Winterhawks and Royals get set for two big games

The Portland Winterhawks (35-20-1-3) and Victoria Royals (35-21-3-2) are two second place teams in their respective divisions that will be battling at Save-On-Foods Memorial Arena on Friday and Saturday night.

When the two games are over, Portland will have just 11 games left and Victoria nine. Both teams have a whole lot in common and those similarities should set up an generating duo of games.

Both teams are in positions, where the division title and home-ice for the first two rounds are not out of reach, but they are both feeling the pressure from a team right behind

Shane Farkas should get one of the two games this weekend. He has won his last three starts. (Dayna Fjord)

them in the standings as well.

Portland, who has lost two straight (both to the B.C. Division) now sits nine points behind the Everett Silvertips with two games in hand. With only one game remaining against the Silvertips (Sunday, March 11th in Portland), they need to win both of their games in hand and have a better overall record the rest of the way than Everett to give themselves a shot. And that is even with a regulation win over the ‘Tips on the 11th of March.

However, they are still feeling the heat from the third place Spokane Chiefs. They are only three points head of the Chiefs, who have won four of their last five. The Chiefs play three games in three nights this weekend. They play two teams below 0.500 in Prince George and Kootenay at home before traveling to Everett for another Sunday game with the ‘Tips.

If Spokane is able to get four or more points out of those three games and Portland loses both games in Victoria, we could see them overtake the Winterhawks and do an incredible surge from fifth to second in the U.S. Division, in less than a month.

Oddly enough, in what is seen as a really strong year for the U.S. Division, Portland has a really good record against the teams south of 49th parallel. They are 4-4-0-1 vs Everett, 5-2 vs Spokane (with one game left), 5-2 vs Tri-City (three games left) and 6-0-1-1 vs Seattle (with four games left) for an overall record of 20-8-

Skyler McKenzie sits one goal short of his career high 42. (photo-Dayna Fjord)

1-2.

What has been a struggle for Portland (and does not bode well for this weekend) is their poor record vs the B.C. Division. Though they went 3-1 vs Kelowna, the current B.C. Division leaders, they are 1-3 vs Kamloops, 1-3 vs Vancouver, 1-1 vs Victoria and 1-1 against Prince George (with two games left). That is an overall record of 7-9.

So they have a far worse record vs a division whose combined win percentage is 0.550, than they do against a division whose win percentage is 0.607.

The goalies up north have been the Achilles heel for Portland. Dylan Ferguson, David Tendeck and Tavin Grant have seemed to play their best hockey when taking on the Winterhawks. Portland went 1-6 combined vs Tendeck and Ferguson and had those two have a combined 0.957 save percentage against the Hawks.

Victoria is certainly hoping that Griffen Outhouse can keep this trend going. In his one game vs Portland this year, he stopped 28 of 30. When Portland threw up eight goals their last game against each other, Dean McNabb was getting a rare start.

Portland needs their top line to get rolling again to find the net that many times again. In the five games since that eight goal outburst, Skyler McKenzie has two points, Cody Glass three and Kieffer Bellows has just one. That has got to turn around for Portland to find success this weekend.

The Royals, meanwhile sit just three points behind Kelowna, but the Rockets have one game in hand. Victoria does not have the chance to use a regulation win over Kelowna to catch up as they do not play each other again in the regular season. They do have four games against the cellar-dwelling P.G. Cougars and on paper those should be their easiest tests.

Matthew Phillips has a 21-game point streak (photo-Brian Liesse)

Like Portland, Victoria is feeling the pressure of a team trying to catch them. The Vancouver Giants are five points behind their rivals with two games in hand. Those two have played their entire season series already as well.

Home ice could be the difference for the Royals, if they do catch the Rockets. They have seven of their last 11 games at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Arena.

Unlike the Winterhawks, the Royals have recently been getting big-time production form their top scorers. Tyler Soy, who had a hat trick the last time these two battled, has 18 points in his last nine games, while Matthew Phillips (one point away from 100 this year) has a 21-game point streak going and Dante Hannoun has 10 points in his last seven games.

Lots of talented players, playing pivotal games this Friday and Saturday in front of what should be a packed house, is pretty much as good as it gets for regular season hockey in the WHL.

Should be fun.