PORTLAND — On a night when there was no clear path to beating either goaltender, it figured that a golf swing from a defenseman would be the play that moved the Portland Winterhawks to within one victory of another playoff series win.
Blake Heinrich was the hero on Friday as he golfed a loose puck past Everett goalie Carter Hart 5:40 into the first overtime period to give the Winterhawks a 2-1 win and a 3-1 lead in the best-of-7 Western Hockey League playoff series.
“I honestly think it was a golf swing. I think I just chipped at it. Luckily enough it went over (Hart’s) shoulder,” Heinrich said. “At first I didn’t know if it went in or not. I was pretty lucky it landed right on my stick.”
Game 5 is at 4 p.m. Sunday in Everett. Game 6, if needed, will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Moda Center in Portland.
The winning play started with Oliver Bjorkstrand carrying the puck into the zone. After he maintained possession along the left wall, a pass from Keoni Texiera tried to set up a Heinrich one-timer. With no shooting lane, Heinrich left the puck for Nic Petan. Petan floated a shot that appeared to bounce off two Silvertips defenders on its way into space for Heinrich to whack it home and thrill the crowd of 8,590 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
In truth, Portland was lucky to be in overtime the way Everett came at the Winterhawks for the first half of the contest.
Building off three quick goals late in Thursday’s Game 3, Everett came with energy in a strong first period that saw the visitors register 13 shots on goal and generate several high-quality scoring chances. But Winterhawks goalie Adin Hill was positionally strong, which was significant when he made three saves after losing his stick in a scramble during Everett’s first power play.
“One of their player’s skates stepped on my stick, so I lost it and it ended up in the corner,” Hill said. “Then it was just making sure I’m in the right position, not giving up any room without my stick. The job doesn’t change. Spot the puck, keep it out of the net.”
Hill finished with 29 saves, and also denied Everett’s Matt Fonteyne on a short-handed breakaway in the first period. The 13 shots in the first period Friday were as many as the Silvertips registered through the first two periods of Game 3.
“They came at us in waves and we never had a response, and Adin stood tall,” Winterhawks coach Jamie Kompon said. “I know we were up 1-0, but we never really felt we were in control of the first two periods.”
Notes
• Kelowna eliminated Victoria on Friday and awaits the winner between Portland and Everett for the Western Conference finals.
• This was the second overtime game so far in this series, and the fifth overtime game in 10 playoff games this season for Everett.
• The Winterhawks have signed Brett Clayton, a 16-year-old forward who played this season for the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds of the British Columbia Major Midget League. Clayton (6-3, 197) had 16 goals and 18 assists in 40 games this season.
