This week: host Spokane, 7 p.m. Friday (Memorial Coliseum); at Seattle, 7:05 p.m. Saturday; at Tri-City, 5:05 p.m. Sunday.
Last week: lost at Vancouver, 3-2; beat Everett, 5-3; beat Medicine Hat 4-1.
Where they stand: At 17-13-0-3, the Winterhawks have 37 points from 33 games and are second in the U.S. Division, three points behind first-place Everett.
Bittner’s big weekend: Paul Bittner scored twice in Saturday’s win over division-leading Everett — including the “Teddy Bear” goal, which brought 10,578 stuffed animals onto the Coliseum ice. Bittner then added another goal on Sunday bringing his season total to 12. He has points in five of six games (four goals, three assists) since missing four games with a leg injury.
“It’s a nice confidence boost,” Bittner said of his recent scoring. He also called his goals a nice reward for putting in the work to get back quickly from the injury.
“I’m just trying to stay level-headed and sticking to what I know,” Bittner said. “Just play a hard, fast game.”
Bittner said he got lucky on the Teddy Bear goal. He said he threw the puck toward the crease hoping to find a teammate, but the puck deflected off a defenseman’s skate and into the goal.
Bittner said it ranks as his favorite goal so far in his career.
“To be the guy who scores to have all those stuffed animals come down is something everybody wants to do,” he said.
It was the first Teddy Bear toss experience for Winterhawks coach Jamie Kompon.
“It was an unbelievable experience from my side of it. It was great,” Kompon said. “I worried about (the delay) hurting our momentum, but even though Everett scored next, our boys responded the right way.”
The coach was pleased with the way his team responded after a loss at Vancouver last Friday, bouncing back to beat division leaders Everett and Medicine Hat. This week’s challenge is to maintain focus ahead of their holiday break — a message the coach said has been hammered home.
Holiday break: After Sunday’s game at Tri-City, Portland is off for its holiday break until a Dec. 27 game at Seattle. Their first home game after the break is Dec. 28 against Spokane.
Petan, Bjorkstrand gone: Nic Petan (Canada) and Oliver Bjorkstand (Denmark) are at selection camps for the World Juniors Championships and will not be in the Winterhawks lineup this weekend. Chase De Leo will head to the United States selection camp following Sunday’s game at Tri-City. The World Junior Championships run Dec. 26-Jan. 5 in Toronto and Montreal.
Hot goalie: Adin Hill has won his last seven decisions. Hill has a goals against average of 2.77 and .924 save percentage.
Toy drive: Fans are asked to bring a new, unwrapped toy to the Friday’s game against Spokane. As part of the KPTV Les Schwab Toy Drive the toys to be donated to local charities.
