TALKING POINTS
This game felt a lot like the Everett-Portland games of yore, when the Winterhawks routinely blew right through the Tips. The Winterhawks controlled play, and when Portland’s big offensive guns got going they broke out in a big way. This one wasn’t nearly as close as the final score suggests as the Winterhawks outshot the Tips 36-19 and led 5-0 before Everett scored three late ones.
And yet the Tips were two minutes away from putting themselves in position to steal one on the road. This was a scoreless game late in the second period until Portland scored twice in 23 seconds to break it open (see below).
It was Portland’s big duo of Oliver Bjorkstrand and Nicolas Petan that did most of the damage for the Winterhawks as they combined for three goals and two assists. Everett managed to keep them from dominating the scoresheet in the first two games of the series. But the Tips took undisciplined penalties in this one, and those two made Everett pay big-time.
Meanwhile, Everett’s power play is a mess without Noah Juulsen. The Tips miss the injured Juulsen in a lot of different ways, but it shows up most prominently on the power play. His shot from the point is a big weapon, and the fact he’s right-handed means he can get off one-timers when receiving passes from triggerman Ivan Nikolishin. Cole MacDonald has a good shot from the point, too, but as a lefty he can’t one-time those feeds from the right circle. Everett tried to adjust by putting Nikita Scherbak at the left point on that power-play unit, but it didn’t have much effect.
Portland now leads the best-of-seven series 2-1, with a chance to take control with another home game Friday night.
TURNING POINT
The Tips were two minutes away from being right where they wanted to be, tied going into the third period with a chance to steal one. However, a quick string of fatal errors allows Portland to score twice in 23 seconds to break the game open.
First, at 2:08, the Tips blew a defensive assignment in defending the rush, leaving Anton Cederholm wide open as he jumped into the play from his defensive position. Miles Koules found Cederholm with a centering feed, and Cederholm directed the puck past Carter Hart to open the scoring.
Just 14 seconds later Everett’s Nikita Scherbak took a tripping penalty, and the Winterhawks needed just another six seconds to score again. Portland quickly worked the puck to Petan at the top of the right circle. Petan made a quick cut to the middle and rifled a shot past Hart to give the Winterhawks a sudden 2-0 lead.
THREE STARS
First star: Bjorkstrand. Two goals, had chances for his hat trick.
Second star: Petan. One goal and two assists, pulled the strings on the power play.
Third star: Chase De Leo, Portland. Two assists, dangerous carrying the puck.
The Herald’s honorable mention: Koules. Two assists, made a nice pass to set up the opener.
BOX SCORE
SERIES SCHEDULE
Game 1: Everett 5, Portland 3
Game 2: Portland 4, Everett 2 (2OT)
Game 3: Portland 5, Everett 3 (Portland leads series 2-1)
Game 4: Everett at Portland, Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 5 : Portland at Everett, Sunday, 4:05 p.m.
Game 6 (if necessary): Everett at Portland, Tuesday, 7 p.m.
Game 7 (if necessary): Portland at Everett, Wednesday, 7:05 p.m.
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