Portland's top scoring threat lights up for four goals as Hawks head for home
Portland right wing Ty Rattie finally showed off the depth of his game with four goals as the Hawks beat Swift Current 6-3 in the final game of their swing through Manitoba and Saskatoon.
Rattie, who hadn't scored in the team's opening five games, took over the team lead in goals with seven as Portland finished its six-game trip at 4-1-1-0, and
The Hawks outshot the Broncos 33-31 to continue their string of having fired more shots on goal than their opponents in every game this season.
Portland head home with a 7-3-1-0 record and lead the U.S. Division heading into a week off before returning to action Saturday against Seattle at the Rose Garden to start a six-game homestand.
PORTLAND 5, PRINCE ALBERT 2
The Hawks ended the Raiders' seven-game unbeaten streak thanks to another standout game from Mac Carruth in goal.
Five different Hawks score, including Taylor Leier, who nets his first goal of the season.
PORTLAND 4, SASKATOON 0
Mac Carruth returned to goal and stopped all 26 shots headed his way to lead the Portland Winterhawks to a 4-0 win at Saskatoon Wednesday night.
Presten Kopeck scored twice in the second period, when the Hawks scored all four goals on 17 shots.
Portland improved to 5-3-1-0, 11 points and continued its streak of having outshot their opposition in every game.
Carruth, last season's top goaltender, was in goal for the first time this season after being reassigned by the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League on Saturday.
Portland has Thursday off before arriving in Prince Albert to play the Raiders, who've won seven straight and vaulted to No. 7 in the CHL Rankings this week, one spot ahead of Portland, which has been at No. 8 for three consecutive weeks.
REGINA 3, PORTLAND 2 (OT)
The host Pats scored 4:28 into overtime to win despite getting outshot 36-24, including 15-2 in the first period (game tied 1-1), and 5-1 in overtime. Ty Rattie scores his second goal of the season, but Brendan Burke suffers another loss in goal.
MOOSE JAW 4, PORTLAND 2
Ty Rattie scored his first goal of the season and Portland again outshot its opposition, but the Moose Jaw Warriors scrapped their way to a 4-2 win over the Winterhawks in Western Hockey League action Saturday night.
Rattie, the team's leading scorer last season, hadn't scored in the team's opening six games, but finally found the back of the net late in the third period, after having an assist earlier in the period.
The Hawks finished with a 34-33 edge in shots on goal, continuing a season-long trend. Portland has finished each game with an edge in shots.
Brendan Burke made 29 saves, but suffered his third loss of the season.
Portland (4-3-0-0, 8 points) has the next two days off before visiting Regina in the third game of its six-game tour of Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
PORTLAND 2, BRANDON 1
or a team that has yet to uncork its leading scorer, the Portland Winterhawks are having a pretty good season.
The Hawks began their stretch of six games in nine days with a 2-1 win over the Brandon Wheat Kings in Manitoba.
Derrick Pouliot scored a goal and Cam Lanigan stopped 18 of 19 shots sent his way to notch his third win of the season.
Alex Schoenborn scored his first goal for the Hawks, who improved to 4-2 on the season heading to a game at Moose Jaw, in Saskatchewan.
The Hawks get days off on Sunday, Monday and Thursday and finish at Swift Current before getting a week off. They play their following six games in Portland.
Ty Rattie, the team's leading scorer last season, remained without a goal in his fifth outing with the team. Rattie has just one assist, making the team's results more impressive.
KELOWNA 4, PORTLAND 3
It happened again to the Portland Winterhawks.
Despite holding a 46-24 edge in shots on goal, the Hawks fell to the Kelowna Rockets 4-3 at the Rose Garden Saturday.
Kelowna scored twice on just nine shots in the first period and handed Portland its second home loss of the season.
Portland finished the weekend at 3-2 overall, with both losses at home and with Bredan Burke in goal.
The Hawks head to Canada for their Eastern WHL swing beginning in Brandon, Manitoba Friday night.
PORTLAND 1, KELOWNA 1
Derrick Pouliot scored at the 9:50 mark of the third period to give the Portland Winterhawks a shaky 1-0 win over Kelowna Friday at the Rose Garden.
Goalie Cam Lanigan made 31 saves as Portland outshot the visitors 35-31.
The teams meet again Saturday night.
HAWKS LOOK FOR HOME WIN
The Portland Winterhawks will be looking for their first home win of the season when they lace up Friday against the Kelowna Rockets.
That's not such a big deal seasonwise as the team has played just one home game.
Portland dropped its season opener to Seattle last week, 5-2, before beating Seattle and then Tri-City on the road to finish the opening weekend at 2-1.
The Hawks pummeled opposing goalkeepers with shots, including 30 in the opening period of the season, and remained in the CHL's Top 10 rankings this week. Portland is No. 6, a drop of two spots from their opening position. The Hawks, though, are the lone team in the Top 10 with a loss.
Edmonton, No. 2, Kamloops, No. 8, and Calgary, No. 10, are also ranked in the Top 10.
Portland will face the Rockets (0-1-1-0, 1 point) with fifth-year veteran Ty Rattie looking to score his first point of the season. Rattie, who led the team with 121 points last season, went scoreless in two games during the weekend.
Nicolas Petan, who had 14 goals last season, scored four times during the weekend and was the league Player of the Week with eight points.
Portland plays host to Kelowna Saturday night as well. Both games are at the Rose Garden.