PORTLAND — If the Portland Winterhawks are at all tempted to get ahead of themselves — and by all indications they are not — they would be wise to consider the fate of the Saskatoon Blades.
The Blades won 56 games during the Western Hockey League regular season and were rated the second-best team in all of major junior hockey entering the playoffs.
But the Blades are playing no longer, having been swept out of the second round of the playoff by the Kootenay Ice.
That’s a prime example of how playoff hockey can provide stunning outcomes. And it’s one the Winterhawks can use to maintain their focus today as they attempt to close out their series against the Kelowna Rockets.
Portland has won three straight to lead the best-of-7 series 3-1 heading into today’s 7 p.m. game at the Rose Garden.
Portland head coach and general manager Mike Johnston said his team has stayed focused on the task at hand throughout the season, and he doesn’t expect any different tonight. Johnston said that Saskatoon’s elimination is a reminder that anything is possible in playoff hockey, but it’s not an example his team needs to maintain focus at this stage of the playoffs.
“I don’t think our guys will get ahead of themselves,” Johnston said, describing his club’s approach as very businesslike.
As has been its M.O. all season, Portland has scored timely goals to stay ahead of the Rockets since the second period of Game 2. In Wednesday’s 4-2 Game 4 win at Kelowna, Ryan Johansen’s breakaway tally midway through the third period came with the Rockets pressing for the equalizer.
“It’s just consistency,” Johnston said. “We’ve been getting consistent scoring chances and we have talented players who are usually going to take advantage of their chances.”
Other than the Game 1 loss to the Rockets, that’s exactly what’s happened in these playoffs.
It is not surprising that Johansen had the big goal. Through eight playoff games, the players expected to lead the Winterhawks’ charge are doing just that.
Nino Niederreiter has six goals and 11 assists. Johansen has six goals and eight assists. Riley Boychuk (four goals, five assists), and Ty Rattie (three goals, six assists) have nine points apiece in the playoffs. Craig Cunningham, the guy with the most big-game experience in the lineup, has four goals and three assists.
But part of the reason folks believe this Winterhawks team is special is depth. Rookie Sven Bartschi has 11 points (two goals, nine assists), defenseman Joe Morrow has 10 (three goals, seven assists).
Thirteen different Winterhawks have goals in these playoffs, and eight of them have more than one. Yet one of the more solid performers has not scored and has just one assist. Defenseman Taylor Aronson is playing at a plus-8, meaning the team has scored eight more even-strength goals than it has allowed with Aronson on the ice.
Brad Ross, who was suspended for the last three games for a hit on Kelowna’s Zach Franko in Game 1, is eligible to return tonight. Johnston said Thursday that he isn’t sure if Ross will play on the top line alongside Johansen and Niederreiter. In Ross’ absence, the 6-foot-5, 220-pound Boychuk has played well on the top line, the coach said.
