PORTLAND — The first playoff game between the Portland Winterhawks and Victoria Royals looked nothing like the four regular-season meetings between the teams.
Taking advantage of 10 power plays, the Winterhawks skating speed and puck-handling skill was on full display Friday as Portland opened the best-of-7 Western Hockey League playoff series with an impressive 8-2 win at Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
Six Winterhawks had three-point nights and Portland converted 3 of 10 power plays in a surprisingly one-sided series opener. In the regular season, the teams played four low-scoring games with two of them needing overtime. Portland’s eight goals on Friday matched its total in four regular-season games against Victoria.
“Our offensive ability showed tonight. It’s just about burying our chances, and we took full advantage,” said Nic Petan, who finished with a goal and three assists.
Oliver Bjorkstrand and Matt Dumba each scored two goals, Brendan Leipsic and Derrick Poulitt each had a goal and two assists, and Taylor Leier had three assists. Chase De Leo scored the first goal.
Game 2 of this Western Conference semifinal is at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Moda Center.
It will be carried live on Comcast Sports Net (cable ch. 37). Games 3 and 4 are on Monday and Tuesday in Victoria, as the teams play four times in five nights following more than a week off before Friday’s contest.
Winterhawks coach Mike Johnston liked the speed his team played most of the night, but said that a series of power-play chances in the second and third period turned the game one-sided.
Dumba expects Victoria, which was cited for 88 penalty minutes on Friday, to be much more disciplined from now on.
“For sure they’re going to be looking at that and saying they can’t take any more penalties,” Dumba said. “That’s what happens to teams when you play us. If you give us power plays, it’s going to come around to bite you.”
In the regular season, Portland scored only twice each time it faced Victoria. On Friday the Winterhawks scored twice in the first period, then added four in the second as Bjorkstrand scored twice from in close and Petan and Dumba had goals.
Petan’s goal 3:11 into the second period came on a two-man breakaway with Leipsic, who stole the puck in the neutral zone just as Petan was exiting the penalty box.
“My thoughts were just don’t go offside and be ready for the one-timer,” Petan said.
At that point, Victoria coach Dave Lowry made a goalie change, inserting Coleman Vollrath who played the four regular-season games against Portland. The Royals got a quick boost with Taylor Crunk’s goal 21 seconds after Petan’s. But Portland scored the next three, with a Dumba laser sandwiched by Bjorkstrand’s pair.
A power-play goal by Brandon Magee on a nice play from a faceoff brought the Royals within 6-2 after two periods. But the only fight in Victoria during the third period piled up penalties.
Portland’s skill was evident on both first-period goals.
De Leo forced a turnover at the Winterhawks blue line to create a two-on-one, then beat Victoria starting goalie Patrik Polivka off a pass from Bjorkstrand 11:07 into the game. Two minutes later Leipsic put Portland ahead 2-0 by getting to the front of the net and knocking a rebound out of the air after Polivka stopped a Petan shot.
Overshadowed by the Winterhawks’ attack was a solid outing from goalie Brendan Burke, who made 13 of his 25 saves in the first period when the game was still tight.
“He had a few hard shots early in the game where he just gathered them up, didn’t give anything on the rebound,” Johnston said. “And that’s a sign that a goaltender is on when he sucks the puck in and doesn’t give those rebound chances.”
If Victoria is to have a chance in the series, the Royals probably need a good rebound performance on Saturday.
They’re going to come out strong again,” Petan said. “We’ve just got to play the same way, even if it’s probably going to be more of a five-on-five game.”
