For the Reporter
The Portland Winterhawks broke out to a 5-1 lead en route to delivering an 8-5 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds in Game 4 of their first-round Western Hockey League playoff series Thursday night at the ShoWare Center.
The best-of-seven series, deadlocked at 2-2, resumes at 6 p.m. Saturday at Portland’s Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland.
Game 6 is on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. in Kent. A seventh and deciding Game 7, if needed, is Wednesday in Portland.
Taran Kozun stopped 17 of 22 shots before being replaced in goal by Logan Flodell, who stopped 19 of 21. Adin Hill got his second win of the playoffs after stopping 34 of 39.
Chase De Leo scored a goal in the first minute of the game to put Portland up. The Winterhawks’ Alex Overhardt followed with a goal at 2:15.
Ryan Gropp’s hot series continued with a goal at 17:43 that trimmed Portland’s lead to 2-1. Shea Theodore found Roberts Lipsbergs in the slot to start the attack. Lipsbergs was facing away from the net but managed to spin around and pass to Gropp, who was cutting down along the wing. Gropp’s one-timer was in the back of the net before Hill could leap back into position, making it 2-1.
Portland led 10-9 in shots in the first period.
Adam Henry’s goal for Portland at 8:41 made it 3-1. A power-play goal by Nic Petan stretched Portland’s lead to 4-1.
Keegan Iverson added another goal for the Winterhawks at 15:03.
Shots were 16-11 Portland in the second period.
Mathew Barzal scored for the T-Birds at 1:17. The goal was Barzal’s third of the series, while Gropp’s assist gave him six points in four games.
Dominic Turgeon scored for the Winterhawks after a giveaway behind the net. Miles Koules’ pass trickled out into the slot from there, where Turgeon skated in and fired away as quickly as he could. The goal made it 6-2 Portland.
The T-Birds kept at it despite the deficit and got another goal back, this time from Alexander True. Theodore took a point shot during the dying embers of a power play that True was able to tip through Hill’s five-hole for his second goal in two games. Ethan Bear had the secondary assist on the power-play goal.
Oliver Bjorkstrand scored a power-play goal at 12:30 to make it 7-3 Portland. Petan passed the puck to De Leo, who slipped a backhand pass through his legs to Bjorkstrand on the other side of the goal.
A speedy sequence of passes led to a Bear goal at 14:59. Barzal found Turner Ottenbreit from across the zone, followed by Ottenbreit feeding Bear at the top of the slot. Bear’s shot found home after zipping between Hill’s glove and shoulder.
Another power-play goal cut Seattle’s deficit to two goals with 2:50 left in the game. Theodore took a shot from the faceoff circle that beat Hill, who was dealing with a perfect screen in the crease.
Petan’s empty net goal at 18:43 put an end to Seattle’s comeback, making it 8-5 Portland.
=====
PLAYOFF GLANCE
Seattle vs. Portland, first-round series
Game 1 – Seattle 4, at Portland 3
Game 2 – At Portland 3, Seattle 0
Game 3 – At Seattle 5, Portland 2
Game 4 – Portland 8, at Seattle 5
Game 5 – Seattle at Portland, April 4 6 p.m. (Veterans Memorial Colisuem)
Game 6 – Portland at Seattle, April 7 7:05 p.m.
Game 7 – Seattle at Portland, April 8 7 p.m.* (VMC)
*If necessary
Tickets
Game 6 will be a Director’s Mortgage 2-for-Tuesday special. All tickets for are 2-for-1, and the ShoWare Center will feature concession specials, including $2 beer, $2 hot dogs, $2 soda and $2 popcorn.
Tickets for Game 6 are available now at the T-Birds website and at the ShoWare Center box office. The ShoWare Center box office is open Monday through Friday 10 am to 5 pm, and Saturday 10 am to 2 pm.
=====
GAME 4 SCORING SUMMARY
First period – 1, Portland, De Leo 1 (Bjorkstrand, Iverson), :54. 2, Portland, Overhardt 1 (unassisted), 2:15. 3, Seattle, Gropp 1 (Lipsbergs, Theodore), 17:43. Penalties – Ottenbreit, Seattle (tripping), 5:02.
Second period – 4, Portland, Henry 2 (Texeira, Bjorkstrand), 8:41. 5, Portland, Petan 3 (Henry, Bjorkstrand), 10:06 (pp). 6, Portland, Iverson 1 (De Leo, Schoenborn), 15:03. Penalties – Schoenborn, Portland (roughing), 6:47. Hauf, Seattle (roughing), 6:47. Hauf, Seattle (interference), 8:55. Iverson, Portland (boarding), 15:34.
Third period – 7, Seattle, Barzal 3 (Gropp), 1:17. 8, Portland, Turgeon 3 (Koules), 4:02. 9, Seattle, True 2 (Theodore, Bear), 10:47 (pp). 10, Portland, Bjorkstrand 2 (De Leo, Petan), 12:30 (pp). 11, Seattle, Bear 1 (Ottenbreit, Barzal), 14:59. 12, Seattle, Theodore 1 (Gropp, Smith), 17:10 (pp). 13, Portland, Petan 4 (Bjorkstrand), 18:43 (en). Penalties – Eansor, Seattle (hooking), 7:28. De Leo, Portland (hooking), 9:09. Wardley, Seattle (roughing), 11:48. Bittner, Portland (delay of game), 15:52. McKenzie, Portland (slashing), 19:09.
Shots on goal – Seattle 9-11-19 39, Portland 10-16-18 44. Goalies – Seattle, Kozun 22 shots-17 saves (2-2), Flodell 21-19; Portland, Hill 39-34 (2-2). Power plays – Seattle 2-4; Portland 2-4. A – 3,021. Referees – Adam Griffiths, Derek Zalaski. Linesmen – Nathan Van Oosten, Ron Dietterle
Talk to us
Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.
To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.
