Coming into the series between the Portland WinterHawks and the Tri-City Americans, analysts predicted one of the goalies would determine the entire series. If anyone had said that goaltender would be Mac Carruth, they would have been laughed out of the building.
Who is laughing now?
Carruth came into Game Three and Game Four, and allowed only two goals total to the second highest scoring team in the Western Conference, and the WinterHawks swept the Americans out of the playoffs, winning Game Three 3-1, and Game Four 4-1.
The Hawks found themselves in trouble early in Game Three, with Adam Hughesman scoring on the power-play just one minute in to give the Americans a 1-0 lead. In the second, the Americans put on a ruthless shooting display, peppering Carruth. Carruth continued to hold firm, and the defense cleared away second chance opportunities. Finally, Marcel Noebels continued his hot streak, beating Ty Rimmer to tie the game halfway through the second.
From that point on, the discipline of the Americans seemed to unravel. Over the course of the next thirty minutes, they would receive eight penalties, seven of them in a row, while the Hawks calmed down and put more pressure on the Americans zone.
That pressure paid off halfway through the third, when Ty Rattie tied the WinterHawks record for career goals in the playoffs, beating Rimmer to take a 2-1 advantage. Brad Ross added an empty-netter to finish the game off. Carruth finished with 38 saves on 39 shots.
With his 28th goal of the playoffs, Rattie tied Randy Heath for the record.
In Game Four, Hughesman tried to put the Americans on his back, again scoring the first goal. However, the Hawks practically loaded a Gatling gun full of pucks, and unloaded it on net constantly and relentlessly. The constant assault finally paid off in the third, with Cam Reid tying the game off rebound from a shot by Brad Ross. Less than a minute later, Noebels scored to give the Hawks a lead they would not relinquish. Sven Bartschi and Ross would add to the tally later, and the Hawks left the Rose Garden Western Conference Champions.
To his credit, Rimmer turned away a ridiculous 57 shots in Game Four, showing why he is regarded as one of the top goaltenders in the league. But Carruth matched him, stopping 40 shots and after allowing early goals in both Games Three and Four, he settled down and gave the Hawks the presence in net they needed.
The WinterHawks will face the winner of the Edmonton Oil Kings and the Moose Jaw Warriors for the Ed Chynoweth Cup. Edmonton leads that series three games to one.
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