London VS Portland: Memorial Cup Semi-final game

Much like the 1st meeting between these two teams, they got off to a slow start.  That trapping defensive style that London plays is a little tough to watch sometimes.  However, the 'Hawks were patient, for the most part.  Shots ended up 14-9 for London.

The 2nd period also was like the round robin game - each team scored a goal.  The London goal was on the powerplay, and came off of a broken play.  It seems like all playoffs that's been the only way to beat Carruth: funny bounces, broken plays, and perfect shots.  We've seen several plays like this one - a blocked shot that came right back to the shooter.  Carruth was playing the initial shot, so he was drawn out of position for the second shot.  That goal brought Max Domi to a final statline of 5 games / 1G / 2A / -9.

The Portland goal was a nice play with Wotherspoon shooting from the half boards with Leipsic screening in front.  Leipsic was right on the border of interference with the goalie, but the play was ruled legal.  It looked to me like #28 almost was holding the defenceman, pulling him into a screen position.  I don't think I've seen a forward do that before.

Shots for the period were 17-9.  The 'Hawks were buzzing for the last 6 or 7 minutes of the period - looking pretty good moving forward.  It was pretty fortunate that the 'Hawks were carrying the play, as on a rush Ryan Rupert slashed Carruth on the back of the calf on the way by the net - right where the goalie has no padding.  He seemed like he was in a good amount of pain, but didn't have any work for several minutes after the slash.

The 3rd period was more of a chess match, until Rattie scored a highlight reel goal midway through.  The release on that kid is world class - the goalie never stood a chance.  Walked in from the half wall, D man in decent position, but Rattie let an unbeatable shot loose - picked the top corner.  Perfect shot.

After that Rattie goal, it mostly came down to bend-but-don't-break, limit their chances.  Carruth's experience & maturity really showed in this stage of the game. He got some help, which was crucial, but staying cool, calm, and composed really payed off.  Shots ended up 12-8 London.

Upon seeing the replay of the last frantic seconds, a key play was Rattie batting a puck out of the air into the corner using his glove.  The biggest players make the biggest plays in the biggest games.  That is Ty Rattie.

scoresheet

photo essay

video highlights

presser video 

Carruth / Rattie post game

real time fan discussion

united001

I'm bummed ... only one more game to watch our overagers and Ty and several others, gonna miss 'em, hope they go out in great style in Sunday. I think we'll see their best no matter the outcome, GO HAWKS! I'm outta here guys and gals ... thanks Dylan!

Scott Sepich

“He was great tonight,” Hawks acting head coach Travis Green said of Carruth, who stopped 34 of 35 shots against a Knights team that beat Saskatoon 6-1 in Thursday’s tiebreaker to reach the semifinal. “I thought it was his best game of the tournament, and just a great performance by a guy we’ve leaned on for a long time now.”

Carruth faced heavy fire late in the game, and came up with huge saves on London stars Max Domi and Olli Maata in the frantic final 90 seconds. Afterward, he deflected credit toward the guys in front of him.

“(London) brought a lot of pressure late but our guys did great,” said Carruth. “They blocked shots, took sticks away and let me see the puck.”

Jason Vondersmith

Carruth was up to the challenge, and the 20-year-old goalie enters the championship game playing very well. Since allowing seven goals against Halifax, he has allowed six in the past three games — three to London, two to Saskatoon and one to London in the semifinal.

 The Canadian Press

 Portland’s victory now sets up a dream final involving Winterhawks defenceman Seth Jones, the No. 1 ranked North American skater ahead of next month’s NHL draft, and Mooseheads forwards Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin, who are second and third on the list. Halifax beat Portland 7-4 during round robin play.

Globe and Mail

 Winterhawks defenceman Seth Jones said the final moments were tense as London, which fought back from a 3-1 series deficit in the Ontario Hockey League final and scored the series clincher with less than a second to go in Game 7, crashed the Portland net looking for the equalizer.

“My heart was beating 1,000 beats a minute and I was out there doing whatever I could to keep the puck out of the net — sliding around everywhere,” said a relieved Jones. “It was definitely a big win for us tonight. We fought hard (but) it was a little closer than I wanted.”

 whl.ca

 Carruth, a 20-year-old from Shorewood, MN, turned in a masterful performance, stopping 34 of 35 shots he faced, including making several outstanding saves over the final few minutes of the third period as London poured on the pressure.

“As a team, we’ve had big games in the past, and that’s what we draw from,” said Carruth, deflecting praise to his team mates.  “We got off to a slow start but the boys played well late in the game, and as the game wore on, we were the better team.”

https://twitter.com/hawkeyblog

#winforleier

Ty Rattie's feelings

I was fortunate enough to get some circulation from my Game 5 / series recap post, and some fans seemed to gravitate to Ty Rattie's quote about the shorthanded goal which sealed the series:

  

Rattie is the No. 2 playoff goal-scorer in WHL history, so he’s seen those lights go on lots of times in the post-season. Still, he said, that goal was special. “That would be top goal of my career, with the crowd being so loud and how close a game it was. It was awesome to score. … an exciting game to play.’’

Rattie reflected on a major-junior career filled with playoff highlights. “Unbelievable,’’ he said. “I’ve been so lucky to be here for four deep playoff runs, three WHL Finals. Now the last thing to do is win this next series and go on to the Memorial Cup.’’

 

Rattie was featured in the postgame radio coverage - where he put some importance on his most recent goal:

"...that feeling - I wish everyone could feel what I felt after that goal, 'cause it was one of the best feelings I've ever had"

He doesn't exactly address where it ranks career wise,  but it does assign some value.  I like the idea of wanting everyone to know that feeling.  Its apples & oranges, and none of us will ever know what its like to score a huge goal on a stage like major junior, but we all know what it fells like to be in the barn to witness such a feet - and its a pretty nice feeling as well.

There's no fans in the goal shot, but take some time and look at the faces in the two celebration pictures - that was a special moment shared by 9,700+ of our closest friends (click on the pictures to blow them up):

 

highlight video of this game 

Now, the other goal being discussed was pretty special as well:

  

That was a huge series for all sorts of reasons.  It was the return to the playoffs for the first time in 3 seasons, which happened to be the first full season for Mike Johnston behind the bench as well as Ty Rattie on the ice.  The Chiefs still had some of the members of their 2008 squad, which broke the Memorial Cup. This was to be the last run with that group - featuring a hot Kyle Beach.  The road team won all 7 games in the series, which is the only time in WHL history that has happened.  The 'Hawks went down 3-0 in the 2nd period of that Game 7, before finding a way to get to OT.

I think my personal favorite Rattie goal might be the Game 2 OT winner in Tri-City last Western Conference Finals - a series where I was fortunate enough to attend the entire thing:

I happened to be sitting in the other end of the rink, and saw that play develop all the way.  I think I was standing about when Rattie hit the redline - and I'm pretty sure the locals were upset with how that game ended.  I will say that for the whole weekend all the TC fans I interacted with were falling all over themselves to be nice, which has been my experience for WHL road games (for the most part).

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.

Spokane V Portland: Games 3 & 4 + series summary

Game 3:

Highlights here

Scoresheet

Game 3 fan discussion

Paul Buker piece

Spokesman-Review story

Photos

****  Game 4 ****

Highlights

Scoresheet

Real time fan discussion

Paul Buker writeup

Spokesman-Review post-mortem

Photo essay

 It seems to me that we are witnessing some pretty special times here.  Mac Carruth is now the all time WHL playoff wins leader - passing Stanley Cup Champion Cam Ward 2 games ago.  There's potentially 10 wins that can be tacked onto that record.  Most records are broken by the smallest of increments - time will tell where this one ends up.

The last 4 of those wins included a total of 3 goals.  That's probably something we won't see again - holding a team to 3 goals in a playoff series.  I think Todd said on post-game that the previous record was 8 or 9 goals against for a series - 3 goals is just nuts.  Most fans would tell you that Carruth struggled in game 1 of the series - and still put up insane numbers.

Ty Rattie sits 6 goals away from the all-time WHL playoff goals record.  When you start throwing around numbers like that, you have to look at the history of this league.  Ray Ferraro played for the Winter Hawks: winning the 1983 Memorial Cup (wearing Cooperalls). Ferraro was only good enough for the 3rd line here in Portland, putting up 90 points in 50 games.  After being shipped off to Brandon, he got loose for 108 goals the next year.  Point is, when you look at all time goal scoring numbers - dudes used to put up a lot of goals.  Rattie is a special kid, on a special run.

As far as this series, I think its pretty simple.  Spokane was a good team this year: 44-26 is a really nice record.  Don Nachbaur always has his guys playing sound defense & a team game where the sum of the parts is better than the individuals.  Nachbaur is a tough dude. That being said, when the 'Hawks are playing the way they want to play, there's not a whole hell of a lot that the other team can do about it.