Winterhawks beat Everett in OT to win first-round playoff series

PORTLAND — Robbie Fromm-Delorme scored a power-play goal 9:45 into overtime to give the Portland Winterhawks a 3-2 win over the Everett Silvertips on Saturday and send the Winterhawks into the second round of the Western Hockey League playoffs with a 4-1 series victory.

Portland will face Kamloops in the next best-of-seven series beginning Friday at Kamloops, B.C.

Saturday at Memorial Coliseum, the Winterhawks were not only trying to close out the series but also put behind them a 5-0 loss at Everett on Friday in their first chance to finish the first-round series.

Portland was down 2-1 heading into the third period after Austin Roest and Jackson Berezowski lit the lamp just 1:45 apart for the Silvertips.

The Hawks chased the tying goal to start the third, and a four-minute power play gave them the opportunity they needed. Luca Cagnoni’s shot hit a body in front of the goal and found James Stefan in the left circle for a quick shot into the cage to force OT.

The Winterhawks went on the power play at 8:42 of overtime after Everett’s Dexter Whittle was called for tripping.

Jack O’Brien dished to Gabe Klassen at the bottom of the right circle for a centering feed to Fromm-Delorme, who one-timed the shot through Everett goalie Tyler Palmer and into the net for the win.

Jan Špunar turned aside 19 of 21 shots for his fourth win of the playoffs.

ON TO KAMLOOPS

Portland won three of the four regular season meetings with Kamloops, two of the Winterhawks wins coming in extra time including one shootout.

Kamloops, the B.C. Division champions in each of the last four seasons, earned home-ice advantage by finishing as the second seed in the Western Conference, while the Winterhawks are the third seed.

It’s been a full decade since the last playoff meeting between the Blazers and Winterhawks.

The two last saw each other in postseason play in the 2013 Western Conference Championship, a series the Winterhawks won in five games en route to the club’s most recent WHL title.

Since 1992, the teams have met five times in the WHL Playoffs, with Portland winning the series on three times.

Dallas Stars prospect Matthew Seminoff led both clubs in scoring during the season series, finding the back of the net four times for the Blazers. Captain Logan Stankoven added three goals and five points for Kamloops in the four-game set.

Portland was led offensively by veteran forward Robbie Fromm-Delorme, who scored twice and totaled four points in the season series.

SERIES SCHEDULE

Game 1 — Friday, April 14 at Kamloops, 7 p.m.

Game 2 — Saturday, April 15 at Kamloops, 7 p.m.

Game 3 — Wednesday, April 19 at Portland, 7 p.m.

Game 4 — Thursday, April 20 at Portland, 7 p.m.

Game 5 (if necessary) — Saturday, April 22 at Kamloops, 7 p.m.

Game 6 (if necessary) — Monday, April 24 at Portland, 7 p.m.

Game 7 (if necessary) — Wednesday, April 26 at Kamloops, 7 p.m.