Recent Posts
Home >Unlabelled > Portland advances to WHL final for 2nd straight year with 4-1 win over Tri-City - NHL.com on Astini News
Portland advances to WHL final for 2nd straight year with 4-1 win over Tri-City - NHL.com on Astini News
Posted on Friday, April 27, 2012 by astini
PORTLAND, Ore. - The Portland Winterhawks swept their way into the Western Hockey League final thanks to a huge third period.
The Winterhawks exploded with four unanswered goals over the final 20 minutes to down the Tri-City Americans 4-1 and advance to the WHL final for the second straight season.
Second-seeded Portland won the best-of-seven series 4-0 over the Americans, the top seed in the Western Conference.
The Winterhawks will face the winner of the Eastern Conference final between Edmonton and Moose Jaw, which the Oil Kings currently lead 3-1. Portland lost to the Kootenay Ice in the WHL final last season.
Despite the series between Portland and Tri-City ending in a sweep, all four games were tied well into the third period and the first two went to overtime.
"What a battle tonight," said Portland head coach Mike Johnston. "It was such a tight, tough series. I give Tri-City a lot of credit, we had our hands full."
Tri-City led 1-0 after two periods, with Americans goaltender Ty Rimmer stopping all 40 shots he faced.
"Rimmer is one of the best goalies in the league, and he showed it tonight," Johnston said.
Cam Reid and Marcel Noebels broke the ice for Portland, scoring 1:06 apart in the third to get the rally started for Portland.
Reid walked in off the right wing boards and beat Rimmer over the blocker to tie the game at the 6:42 mark of the third on Portland's 46th shot of the game.
Noebels gave Portland the lead at the 7:48 mark on a feed from Ty Rattie. Noebels took the puck to his backhand side and lifted it over Rimmer's glove for his third of the series and fifth of the playoffs.
Reid and Noebels were each acquired by the Winterhawks at the WHL's trade deadline, with Portland surrendering three high draft picks to obtain the duo.
"Sometimes you have to make a move and overpay with draft picks," Johnston said. "But you can see right now that they can make the difference."
Reid, who left St. Cloud State during the NCAA season to join the Winterhawks, stated he's "never won anything like this in my life."
"The reason I came here was for this playoff run, and it's an unbelievable feeling right now," Reid said.
Sven Bartschi stole the puck from Tri-City's Zachary Yuen and beat Rimmer to make it 3-1 with 3:03 to play, then Brad Ross scored on a breakaway 26 seconds later to seal the victory.
As he did in a 3-1 Game 3 defeat, Tri-City's Adam Hughesman opened the scoring with a rebound goal on the power play. Brendan Shinnimin's wrist shot from the point caught Portland goalie Mac Carruth in the mask, and Hughesman pounced on the rebound to give the Americans a 1-0 lead late in the first period.
With Rimmer making 57 saves in the game, Carruth was a somewhat forgotten man on the other end of the ice. But for the second straight night, he held the Americans to one goal and stopped four breakaways that could've put Portland in a two-goal hole.
Carruth made 39 saves Thursday, and stopped 77 of 79 shots in Games 3 and 4.
"I don't think we could've done much more," Tri-City coach Jim Hiller said. "Carruth was terrific, and their big guys scored big goals."
The Americans won their fourth division title in five years this season, but failed in a quest to reach the league final for the second time in three years. Tri-City has never won the WHL title.
"I thought we went toe-to-toe with (Portland)," Hiller said. "When they needed big goals they got big goals. They got great goaltending.
There's not much more than that."
Blog Archive
-
▼
2012
(4078)
-
▼
April
(682)
- petMD.com Lists the Top 5 Dog and Top 5 Cat Breeds...
- Grover Norquist Has No Interest in Bipartisan Coop...
- ORANGEBURG | Cordova resident supports Locks of Lo...
- Apple indeed has a TV in the works, claims Reuters...
- Iâm âA Bacheloretteâ; Singer Wants âA Guy ...
- Independence students âpay it forwardâ - Local...
- Apple iPhone 5 To Be 20 Percent Thinner, Jefferies...
- Wilson On Angels' Slow Start: That's The Way Baseb...
- How the new Seahawks uniforms came to be | Seattle...
- Dover NH, Rochester NH, Portsmouth NH, Laconia NH,...
- Jeff Goldblum brings his quirky style to Broadway ...
- Danny Green Wants Anthony Mundine To Put Up or Shu...
- Markets await Friday jobs report | Money on Astini...
- Lisa Marie Presley: I Thought Iâd Die at 42 Like...
- Zimmerman, Attorney Launch New Website - Local New...
- NWCN.com | Oregon News on Astini News
- Eagles Looking Up; Umenyiora Unhappy on Astini News
- Most active New York Stock Exchange-traded stocks ...
- Loudoun public defender Lorie OâDonnell arrested...
- China property market digest, April 19-30 | Reuter...
- 2012 NFL Draft: Colts' Saturday picks | Indianapol...
- plainville.TheSunChronicle.com on Astini News
- Go Red For Women Luncheon May 9th on Astini News
- SpaceX Falcon 9 Set for Critical Engine Test Firin...
- 'Army Wives': Kellie Martin talks Patti LuPone, Ni...
- Chef Robert Irvine dishes tough love to failing ea...
- Google Goggles update doubles recognition speed on...
- Tulane's Dezman Moses realizes NFL dream, committe...
- Syracuse basketball links: Catching up with Eric D...
- Lecrae Reveals Artwork and Details for New Mixtape...
- Does Chocolate Make You Thin? on Astini News
- You're Wrong About Madoff, and That Ignorance Will...
- Alabama officials want to freeze No Child Left Beh...
- Five Local GOP Statehouse Candidates Debate Thursd...
- Fifth tornado confirmed in southeast Colorado on A...
- Trustees to blame for riot on Astini News
- Kim Kardashian, Jon Hamm settle the score on '30 R...
- A Very Pricey Pineapple - NYTimes.com on Astini News
- Swtor: Raiding/Operations for Dummies - Spokane PC...
- Play addresses the other side of Jack the Ripper t...
- Jeremy Hunt launches 'once in a lifetime' London 2...
- Small earthquake recorded in central Oklahoma - KF...
- Apple is better off without Steve Jobs on Astini News
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers draft two West Virginia defen...
- IAS abduction: hostage crisis enters day eight - I...
- WTVC NewsChannel 9 :: News - Top Stories on Astini...
- Halle Berry, Olivier Martinez star in 'Dark Tide',...
- Pope Appoints Archbishop of Washington, Cardinal W...
- World Malaria Day is April 25; Malaria No More Tea...
- Hotwire Reveals April 2012 Travel Savings Indicato...
- Nikon D3200 24.2 MP CMOS Digital Amazon Coupon Cod...
- Indiaâs Vikramaditya aircraft carrier prepares f...
- Jerry Hairston Jr. compares Bryce Harper to Jay Br...
- Taxi drivers accuse Alexandria Yellow Cab of explo...
- Rethinking AGW, Part 5: Pascal's Wager - E. Magill...
- Tyler Perry Helps Obama Top Romney In Georgia Fund...
- HIV/AIDS: Still a world threat three ... JPost on ...
- At last his party's candidate, will Romney let a h...
- Drunk passengers, playboy pilots and life in the s...
- State cops restart anti-Red operations on Astini News
- The physics and physicist behind the hit game Angr...
- South Miami city police have new canine officer - ...
- The Week in Cartoons - News on Astini News
- Syria accuses UN chief of encouraging militants on...
- Former New York Yankee Bill âMooseâ Skowron di...
- KC & The Sunshine Band and Javier Colon To Perform...
- Twinkleâs Kitchen | Sinful Cinnamon Rolls on Ast...
- Russia District Skolkovo To Host 2014 G8 Summit - ...
- Newman/Haas withdraws from Indianapolis 500 on Ast...
- Michigan State's Trenton Robinson has speed, skill...
- Pleasant Valley High School honor roll on Astini News
- 'The Good Wife': Season 3's Best Moments on Astini...
- Page Not Found on Astini News
- MTV Multiplayer â Harley Quinn Gets Her Revenge ...
- Meghan McCain Slams Greta Van Susteren for Invitin...
- 'Hold Your Nose And Vote For Ken' on Astini News
- Fallen Chinese politician's son defends himself on...
- Zodiac Aerospace (ZC) - Financial and Strategic SW...
- Wembé Expands U.S. Distribution Through Partnersh...
- Yuma skies, sites to fill with military aircraft |...
- Jessica Simpson has lavish baby shower on Astini News
- How Pregnant Reese Witherspoon Has Dressed Her Bab...
- 2012 NFL Draft: Nick Perry Will Get Green Bay Pack...
- Nevada woos Chinese energy firmpartners? | The Des...
- Delmon Young charged with error after Detroit Tige...
- Citizens Bank Settles Overdraft Fee Lawsuit For $1...
- Speedy Guacamole » Lifestyle » EagleTribune.com,...
- Portland advances to WHL final for 2nd straight ye...
- Friday Grok: Dotcom results â very good news, wi...
- Students pepper-sprayed at Santa Monica College pr...
- Briggs Dodge looks forward to award-winning 2013 D...
- Sean Astin's Lord of the Rings collection to be fe...
- Brett Ratner, Dakota Fanning, Whoopi Goldberg Amon...
- Win A Meeting With Sean Parker, NEA, Bessemer & Mo...
- Perfect Sunday lunch: roast rib of beef with water...
- MINI Cooper GP II Spy Photos | Reviews | Prices on...
- Twentieth Century Fox Launches "Alvin and the Chip...
- InstantCouponsHere.com announces setbacks shoppers...
- Humongous solar flare erupts from sun on Astini News
- Rolling Stones | The Rolling Stones Heading Back T...
-
▼
April
(682)