WHL: Big First Period Lifts Lethbridge Over Portland, 4-0

Monday was the second straight shutout loss, and the 6th time the Hawks have been shut out in their last 9 games overall.

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PORTLAND - Zach Boychuk had a goal and 2 assists, ex-Winter Hawk Kyle Bailey scored 2 goals, and Lethbridge goalie Michael Maniago (Mann-ee-AY-go) made 20 saves as the Lethbridge Hurricanes defeated the Portland Winter Hawks 4-0 in a special Monday afternoon President’s Day matinee in Memorial Coliseum.

Lethbridge scored all 4 goals in the first period, but Portland never quit, even though the team is obviously frustrated and gripping sticks tightly on scoring chances trying to give their fans a goal to cheer.

Monday was the second straight shutout loss, and the 6th time the Hawks have been shut out in their last 9 games overall.

Portland was really outmanned Monday, down to just 14 skaters and 4 defensemen, in addition to rebuilding with such a young and inexperienced team.

17-year-old Portland goalie Kurtis Mucha stopped 33 shots in his 52nd appearance of the season.

Lethbridge, (29-27-2-3), came into Monday’s game 9 points out of the last spot in the playoffs in the Central Division.

The Hurricanes had lost 5 of their last 6 games, including a 3-2 loss in Everett Saturday in their last game.

They outshot Everett in that game, 29-21. In fact, Lethbridge came into Monday’s game outshooting the opposition 2020-1686 this season.

Goaltenders Michael Maniago (.867) and Justin Leclerc (.873) are in the lower echelon in the WHL in save percentage.

Lethbridge has lots of depth up front, including former Winter Hawk 20-year-old Kyle Bailey, who played his last game on Memorial Coliseum ice on Monday.

Lethbridge’s leading scorer, Zach Boychuk, is the league’s top 17-year-old scorer with 69 points, 7th overall in the league.

Former Seattle Thunderbird Mitch Fadden has 66 points and former Kamloops Blazer Kris Hogg is 4th in the WHL in goals with 34.

Bailey, former Vancouver Giant Kyle Lamb, former Seattle Thunderbird Yashar Farmanara, and NHL draft prospect Dwight King all have more than 30 points.

On the back end, Thomas Kudelka (5th round, Ottawa) and Ben Wright (4th round, Columbus) lead the way along with skilled youngsters Jesse Craige and Travis Bobbee.

Lethbridge scratched King (unknown), Bobbee (Canada Winter Games) and defenseman Mitch Versteeg (back).

Portland played with a very short lineup.

Colton Sceviour missed his 22nd straight game as he recovers from a broken foot.

He is probably still out for another week or two.

Defenseman Stefan Langwieder missed his 5th straight game, out “day to day” with a head injury.

In addition, 16-year-old defenseman Bo Montgomery, consistently among Portland’s best defenders night in and night out, left Monday morning for the Canada Winter Games in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory.

And, 16-year-olds Thomas Frazee and Tristan King were not in the lineup as a result of off-ice issues, and 18-year-old defenseman Scott Gabriel sat out with an injury.

That left Portland with 14 skaters, 4 less than normal, and only 4 available defensemen to face one of the most potent offenses in the league.

The result was predictable as Lethbridge took a 4-0 first period lead, Boychuk in on 3 of the 4 goals.

Lamb opened the scoring by redirecting a weak shot from Kudelka past Hawks’ goalie Kurtis Mucha 1:45 into the game.

Bailey scored from the crease, taking a perfect pass from Boychuk out of corner, at 3:27.

Portland battled hard, down 2-0.

Nick Hotson made several good hustle plays and narrowly missed a close-in, difficult angle shot after some nice work on the end wall by Teegan Moore and Matt Schmermund.

Chip Petrino went to the net hard and must missed a chance set up by Matt Sokol’s shot off the right wing half wall.

And, Chris Francis, playing the point of the power play, led a nice up-ice rush and then charged the net on a give-and-go with Hotson, but fired wide on a backhand.

And, Viktor Sjodin and Matt Betker finished their share of checks.

First year 17-year-old defenseman Luke Alexiuk held his own and made some noticeable nice plays and good decisions, facing an experienced Lethbridge team and playing even more than normal.

Alexiuk’s improvement has been one of the good things that has happened in a very difficult second half of the season.

With Portland carrying their share of the play, Moore was whistled for a double-minor for checking from behind at 12:09 on a hit on Farmanara on the end wall during a Portland power play.

The Hurricanes took advantage of that, and a slashing call on Devon Marshall, to extend the lead to 4-0 on back to back power play goals.

Boychuk sniped a perfect shot from the right circle, converting an excellent crossing pass from the left point by Kudelka.

Bailey notched his second of the game, from the crease again, as good puck movement opened up a precision pass out of the corner from Boychuk. Shots were 18-8, Lethbridge, in the period.

Portland played with quite a bit of grit and heart in the second period, given their situation.

They won quite a few board battles, and were active, physical and determined in the corners.

Schmermund had a good chance early in the period on the power play off a nice set up started by Francis at the right point to Cepek in the high slot and down to Schmermund crossing in front of Lethbridge goalie Michael Maniago, but Schmermund just missed wide.

Betker’s physical play with Sjodin and Sokol set up a couple of chances, one by Sjodin that Maniago stopped, along with another save on Alexiuk, stepping down from the left point.

Mucha had a very good second period for Portland, stopping Fadden on a shorthanded partial breakaway and Fadden in tight with his stick on another shorthanded chance.

Lethbridge’s penalty kill jumped all over the Portland point men with intense pressure all over the ice as Mucha stopped Kyle Lamb on another shorthanded wrap around attempt.

Still, one of the bright spots was Francis on the point of the power play.

He made some good decisions, went with speed a few times, and held the puck in under pressure on some occasions as well.

Shots were 9-7, Lethbridge.

The Hawks played to the final buzzer, through some misfortune.

Trying desperately to break the shutout hex, Marshall stepped into the slot to take a feed from behind the net, but the blade of his stick shattered on a one-time.

Murphy ’s Law continued on a transition rush after one of Portland’s best looking power plays in awhile.

The power play produced a good chance for Frazer McLaren at the left post, Maniago making one of this best saves.

Hotson had a puck roll off his stick in the slot before he could get a shot away after he made a nice move into scoring position.

Moore beat a checker wide, cut down left wing and blistered a shot off the left goal post. Petrino had another chance, cutting into the slot, set up by a nice play off the end wall by Moore.

If the Hawks’ offense was guilty of anything, it was not getting the net often enough or quickly enough to capitalize on any rebounds.

Mucha stopped 10 more shots in a perfect third period, but Portland did not allow Lethbridge too many really good shots.

Alexiuk and Marshall grew up a lot on this day, playing regular shifts and mostly holding their own.

Portland, (15-43-1-1), is off until Saturday at Spokane at 7:00 PM.

The Hawks’ next home game is Wednesday February 28th at 7:30 PM in the Rose Garden against the Spokane Chiefs (TV on Comcast CNW-14), Audio Webcast at winterhawks.com, Rose Garden In-Arena Audio at 98.1 FM).

It is a Fred Meyer 2-for-1 Family Night with vouchers available at all Fred Meyer Customer Service Desks and at winterhawks.com

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