Both the Portland Winterhawks (7-5-0-1) and the Kamloops Blazers (5-6-0-1) played their second game in their weekend of three games in three nights. Portland lost 4-1 last night on the road in Spokane. Meanwhile, the Blazers departed Seattle with a convincing 7-2 victory over the the Thunderbirds. Jermaine Loewen had a strong night last night with a goal and an assist, and was looking to carry into tonight’s contest.
Loewen picked up right where he left off in Seattle as he netted a hat trick helping lead his team to a 6-2 victory at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Loewen spoke after the game, “I saw the team was working pretty hard in both zones. We got a good cycle game going, and I got opportunities that I cashed in on. We were able to cash in on power play.” Jermaine also credited his teammates, “We are all working hard and are finding ways to win.” Loewen also felt Dylan Ferguson played a key role, “He is there for us when we have breakdowns. We got a little careless tonight, and they got some guys in behind us. He was there for us and he has confidence in himself.
Head Coach Serge Lajoie spoke on his overage goalie after the game, “You don’t get this type of victory without some timely saves by Ferguson. He has been fantastic for us the past two nights.” The Winterhawks came out firing pucks at Ferguson, but “he allows us to get our feet underneath us and is very important to us. In all of our wins this year he’s been a pivotal piece of our success.” Portland was able to register 34 shots on net, but Ferguson stopped all but two. Some of his biggest saves came when the Winterhawks were on the breakaway.
Mike Johnston said, “We had three breakaways and Ferguson stopped them all. The shots we got by him hit the post, we hit three posts in the second period. All those things turn the momentum of the game around.”
A pivotal moment in the game came with just under two minutes left in the first period. Tensions rose between western conference foes and Jared Freadrich was given a five-minute major and game misconduct for cross checking. Portland felt the loss of their best offensive defenseman both during 5-on-5 play, but especially on the power play. The Winterhawks first power play unit had five forwards on the ice (Glass, Hughes, Newkirk, Gricius, and Blichfeld). The experiment didn’t work, and not many quality chances were generated. Losing Freadrich also required Johnston to adjust the defensive pairings. All year Ludvig and Freadrich had been paired together. Johnston was rotating players through trying to find a combination that worked. We will see how he manages his defense with the lineup tomorrow.
One area the Blazers were strong was right in front of Shane Farkas, “They won the battle around the net. They scored five of their goals within a couple feet of the net, that’s the type of team they are. We have to use our speed and our puck skills to beat that team, like we did in Kamloops,” Johnston said post-game.
Portland’s speed was on full display midway through the second period when “Gilliss made a phenomenal play at the blue line” Mason Mannek said. The two went in on a 2-on-1 against Ferguson. Mannek said “I knew once Gilliss got me the puck I was going to shoot right away and get it behind their guy.” Portland has been searching for depth scoring and Mannek is a player who has the ability to do so. Johnston said, “good for a guy like him to get going and be rewarded for his game.”
After Gilliss’ goal, Portland found new life, but in the third period the Blazers were able to keep the majority of the play to the outside. Loewen’s third goal of the game, and sixth this season, looked to be a backbreaker for the Winterhawks, but they would give one final push highlighted by a Cody Glass breakaway. Unfortunately for Portland, Ferguson answered the call again.
After a timely save by Ferguson and what appeared to be blown defensive coverage, the Blazers were to lock up the victory when Carson Denomie netted his first goal of the season.
The same two teams will play in the same location but will drop the puck an hour earlier. Johnston wants his team to “pick up scoring 5-on-5 and limit the breakdowns at the blue lines.” Lajoie mentioned the Blazers will look to “button some things up through video work, not rely so much on Dylan [Ferguson], and keep playing our game.”
Notes:
– Farkas returned to starting for Portland after Dante Giannuzzi got his first WHL start last night.
– Jared Freadrich was given a game misconduct for his cross check late in the first period. I will be monitoring the WHL discipline report to see if anything additional comes of his actions.
– Nick Cicek replaced Nick Perna in the lineup as the 6th defenseman.
– The top line of Newkirk, Glass, and Blichfeld was reunited after Hughes and Newkirk had changed places recently.
– Portland has only 12 healthy forwards with Robbie Fromm-Delorme hurt with a lower-body injury. According to Johnston at practice last week, no one is expected to be called up at this time
