Winterhawks Take 2-0 Series Lead

Aggressiveness can be the best weapon of a team. It can also be the worst enemy. Both sides of that have been shown in the first two games of the WHL playoff series between the Portland WinterHawks and the Kelowna Rockets.

The Rockets scored first in Game One, with Cody Chilkie scoring on the power-play in the first. Despite outshooting the Rockets 20-13, the Hawks were unable to break through in the period. Ty Rattie, selected to the Western Conference First All-Star team, decided to change that. Rattie scored seven minutes into the second off a pass from Sven Bartschi, and added a second four minutes later on the power-play.

When Zach Franko came back and tied the game for the Rockets, Joe Morrow, the other WinterHawk selected to the First All-Star team, responded with just one second in the period for a 3-2 lead. Oliver Gabriel scored in the third to extend the advantage, and Rattie added a late insurance goal for the hat trick, and a 6-3 Portland win.

Though Game One was aggressive, with the teams combining for 46 penalty minutes, it was nothing compared to Game Two.

Again, the WinterHawks outshot the Rockets in the first, this time by a 20-7 margin, but failed to score. Troy Rutkowski changed all that early in the second, firing home a power-play goal off a pass from Marcel Noebels for a 1-0 lead.

To that point, the defense, specifically team captain William Wrenn and Tyler Wotherspoon, had kept the Rockets top line of Shane McColgan, Brett Bulmer, and Zach Franko in check. The frustration began to show when McColgan hit Cam Reid in the stomach with his stick during a scrum near the Portland net. Reid retaliated, and was assessed a minor for roughing.

The Hawks responded the best way: scoring. Taylor Peters tipped the ensuing face-off past the defense, and Brad Ross fired home a breakaway goal for a 2-0 lead. The Rockets tried to return the favor, but Mac Carruth stopped a tremendous shot from McColgan near the end of the period to keep the score 2-0.

The Hawks came out firing in the third, and Rattie scored a power-play goal off a pass from Sven Bartschi. The Hawks line of Rattie, Bartschi, and Noebels kept the pressure on Rockets goaltender Adam Brown all game long, and when the frustration reaching a boiling point, it got ugly. After Wotherspoon scored a goal that deflected off of two Rockets defenders, Brett Bulmer showed his ugly side. First he kneed Taylor Peters after the ensuing face-off, causing a scrum that resulted in Ross and Brett Lyon of the Rockets getting ejected. When Bulmer returned from the box, he immediately went after William Wrenn and kneed him, in a clear attempt to injure the WinterHawks captain. Winger Joey Baker had had enough, face planting Bulmer to the ice. Bulmer was given a five-minute major and was ejected. MacKenzie Johnston was also ejected for attacking Baker after his hit. Baker was given a two-minute minor for roughing.

“Everyone battles to last minute every game,” said Baker after the game, “It’s awesome.”

“You saw him go after Bulmer after that hit, that dirty hit on Wrenn,” said coach Mike Johnston, “It’s good to see that.”

The Hawks would secure a 4-0 victory, and a 2-0 lead in the series. Carruth stopped 20 shots for his second career playoff shutout.

There should be no doubt that the WHL will look into discipline for Bulmer for his actions. There was no intent other than to injure, and that cannot be tolerated in the league.

Game Notes:

• WinterHawks center Brendan Leipsic missed both games with an injury suffered late in the season.

• Rockets captain Colton Sissons left the game with an apparent injury after the first period and did not return.

• William Wrenn did not return to the ice after the hit from Bulmer.

• The Hawks outshot the Rockets 94-49 over the first two games.

• Despite scoring an average of two points per game, the highest in the league, Sven Bartschi was only selected to the All-Star Second Team. If Bartschi had played in every game this season, he was on pace for 138 points, which would be the best in the league.

• The series resumes Tuesday in Kelowna.