The Portland Winterhawks lost to the Everett Silvertips, 8-5 Sunday afternoon. Entering the contest, Portland was 3-2-0 against Everett this season. The Winterhawks won the first three meetings against Everett, with two games going into overtime or the shootout. With the results, the Winterhawks went 1-1-1 this weekend. Thanks to a win against Tri-City and an overtime loss against Seattle, Portland holds the eighth seed in the Western Conference.
Portland was first to strike at Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Sunday afternoon. Off an offensive zone faceoff, Nathan Free would possess the puck and backhand a pass over to Cole Slobodian. Slobodian would then skate down along the left wing boards and throw the puck towards the net. Slobodian’s play was interfered with though, as the puck would deflect off the nearest defensman’s stick. At a much slower pace, the puck found it’s way just above the top of the goal crease. Battling for position there was Reed Brown, who would turn his back to the goal to play the puck. As Brown turned, he would swipe at the puck, creating a backhand shot on net. The puck would slide under the left leg of Everett goaltender, Raiden LeGall, and into the back of the net. The Winterhawks would take a 1-0 lead with 15:19 remaining in the opening period.
The Silvertips wouldn’t take long to respond in the first. With 7:55 left, Everett was putting the pressure on in the offensive zone. With a pass across the blue line from Landon DuPont, Tarin Smith would work along the bench side boards. With his momentum taking him down the zone, Smith would gain an edge on Portland’s defenseman and cut to the front of the net. As he reached the low end of the faceoff circle, Smith fired a quick wrist shot on net. The puck would then sneak over the left leg and under the glove of Portland goaltender, Cruz Chase. Smith’s 15th goal of the season would tie the game at 1-1.
The tied scoreline would hold through the remainder of the first period, until an early goal opened the flood gates for both teams. Just 24 seconds into the period, Ryan Miller would fight off a defender and gain a breakaway opportunity. With the defense still draped on his back, Miller protected the puck, made a stick move, then went for a high shot on LeGall’s blocker side. The puck would hit the crossbar, then bounce off the backside of LeGall. On its side, the puck would trickle over the goal line, inside the near post, to give the Winterhawks a 2-1 lead.
Portland’s lead wouldn’t last long, as Everett once again found a way to tie the game. With 18:04 left in the period, a kick pass from Brek Liske to Jesse Heslop would spring the Silvertips on a two on one rush. As Heslop enterd the offensive zone, his momentum would take him just inside the left faceoff circle. Heslop then wired a shot from just right of the faceoff dot, towards the near post. The puck would beat Chase’s blocker pad, and stay inside the post to give Heslop his 15th goal of the season. Just 1:32 after Miller’s goal, the Silvertips would tie the game at 2-2.
Then with 6:15 left in the period, Everett would strike again. After Everett gained the offensive zone, Jaxsin Vaughan would lose control of the puck momentarily above the faceoff circle. Once he regained the puck, Vaughan would drop a pass back for Kayd Ruedig. Ruedig then manuvered his way down the offensive zone with a jump cut between two defensemen. As Ruedig reached the faceoff dot, he would uncork a wrist shot high on Chase. The puck would find a window over the left elbow of Chase, and under the crossbar short side. The ex-Winterhawk would score his 16th goal of the season, and Everett would take a 3-2 lead.
Portland kept things tight with a response of their own with 4:22 left in the period. On the power-play, Ryan Miller would win a faceoff down to Nathan Free in the faceoff cirle. Free would then pass the puck up to the top of the zone for Alex Weiermair. Weiermair then skated along the high part of the zone to change his angle. Once he reached the middle, Weiermair would rifle a shot towards the net. Raiden LeGall wouldn’t see the puck until it was too late, thanks to a screen in front from Miller. The puck would fly under the crossbar and over LeGall’s glove side. Weiermair’s 37th goal of the season would bring the game back to even at 3-3.
Just when it seemed like things would slow down for the second intermission, Portland got back on the scoreboard. Alex Weiermair would come up with the puck along the boards for Portland. From outside the faceoff circle, Weiermair would feed a pass to the faceoff dot for Ryan Miller. From there, Miller would take one stride in and pass the puck over to Alessandro Domenichelli in the slot. Domenichelli wasted not time wristing a shot on net, just around the glove of the outstreched LeGall. Domenichelli would score his second goal of the season, and the Winterhawks would take a 4-3 lead headed into the third period.
The final period of regulation also opened with early scoring, this time from Everett. With 17:48 on the scoreboard clock, the Silvertips went to work on the power-play. After a step up shot from the point was blocked, Tarin Smith would regather the puck in the offensive zone for the Silvertips. Smith would then circle back to the top of the zone, and fire a wrist shot back towards the net. With Jaxsin Vaughan setting a screen in front of the net, the puck would find its way around Chase and into the top half of the net. Smith’s second goal of the night would tie the game at 4-4.
Then, a turnover would prove costly for Portland with 14:04 left in the period. Griffin Darby would skate back with the puck, but fan on a pass in the slot of the defensive zone. The puck would come to a dead stop, and Everett’s Nolan Chastko would have the momentum to reach the puck first. Chastko would instantly fire a one timer slap shot, that would race over the low glove Chase, giving the Silvertips a 5-4 lead.
Now with momentum on their side, Everett looked to pull away with another goal. As the halfway point of period three approached, Everett’s Landon DuPont would backhand the puck down the boards from the blue line in the offensive zone. As the puck wrapped around the glass, Julius Miettinen would shift from his position in front of the net to down low on the boards. Once the puck reached Miettinen, he would pass the puck out front and get checked by Griffin Darby. Miettinen’s pass would find Rhys Jamieson, wide open in the faceoff circle. From just inside the right hand faceoff circle, Jamieson wound up a wrist shot that flew past Chase’s blocker pad side. With 10:01 left on the clock, Everett would take a 6-4 lead.
The Silvertips didn’t take their foot off the gas either, finding another goal just 21 seconds later. This time, a pass to Julius Miettinen would kareen of his stick and send the puck deep into Portland’s defensive zone. After taking an odd bounce off the corner, the puck would hit the back of the net and settle inside the trapezoid. Cole Slobodian and Matias Vanhanen would collide behind the net as they raced for the puck. Ultimately, Vanhanen was able to get his stick behind the puck and push it back out towards the far faceoff circle. There to recieve the pass from Vanhanen was Carter Bear. With a Portland defender in front of Chase, Bear opted to pass on his wide open shot. Instead, Bear found Miettinen unmarked at the far side of the crease. Miettinen would tap Bear’s pass behind the right leg of Chase, and the Silvertips would extend their lead up to 7-4.
Portland would answer back with a power-play goal of their own with 7:33 remaining in regulation. Once again, Alex Weiermair would be set up at the point for Portland. Weiermair then looked to pass the puck to his right. Initially, the pass looked as if it would set up Jordan Duguay with a shot on goal. However, Duguay would let the puck slide by him in the high slot. Weiermair’s pass would instead glide down to Ryan Miller at the far side of the faceoff circle. Miller’s one timer would stay low to the ice, bounce off the inside of the far post, and cross the goal line to make the score 7-5.
Unfortunately for Portland, Miller’s second of the game would be their last of the night. Down two goals, the Winterhawks would pull their goal to gain an extra attacker. However, Everett would get possession, and Carter Bear would score an empty net goal with 2:08 remaining. The Silvertips would go on to win 8-5 over Portland.
After the game, when asked about the team’s scoring depth, head coach Kyle Gustafson said Alessandro Domenichelli was great on the line all night.
“I thought he was on the puck,” Gustafson said “He was creating space through his physicality, he was strong with it, he took it to the net a few times, he was at the net. I thought he looked like he fit in with, playing with Ryan (Miller) and Alex (Weiermair) there.”
He said that he was a great addition to their lineup and also noted Reed getting the early goals.
“With Reed, he’s been playing good stretches of hockey, in all three zones,” Gustafson said. “But there were times when he just wouldn’t convert, or wasn’t bearing down on the net front. For a guy like him, he just needed to see one go in, and I thought his game elevated after that.”
He said with getting down the stretch run, they need it in their lineup.
“You need scoring, you have to have your defense chip in as well,” Gustafson said. “So, it’s something we’re looking for here.”
Portland now has just two games left in its regular season. The Winterhawks’ next game is Friday at Tri-City. After that, the Winterhawks conclude their regular season on Saturday as they host the Seattle Thunderbirds at Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Puck drop on Friday is at 7:05 p.m. and Saturday at 6:00 p.m.
Northwest Sports Desk 