Hawks Shut Down Blazers on Way to 4-0 Game Two Win

Portland won their 7th in a row in these playoffs Saturday night, when they shut out the visiting Kamloops Blazers in front of 9,132 at Veteran's Memorial Coliseum. The play was much tighter checking in this one and there was not as much up and down play, but it still was an entertaining game, as is usually the case with Portland and Kamloops in the playoffs. Portland now takes a 2-0 series lead up to Kamloops Tuesday for Game 3.

Seth Jones opened the scoring 15:31 into the game, off a good rush, while both teams were changing lines. Jones saw that his path to the front of the net was cut off, so instead went around and slipped a backhand wraparound through Cole Cheveldave's 5-hole for his 3rd of the playoffs. That would be all the scoring the period, as both teams played a tight checking defensive style.

Seth Jones

The second period was when Kamloops created there best chances, twice getting pucks in behind Mac Carruth, that Portland Defenders Derrick Pouliot and Seth Jones had to pull away from the goal line. Things got worse for Kamloops, right after killing a penalty and Brendan Leipsic, with a terrific feed found, Ty Rattie all alone on the backdoor. Rattie pounded it home for his 13th of the playoffs to make it 2-0 after two periods.

Nic Petan

Just like in Game One, Portland got a quick 3rd period goal, this one on the power play as a terrific tic-tac-toe play developed between Rattie, Leipsic and Nice Petan. Petan finished the play scoring his 6th of the playoffs for the 3-0 lead. The Hawks would get one more on the power play, as Rattie hit the inside of the post and Leipsc found the rebound, poking it home for his 7th of the playoffs, closing out the scoring at 4-0.

After the last goal of the game, things again got out of control, as Joel Edmundson was given a Game Misconduct for chippiness away from the play. He then flipped off the Portland faithful on his way out of the gate. Then another Blazer's D-man: Tyler Hansen slap shot the puck, well after the whistle right at Portland D-man Shaun MacPherson. Taylor Peters took exception and he was given a 10 minute Game Misconduct, while Hansen was ejected. It should get very interesting for Game 3 on Tuesday.

Carruth stopped all 27 shots he faced and Cheveldave stopped 30 of 34. Portland was 2/8 on the power play and is now 3/1 in the series. Kamloops was 0/5 and is now 0/10 in the series.

3 Stars:
#3- Ty Rattie- 1 Goal and 2 Assists for Rattie makes 82 career playoff points, moves him up to 4th on the all time list, ahead of Brad Doran (Calgary 1995-2000).

#2- Brendan Leipsic- 1 Goal and 2 Assists for Leipsic, as he was possibly the best Winterhawk forward in Game 2.

#1- Mac Carruth- 27 Saves for Carruth and since the goal he gave up in game one was so early he has gone nearly 118 minutes in this series without giving up a goal.

Mac Carruth

Random Notes:
-Carruth set the WHL record career playoff appearances with 66. Again taking a record from former Red Deer Rebel Cam Ward.
-Rattie is also only 4 goals back of the WHL record, with his 43rd in Game 2.
-Brendan Ranford and J.C. Lipon were explosive in the first two rounds for the Blazers. But, in the first 2 games of this series, they are both pointless.
-Kamloops shook up their lines putting Cole Ully, Matt Needham and Chase Souto together again, breaking up the Ully-Ranford-Lpon pairing that had worked so well earlier in the playoffs.
-Joe Mahon and Dominic Turgeon were put into the lineup and Keegan Iverson and Paul Bittner were scratched.Mahon had not played since Game 5of the Everett series and Turgeon had not played since Game 1 of the playoffs.
-Ranford was shaken up after colliding with teammate Kale Kessy and did not seem to have the same jump after.