The Portland Winterhawks lost to the Spokane Chiefs 6-4 Thursday night. This was just 24 hours after the Winterhawks dropped Game 3 to Spokane 8-5. Portland had given up 24 goals in its previous three games against the Chiefs. With the loss, the Chiefs sweep the Winterhawks 4-0 and advance to the Western Hockey League Finals.
Game 4 would start similarly to Game 3, with Spokane scoring first at Veterans Memorial Coliseum. After great scoring opportunity for Portland, the Chiefs would block a shot and clear the puck away. Streaking up the ice was Spokane’s Andrew Cristall, who would catch up to the puck at center ice. Looking around, Cristall realized if he skated quickly, he was all alone on a breakaway. Cristall moved in, deked to his backhand, and raised the puck over the leg of Portland goaltender Ondrej Štěbeták. With 12:34 on the clock in the first period, the Chiefs would take the early 1-0 lead.
The Winterhawks would respond with 9:02 left in the first period. From the blue line, Tyson Jugnauth would pass across to Alex Weiermair in the high slot. Weiermair would then fire a wrist shot on Spokane’s goaltender, Dawson Cowan. Cowan would get a piece of the puck, but not enough to stop it. The puck would fall through Cowan, and bounce into the back of the net. Weiermair’s ninth goal of the postseason would tie the game at 1-1.
Spokane would then score on the power-play with 3:51 remaining in the period. After a centering chance was jabbed away by Portland’s defense, the puck would bounce free to Shea Van Olm. Van Olm then moved the puck back up to the faceoff circle for Andrew Cristall. Cristall would step inside, shift to his forehand, and then fire a wrist shot on net. The puck would rip past Štěbeták’s blocker, staying inside the near post. Cristall’s 21st goal of the postseason would put the Chiefs up at the end of the period, 2-1.
In the second period, it was Portland who would get on the board first. The Winterhawks power-play would strike with 14:39 remaining in the second period. Tyson Jugnauth would gather the puck and skate along the top of the offensive zone. Once he got towards the middle, Jugnauth would fire a wrist shot on a screened Dawson Cowan. Standing directly in front of Cowan, was Ryan Miller. Miller would then tip the puck at the last second around the glove of Cowan. Miller’s fourth goal of the playoffs would tie the game at 2-2.
Then with 7:58 left in the second period, the Chiefs would regain the lead. On the rush, Brody Gillespie would carry the puck out wide. Gillespie then left a drop pass back for the trailing Coco Armstrong. Armstrong then whipped a wrist shot over the blocker of Štěbeták for his second goal of the postseason. For the second straight game, Coco Armstrong had scored a goal, and the Chiefs would take a 3-2 lead.
However, scoring in the second period was not done. With 3:03 left, Alex Weiermair would corral the puck and skate around the offensive zone. From outside the faceoff circle, Weiermair would wheel around the zone. Skating across to the right faceoff circle, Weiermair would protect the puck as he worked his way down into the zone. Then, from the bottom of the faceoff circle, Weiermair would wrist a shot on net. The puck would hit the side of Cowan’s mask, and fall off his shoulder, into the back of the net. At the end of the second period, the game was tied at 3-3.
Portland began the third period on the power-play, which was key for their momentum. Alex Weiermair once again controlled the puck in the offensive zone. As Weiermair skated down the high slot, he would deke around one defenseman. With a second defender closing in, Weiermair would dish the puck out wide to Josh Zakreski. Zakreski would pull the puck in, and fire a wrist shot on Cowan. The puck would beat Cowan over the glove side shoulder, and strike the back of the net. Just 24 seconds into the third period, the Winterhawks grabbed a 4-3 lead.
Spokane would tie the game with 5:47 left in regulation. Off an offensive zone faceoff, the puck would fall back to Saige Weinstein. Weinstein’s shot from the point would be deflected and bounce towards a crowd in front of the net. Rasmus Ekström would stop the puck with his stick, then turn and flick a shot on net. The puck would find a seam through traffic in front, and beat Štěbeták’s reaching glove. Ekström’s goal would tie the game at 4-4.
Unfortunately for Portland, Spokane would strike again with 3:11 left in regulation. Owen Martin would receive a pass and enter the offensive zone. From the right side, Martin would move across the zone, protecting the puck. As Martin reached the slot, he would turn his stick and threaten a wrist shot. As Portland’s poke check came out, Martin would deke back to his backhand, and force a shot on net. The puck would sneak under the glove arm and over the leg of Štěbeták, finding its way to the back of the net. Martin’s fifth goal of the playoffs would give the Chiefs a 5-4 lead.
Portland would pull their goaltender with roughly two and a half minutes to go, and get an offensive zone faceoff with 2:16 remaining. However, a broken stick on a point shot would give the Chiefs possession on the puck. They would pass their way down the ice, and Shea Van Olm would score an empty net goal with 1:33 left in the game. The Chiefs would hold on to win 6-4.
After the game, Winterhawks head coach Kyle Gustafson said, “Yeah the conversation at the end of the game quite difficult to be honest. We told them (the team) how proud we are. Everyone had a chance to speak, from myself to Mike, Mike Kramer. Special group. To be where we are, prove a lot of people wrong. Not a lot of people in the hockey community would’ve though we’d be in this position. At one point, not even thinking about making the playoffs. So, for what we were able to do and accomplish, as I told the guys, we’re proud of them. Every day in practice, they emptied the tank. And we asked for a character game tonight, and we got it.”
The last question asked to Gustafson was, “How do you think this team is going to be remembered?” Gustafson replied, “It’s funny, I asked Chyz that a couple minutes ago. What is the legacy that you want to leave? And he said, ‘For the teams that we had, we overachieved.’ And we really did. We overachieved in a lot of different areas. But it was our togetherness. I think that’s the thing we want to remember. We were a tight group, and it showed on the ice. I thought we were really hard working, tight checking. We were together. And that was the first thing out of his mouth, and I’d have to agree with that.”
The 2025 WHL finals are now set. The Medicine Hat Tigers will play the Spokane Chiefs for the Ed Chynoweth Cup. The schedule of the finals will be released later this week.
Northwest Sports Desk 