year. He recently set the Giants single-season record, previously held by Evander Kane.
He would add his 51st later as a broken up pass by Portland’s Dennis Cholowski came right to him. He buried a hard wrist shot by Kehler, giving the Giants the game-winning-goal against the flow of play.
Then with Kehler pulled for an extra attacker, Brayden Watts tried to set up Ronning for the hat trick, but the pass was broken up. The puck came right to him again though and he slid the empty netter in from the neutral zone to give us the 4-2 final.
Portland was one-for-four on the power play and Vancouver went 0-for-2.
Kehler stopped 15 of 18 in the loss.
Portland may be saved an emotional let down from such a tough loss as they do not play again until next Wednesday at home against Kamloops.
Portland fans will turn spectators this weekend as Everett, who stays two points up on Portland with the Hawks loss, plays three-games in three-nights. They play a home-and-home with Seattle before hosting Spokane Sunday.
Vancouver heads back home to host the Edmonton Oil Kings Friday.
