For Winterhawks, ‘It comes down to desperate hockey’

Winterhawks captain Ryan Miller was the game’s first star, but a third-period rally lifted Everett past them Sunday at Memorial Coliseum (courtesy Winterhawks/Kai Brown)

Winterhawks coach Kyle Gustafson used the word “desperation” a couple of times as we spoke after his team’s 8-5 loss to Everett Sunday night at Memorial Coliseum.

Yes, the Hawks are in desperation mode as the regular season nears a close.

Eight teams in each of the WHL’s two conferences make the playoffs. With two games to play, Portland (29-30-6-1) is tied with Victoria (28-28-6-3) for eighth place in the Western, both a point behind seventh-place Seattle (28-27-6-4). The Royals and Thunderbirds each have a game in hand over the Hawks, who visit Tri-City Friday, then play host to Seattle in the regular-season finale on Saturday.

It has come to this: Portland, Victoria and Seattle are playing for the final two playoff spots in the West. One team will be eliminated. The Hawks desperately want to avoid being the odd team out.

“We are down to six periods of hockey,” said Gustafson, whose Hawks have lost six of their last eight games. “It is a grind. It speaks to the quality of teams in our conference. We have to get better quick. We have played Tri-City and Seattle enough down the stretch to understand what they are about. It comes down to desperate hockey and making sure that we are playing for each other.”

Playing their third game in three days and using backup goaltender Cruz Chase to give regular Ondrej Stebetak a rest, the Hawks seized a 4-3 lead after two periods. Then the walls came crashing down. The Silvertips put a five-spot on them in the final period — the last one against an empty net in the closing minutes — to send partisans among a feisty Coliseum crowd of 5,686 home unhappy.

Portland goaltender Cruz Chase made 29 saves, but the Hawks dropped an 8-5 decision to Everett (courtesy Winterhawks/Kai Brown)

“It sucks,” Portland captain Ryan Miller said. “It is a bad feeling right now. We played well for 40 minutes. We came out in that third period and blew the lead. I am not happy about it. We just have to move forward.”

It is no disgrace to lose to Everett, at 55-7-2-1 owners of the best record in the league by far. But the Hawks led through two periods, then made a series of mistakes, starting with Jordan Duguay’s retaliatory crosscheck penalty. That led to a power-play goal that knotted the score at 4-4. Soon, the floodgates opened. Portland lost the shots-on-goal battle 37-23, getting off only four over the final frame.

“Our third period was a little bit rough,” Gustafson said.”It wasn’t so much about being out of position or generating. It was more the timeliness of mistakes and penalties.

“When you play against veteran teams like Everett, they just wait for those moments and they capitalize. That’s was the difference today.”

“We have had seven games the last 10 days,” said Mike Johnston, Portland’s president/general manager. “In those circumstances, you are not sharp. The effort was there, but we overstayed a couple of pucks and turned over a couple of pucks in the third period that were dangerous.”

Added Gustafson: “Our desperation level was good. We played hard. We are squeezing everything we have. Our guys were hungry. We went in with an attitude about the game, which I liked. We did a good job for 40 minutes.”

Fatigue was a factor in the end, but the Silvertips were playing their third game in three days, too.

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“They were in the same situation as us,” Miller said. “We knew that coming in. We had them on the ropes. We have to be a better third-period team.”

Miller, a 6-foot, 180-pound 18-year-old right wing, was the game’s first star, with two goals and two assists and an overall fierce performance that his coaches have come to expect.

“Miller and (winger Alex) Weiermair have been carrying the team the last couple of months,” Johnston said. “They are our best players just about every night. They are so consistent. Their work ethic, what they do on the ice — their production has been excellent.”

Said Gustafson: “I told our guys, you have two of the best leaders in the league. If you think you work hard every night, these guys are showing the way for you. Ryan and Alex were absolutely outstanding today. It was a full effort from them. They tried to put the team on their back to come up with a victory.”

Johnston and Gustafson were also pleased with the play of 16-year-old rookie Allessandro Domenichelli, who scored the go-ahead goal -- only his second in 37 games this season — late in the second period. Gustafson used the 5-9, 185-pound Swiss native — son of Vancouver Giants GM Hnat Domenichelli — on the first line alongside Miller and Weiermair.

Allessandro Domenichelli (92) got away with this apparent trip of the Silvertips’ Tarin Smith, but the 16-year-old rookie scored his second goal of the season (courtesy Winterhawks/Kai Brown)

“(Domenichelli) played with a lot of confidence,” Gustafson said. “It is not easy to play with Ryan and Alex, but he was on the puck, he was on the body, and he created some time and space for his linemates. He is going to be a heck of a player.”

“He played for the Swiss junior national team,” Johnston said. “He is going to take a big step next year, and maybe even in this year’s playoffs. He looked good.”

The West’s final two playoff spots will come down to this weekend’s results. Portland is 2-2 against Tri-City but has won the last two meetings. The Americans (26-34-4-1) are out of the playoff picture. The Hawks are 4-3 against Seattle.

Seattle’s three remaining games are against Spokane at home, at Portland and at Spokane. The Chiefs (35-29-1) are in a battle with Kamloops for fifth place in the West.

Victoria’s three games yet to play are all at home — against Everett and Prince George twice. The Cougars (41-22-2) are in a fight with Kelowna for third place in the conference.

If two teams tie for the final postseason spot in the West, there will be a one-game playoff. Home-ice advantage would go to the team with the most victories. The second tie-breaker would be goal differential.

If Portland makes the playoffs, the first-round opponent will be either Everett or Penticton (41-14-6-4). The Hawks have split six games with the Silvertips this season, though they’ve lost the final three encounters. Portland is 1-3 against Penticton.

“We played Everett strong all year,” Johnston said. “I like the way we play against them. The No. 1 thing is to get in the playoffs, but it would be a good matchup. I think we can play against anybody; it’s just getting in.”

The Hawks, weary on Sunday, will have four days of rest before busing to Tri-City for Friday’s game. They will have Stebetak in goal. Miller says they will be ready to rumble.

“That is the reason why you play hockey,” he said. “You dream of playing in these kind of games. I am looking forward to it.”

As for the playoffs …

“I like our chances,” he said. “I have never had any doubt in our team. I think we will get the job done. We will be really motivated, especially after losing this game. We need these next two wins. We know that. It will be a good week of practice and getting ready for a war on the weekend.”

Postseason hockey is a tradition in Portland. The last time the Hawks failed to make the playoffs was 2009, except for the two Covid years when there wasn’t a postseason.

“I am definitely aware of it, but I am not worried about it,” Miller said. “I am confident in our group. I am confident we will make the playoffs.”

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