Winterhawks Weekly: Here We Go Again

For the fourth straight year, the Portland Winterhawks will be representing the Western Conference in the Western Hockey League finals.  Winning the series against the Kelowna Rockets 4-1, what was expected to be an even series was just that...for the first three games.

Kelowna took the first game 5-4, but that would be all they could get for the rest of the series.  Facing 40+ shots for the next two games, the Winterhawks took game 2 by a 5-3 score and needed all of their might to come back from a 3-1 deficit in game 3 to force overtime, where Taylor Leier put the Winterhawks 2-1 in the series thanks to the overtime winner.  From there, the Winterhawks cruised in game 4 by a 5-1 score and finished the series 7-3 behind a stellar third period that saw them overcome a 3-2 deficit at one point.  Nic Petan was named MVP of the series, and with that series win, the Winterhawks join select company, as they are just the fourth team in league history to reach the finals four straight years.  The others?  The Flin Flon Bombers (1968-71), the original Edmonton Oil Kings (1969-72), and the New Westminster Bruins (1975-78).

The Winterhawks will host the winner of the Edmonton/Medicine Hat series starting Saturday.