Portland V Halifax: Memorial Cup game 1

video highlights

Halifax’s speed spun circles around Portland (video)

MacKinnon took over game vs. Portland (video)

scoresheet

photo essay

Yahoo! 3 stars

real time fan discussion 

scooterpbp

So, before I read anything below, would it surprise any of you that I predict right now we win the Cup? 

Dylan Bumbarger, community blogger

I can see the case for it

Dylan Bumbarger, community blogger

only problem now is they're in the position where a bad luck game sinks you 

chlfan

As long as the bad luck game does not happen in an elimination game, the Hawks should be OK.

Scott Sepich:

"It's obviously not the start we wanted," said Portland acting head coach Travis Green. "I thought we played really well for 25 to 27 minutes, but then the game got away from us for about 10 minutes there."

It was an especially rough night for Hawks goalie Mac Carruth, who allowed seven goals on 35 shots. The four-year WHL veteran posted a 1.63 goals-against average in the playoffs, but never looked comfortable Saturday as shots he normally stops kept finding a way to trickle past him.

When asked if he ever considered lifting Carruth for backup Brendan Burke, Green simply said, "No."

Windsor Star

Nathan MacKinnon scored at even strength, on the power play and while shorthanded in the second period Saturday as the Halifax Mooseheads exploded for five straight goals to defeat the Portland Winterhawks 7-4 in the first game at the MasterCard Memorial Cup for both teams in Saskatoon.

The slick centre from Cole Harbour, N.S., also added an assist to his hat trick, while Martin Frk, with a goal and an assist, Jonathan Drouin, Luca Ciampini and Stephen MacAuley also scored for Halifax. Zachary Fucale made 37 saves to get the win for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League champions, who got two assists from MacKenzie Weegar.

Willy Palov

Once the teams settled down during the first intermission, the game really opened up. Troy Rutkowski gave the Winterhawks their first lead of the game when his wrist shot from the point beat Fucale through a screen 39 seconds into the second period. Ty Rattie then put Portland ahead 3-1 92 seconds later with a nice backhand after cutting into the slot.

But Halifax's Jonathan Drouin responded just 65 seconds when he chipped a rebound over Carruth to cut the lead to 3-2. Nathan MacKinnon squared the game at 3-3 80 seconds later when he tipped Brendan Duke's point shot. The goal capped a combined four-goal outburst that lasted fewer than four minutes.

 I think this game is as simple as Carruth had a bad game.  I've been on record backing the guy, especially after Game 5 of the Finals.  Mac Carruth is the reason that the 'Hawks are in the Memorial Cup.  The way he plays the game is comprised of many double edged swords, chriping, being involved physically, actively playing the puck, etc etc etc.  He's a character - one that doesn't come around very often.  Kid is polarizing, but the numbers speak for themselves - and you don't become the playoff wins leader in a league like the WHL on accident.  You dance with the one that brought you.

Carruth will respond. Most of the post-game reaction that I put stock into agrees.  Getting smacked in the face might be the best thing that could happen to this team early in this tournament: now they have some adversity to deal with.  They can run with that "backs against the wall" mentality.

I didn't see anything wrong with the 'Hawks that isn't correctable for Monday night.  I heard a few references to the team we saw tonight being last years 'Hawks - and that seems accurate.  They haven't slumped in this years playoffs, and they won't start now.

 "It's simple mistakes, a couple giveaways and loose guys that needed to be picked up, plus penalties we shouldn't have taken," Rattie said. "It's all things that can be fixed, and we'll be better Monday."

Paying the cost to be the boss

Traditionally contending teams will load up at the trade deadline hoping to make a run at a championship.  Generally, if your run is successful, then it doesn't matter what you gave up, right?  In the NHL, I think that people hold the Ray Bourque trade, as well as the Joe Nieuwendyk/Jarome Iginla trade in these regards.  They both resulted in Stanley Cup championships, so what assests you spent are inconsequential.

In the last few seasons here in 'Dub country, we've seen some blockbusters as well.  A few that stick out are:

Brayden Schenn & a 3rd - for two 1sts, a 2nd, a 1st round import pick, and two prospects. The Blades were swept in the 2nd round that year.

Carter Ashton & and a 3rd - for two players, a 1st, a 2nd, and a 5th.  They won a round that spring.

Cody Eakin - for a roster player, 4 prospects, a 1st, 2nd, and a 3rd.  That 8 assets for one guy, although he helped power the Ice past the 'Hawks in the 2011 WHL Final.

We've seen some risky trades here locally over the last few years as well - folks have mixed emotions about the Marcel Noebels trade: those 1st's could be really valuable, but the league may have taken them away anyway.  Is making Game 7 of the league finals success? 

See also:  The Cam Reid trade.

This season, you had trades like the Oil Kings giving up a 2nd for half a season of (local product) Trevor Cheek, as well as a good D man + a 1st for David Musil.  

Kamloops gave up a 3rd & a 5th for Sam Grist, as well as picking up Joel Edmundson & a 4th -  for a roster player, a 1st, and a guy taken in the 1st round last year.  

Spokane gave up a 3rd, a 5th, and two players for Alessio Bertaggia.  

There's a pattern here:  none of these teams had the horses to run with Portland.

This brings us to the WHL Champion Portland Winterhawks.  They made no trades all season, aside from finding a home for Cam Lanigan.  Obviously the big trade was the Seth Jones deal:  two 16's that have shined for the 'Tips, an 18 D man who they are happy with, and a NCAA player that neither team was likely to sign.

Referring to the above discussion, it may not matter what the 'Hawks gave up - as they have now won the franchises 3rd WHL championship - and are in the hunt for the Memorial Cup.  That being said, Jones looks like a steal compared to the Shenn or Eakin trades, doesn't it?  

I was concerned at the time, as they gave up quite a bit in the Noebels & Reid deals.  However, if you look at the players in that deal: Betker wasn't going to make this team as a defenseman - we have good D men who can't crack the lineup as is.  Same story with Sandhu & Skapski:  the last thing the Winterhawks need is more promising 16's up front that you can't find ice time for.  Remember, the rotation they ran all year trying to get these guys shifts?  We saw a 16 year old forward score game winners in 4 straight games, only to be healthy scratched the next game.  There was no room at the inn for the guys that were sent to Everett.

Just for fun, lets assign the picks lost in the sanctions to the Jones trade.  One could look at it like they gave up those 4 assets, in addition to five 1st rounders.  

(Once upon a time the St Louis Blues thought it was worth five 1sts for Scott Stevens, but that's a different story)

Upping that to 9 assets, is the Jones trade that much more costly than the Shenn or Eakin deals?  Are they in the same ballpark?  I would argue they gave up quality assets, but ones that they could not use - so what the 'Hawks gave up had very little value to Portland.  Throw in the sanction picks, and you may have a price closer to what Jones was worth.

Especially if they go out and bring home the Memorial Cup.

https://twitter.com/hawkeyblog

Kamloops V Portland: Games 3 & 4

 

 

**** Game 3 ****

scoresheet

video highlights

photo essay 

real time fan discussion 

Drinnan: Blazers right back in Western Conference final

“It was a matter of, we weren’t generating what we thought we needed to generate,” Guy Charron, the Blazers’ head coach, explained. “You sometimes go back to what gave you success and early on they were the top line in the WHL. There was no reason to think they wouldn’t be able to put it together.”

“They’re a good line,” said Travis Green, Portland’s interim general manager and head coach, “one of the best lines in the league. But we made mistakes tonight that we don’t usually make.”

I was kind of worried all day leading up to Game 4, but then this happened:

**** Game 4 ****

 scoresheet

video highlights 

photo essay 

real time fan discussion  

Drinnan:  West coast offence carries Winterhawks to Game 4 victory

The second period took on something of a different tone, with the Blazers pushing and the Winterhawks seeming to have lost the oomph from their game.

It started when Portland wasn’t able to muster even one shot on a power play that took up the first 1:44 of the period.

And it continued for the rest of the period, the result being a 16-5 edge in shots for the home boys, but they weren’t able to solve Carruth. On one occasion when Carruth was beaten, winger JC Lipon drilled a goalpost.

In the second half of period, Kamloops forwards Kale Kessy and Colin Smith both had Carruth dead to rights but couldn’t beat him.

“I thought our second period was very strong. We had 16 shots,” Charron said. “But, again, as we were having momentum we took another penalty in the offensive zone.”
Kessy was penalized for roughing at 13:21 after he separated Jones’ head from his helmet.

“It’s frustrating for everyone,” Charron continued, “because we’re a team that when things go well, yeah, we’re a happy group and we play well . . . we’re hard to play against. But adversity . . . all year we’ve had a difficult time dealing with it.”

I concur with Drinnan that the 'Hawks carried the play in the 1st, aided by an early 5-on-3 which they converted.  2-0 at the break.

However, that 2nd period was all Kamloops.  They didn't even need to run the zamboni in their end of the ice.  They threw the goddamned kitchen sink at Carruth, who was  named CHL goalie of the week,  and got nothing.  The 'Hawks fans in the chat room were just hoping to get to the break without giving up too many goals.

Starting out the 3rd with that early Petan goal just killed the Blazers - as it would anyone.  Took the life right out of the building.  Then, controversy:

Iverson was given a 5 min major + tossed from the game.

Watching that hit with my Rose Garden colored glasses on, it looks like clean shoulder-to-chest to me.  No charging, no leaving the feet, no targeting the head, not late.

That being said, I get it.  You and I have the benefit of watching it as many times as we like, and in slow motion.  In real time, at least on the webstream - this hit sounded gnarly.  Sounded like a shotgun blast, to be honest.  Then, you've got Ranford's cage flying - which is a terrible visual.

Now, you have heard a thunderous check, and there's a heart & soul 5 year Blazer laying there in a heap.  The natives are restless, booing with some empties littering the playing surface.  The Blazer trainer is on the ice.  The linesman made the call, which you almost have to do just to avoid a potential riot - Kamloops is known as "Little Montreal" after all.

**** Game 5 preview ****

Well, goddamned blogger won't load photos right now - which sucks.

Its a whiteout for game 5.  I'm pretty sure this was an organic thing between the players, and they just got behind it one by one.  I don't think I've ever seen that before:  generally the team handles the marketing.  These kids just got a wild hair, and we need to back them up.

Also cranking up the fun factor, Chase Souto said to Kamloops Weekly:

After the game, Blazer forward Chase Souto offered these words when asked about the daunting task of erasing the two-game deficit.

"We did it last year. I think we're going to go in their barn, cause a ruck and shut their fans up," he said. "Bunch of losers down there. Just gonna give it our all."

I love that kind of stuff.  Should be a party on Friday night.  The 'Hawks facebook page was all over that.

Kamloops V Portland - games 1 & 2

The layoff between series left room for lots of preview pieces, but this one from Drinnan is the must read out of the bunch:

"It all has served to turn the Winterhawks into the most despised - nay, most hated - organization in the history of the WHL, which has been around since the summer of 1966. Who's No. 2? No one. The Winterhawks are the only entrant. They rule. They own the category. Back in the day, the Flin Flon Bombers and the big, bad New Westminster Bruins were feared for what they might do to you on the ice. But the organizations weren't hated.

The Winterhawks are. Period."

**** Game 1 ****

Scoresheet

video highlights

photo essay

fans postgame discussion 

united001:

In my opinion Bozon hurt his team by playing. I'll wager he begged Charon to play, totally ineffective. Smith was no better. They were better off without both vs. Kelowna, but what are you gonna do vs. a team that has you outnumbered.

Paul Buker / Scott Sepich piece

Maybe it was Carruth, a notorious trash talker, who got into the Blazers’ heads.

“They kind of left me alone there in the first, and I kind of brought it on myself in the second and third,’’ he said of the back-and-forth. “It’s something I’ll probably need to work on in Game 2. Keep my mouth shut and my stick down.’’

Carruth said Kessy – who amazingly has been suspended seven times in his career – nailed him a good one. “He elbowed me, stuck me in the head, whatever. It’s what they’re going to try and do all series,’’ said Carruth. “It’s just going to be the way it is.’’

Dylan Bumbarger, one of the best Winterhawks bloggers, had some thoughts:

But in the last five minutes, as the Blazers became less focused on winning and more focused on "sending a message", the Winterhawks took some ill-advised retaliations. Adam De Champlain took a really dumb obvious trip at the Kamloops blue line and then added a rough that originally was going to put Portland shorthanded four minutes, which would have given the Blazers a chance to get back in the game, before Tyler Hansen took a dumb retaliation of his own and cancelled two minutes of it.

 From another Dylan post:

Not remarked on in the scoring: The monster game Seth Jones had. I thought he was Portland's best player after Carruth. Nobody got by him.

So, a good performance, with a slight worry about the impact of the end of the game.

  **** Game 2 ****

Scoresheet

video highlights

photo essay

post-game fan discussion:

Dylan Bumbarger, community blogger

question: is Portland playing at a higher level than they did on their double-digit winning streaks? I think they might be.

 Paul Buker / Scott Sepich piece:

Kamloops’ worst nightmare is unfolding in the Western Conference finals. The question is, can the Blazers do anything to stop it?

 Dylan's next day thoughts:

Following yesterday's events you'd have no idea which organization was out of favor with the league. Yes, I'm as shocked as anyone else.

Finally, the most obvious part, and the most satisfying: the Winterhawks didn't overreact. They learned from Friday, and did just enough to defend themselves, let the Blazers hang themselves with officials, and used the power plays to help gain momentum. That the league essentially backed them up helped--you see teams including the Winterhawks all the time taking matters into their own hands when they don't feel justice is being served--but kudos to the group for staying focused.

Part two:

The Winterhawks were almost perfect in their own zone the whole game. Seth Jones had one mixup/bad pass that led to a Kamloops partial breakaway, the only real blemish.

I'd have still given him the number one star. If his draft stock even needed to rise, it did this weekend, he even gained some points in the "physical" and "standing up for teammates" categories.

  Next day Buker / Sepich piece full of great quotes:

Charron is waiting for Kamloops’ skilled forwards to show up. The likes of Colin Smith and Tim Bozon, Brendan Ranford and JC Lipon.  

“With all the experience I've had in hockey, when you look at the success of teams you have to look at your best players,’’ Charron told the Oregonian’s Scott Sepich after Saturday’s game. “Their best players are on the scoresheet every night. For us, our big guns haven't showed up on the scoresheet yet and it's going to be difficult until they get going.’’

Mac Carruth is killing it:

 Is there a hotter goaltender in hockey than Portland's Mac Carruth, the Chicago Blackhawks' draft pick?

Find me somebody - at any level - who has had a more sizzling month of April.

Samantha Meese made some observations:

 Better late than never: The Blazers start a three-ring circus late in Game 1, Joe Mahon returns to the lineup in Game 2. Coincidence? I think not. But no fireworks of the fighting kind were needed until late in the third period of Game 2, when Joe finally took care of business with JC Lipon to the delight of a packed house.

throw another draft pick on the fire

The events of the weekend's games have been covered pretty well, so I'm going a different direction.

I've been pushing this idea for a while now, but we are in the midst of something truly special right now.  Its in our best interest as fans to take all of this in, as a wave like the 'Hawks are riding doesn't come around very often.  Every game we are seeing records set - franchise playoff shutouts, all time WHL games played, the all time playoff goals number is in jeopardy, etc etc etc. 

Around town, at work, or whatever - more and more folks notice my 'Hawks gear (and playoff beard) and ask me "how are they doing?  We're thinking about getting to a game..." - and I always tell them that there's plenty of room on the bandwagon, but they better do it quick.  The next home game could very well be Game 1 of the final.  This train is rollin' along with a head of steam.

I've been backing the 'Hawks since the tail end of the 2005 season, and I've never seen the Glass Palace rocking like it was on Saturday night.  I was still on the concourse at the start of player intros and it sounded like they were scoring goals already.  The folks by me were all sorts of rowdy, which made for a pretty fun atmosphere - one guy was hellbent on getting a "KESSY SUCKS" chant going, with mixed results.

I missed the goddamned Boychuk jersey from the 2011 final by 3 tickets in the raffle.  I was joking about how it had to be in good shape, being how he missed time in that series.

Cherish this run - who knows when (if) we will see something like this again.  Spokane was a good team, with a nice season, and their best couldn't touch the 'Hawks best.  Blew 'em right out of the water.  This series is still young, but its shaping up much the same:  if the 'Hawks play their game, up to their potential, then the Blazers don't stand a chance.  No one does.

Open letter to Quentin Shore

Dear Quentin,

Like many Portland Winterhawks fans, my ears perked up when rumors came out this winter that you were thinking about joining the team.  Dean Millard, of The Pipeline Show stated that "that takes stones" - and he's right.

Hockey is like the rest of life, in which its best to keep your options open.  Coming into this year, I'm sure the DU option looked really good, with all the family ties to the school, as well as Pioneer hockey being a successful program, with its most recent championships in 2004 & 2005.  Guys like Matt Carle & Paul Stastny were on that team, demonstrating that you can achieve your NHL dreams via this route.

For most players in your position, coach George Gwozdecky & his successful track record would be a great selling point.  Playing with your brother Nick probably sounded pretty good as well.  I wonder if next season will feel different, with Gwozdecky fired and Nick Shore going pro.

I'm sure one of the potential draws to Portland was to play with Seth Jones, and he very well may be headed your way next year anyway.

Conventional wisdom shows that the advantages of major junior are more games (a pro-style schedule) as well as a NHL style playoff format.  If we look as your friend Seth Jones, for example, he played more regular season games this year than in the two years in the USNDP combined.  Throw in the WJC & two Top Prospect Games, he's got sigifinantly more ice time than he would have at UND.  Then there's the playoffs.

William Wrenn once faced the same decision you have.  He appears to have struggled for DU, before signing with Portland.  Wrenn went on to play more WHL playoff games than NCAA regular season games.  Of course, he had the luxury of knowing that an NHL team was invested in him, but one has to think that playoff experience really furthered his development - taking a team to a game 7 in the league final while wearing the "C" - and his pro career seems to be on track in year one.

If you decide to come over to the dark side, and sign with Portland, it would be a significant career risk.  Even for a forward of your caliber, who would be top 6 on almost any NCAA / CHL team, ice time will be tough to earn.   The 'Hawks are bringing back 5 of their top 6 forwards next season.  There should be plenty of NHL scouts following the team, with guys like Keegan Iverson, Dominic Turgeon in their draft years, and Paul Bittner being drafted the year after.  However, that further illustrates the competition for ice time.  Players like yourself are often motivated by the chance to shine on a team that looks to remain a contender, even after being favored to do serious damage in the playoffs for the 3rd straight year.

That NCAA education will no doubt prove valuable later in life, and I wouldn't walk away from it without a lot of consideration. There are many players who capitalize on the WHL scholarship program if pro hockey isn't in the cards - so leaving Denver isn't necessarily the end of hockey paying for school.  You can play CIS hockey while going to school in Canada, and sometimes guys get noticed by NHL teams that way.

My advice to you is to reach out to as many players as you can who have had to make this choice, especially Seth Jones & William Wrenn, as they are familiar with both sides of the coin.  If you make it up here to Portland, let me know - I'd love to show you around town.

Sincerely,
Chad Balcom
chad.balcom@gmail.com

Seth Jones: spotlight on one shift

Seth Jones has had lots of hype for quite a while, and after watching a full season in the WHL - I think its warranted. 

Lets focus on one shift of the 72 game season.  This is from a game that was meaningless for the 'Hawks, as they already had the regular season championship tied up.  Seattle had playoff positioning to play for, and they played pretty well.

At 3:05 of the 3rd period, the Winterhawks found themselves killing off a lengthy 5-on-3, with their best PK forward in the box.  Early in the shift, Jones took a shot which dropped him.  This kid is so smart, he simply altered his PK strategy to match his limited mobility.

The Thunderbirds held the puck in the zone long enough, that Jones was back on two legs by the end of the shift, but it still jumps out how he was as good on one leg as most guys are on two.

I formally apologize for the video quality - its pretty spotty streaming these games in the first place, then a sketchy screen capture operation, with the hat trick of youtube compression - but here it is.

Watch #3 in white:

Kid is good.  He's gonna look real good in an Avalanche sweater next season.