PORTLAND — As the Western Hockey League regular season hits the home stretch, the Portland Winterhawks seem to be gaining steam.
By winning 13 of their last 15 games, the Winterhawks have surged into contention for the best record in the U.S. Division — and perhaps the entire WHL.
This weekend figures to be significant in sorting out those races. Portland trails Tri-City by a single point for the U.S. Division lead. The Winterhawks play at Kennewick on Friday and host the Americans on Sunday, the final two regular-season meetings between the clubs.
The most recent win for Portland was also meaningful. Tuesday’s 5-2 win over B.C. Division-leading Kamloops at the Rose Garden nudged the Winterhawks ahead of the Blazers in the race for the best record in the Western Conference.
Four third-period goals produced that win and provided more evidence that depth is a significant strength for the Winterhawks.
“We’re wearing other teams out like we saw here late in the game,” Portland forward Oliver Gabriel said after scoring twice in Tuesday’s triumph. “The other teams don’t have as much jump as we do (later in games).
“Eventually we just got to their (defensemen) with our hits on them and making it a long, hard night for them,” Gabriel said. “Toward the end of the game, they are going to be tired and make mistakes, and (Tuesday) we were ready to pounce on them when they did.”
A 20-year-old winger, Gabriel is in his fourth season with the Winterhawks. He is hungry to make it count. Last season he missed the playoff push after a shoulder injury in a January fight ended his season. The year before that he missed 30 games with a spleen injury.
“Off the ice it definitely motivates me,” Gabriel said of his injury history. “I don’t want to go through that again, so I’m trying to take care of my body a lot better than I was last year and the year before.”
A 6-foot-2, 206-pound left wing, Gabriel signed an entry-level NHL contract with Columbus last season. He started this season with the Blue Jackets’ American Hockey league affiliate, but saw limited ice time before he was send back to Portland in late November.
“I was excited,” Gabriel said of his return to the Winterhawks. “I like playing here a lot. I know the guys really well. I knew we had a good team, so I was real excited to get back and get some ice time and have a good rest of my season.”
Gabriel said it took some time for him to get into game-ready condition after seeing limited playing time in the AHL. But he has put an emphasis on off-ice fitness work and now said he feels stronger than at any time during his career.
Gabriel said he has tried to build to a point where he can play the same fast, physical game in the third period as he does in the first period.
“I really have been working on conditioning so I can play a full game without getting tired,” he said.
Lately, that formula has been a winner for Gabriel and the Winterhawks.
