The last six times the Portland Winterhawks have made the Western Hockey League playoffs they advanced beyond the first round. That string of success includes the last five seasons, the last four of which the Winterhawks won the Western Conference title.
Over the previous four seasons, Portland was 16-2 in first-round playoff games, sweeping three of four series.
But as the Winterhawks prepare to face rival Seattle, the expectation is that the best-of-7 series will be long and contentious.
“They’re a really good team. They work hard. They battle hard and like to get at us,” Winterhawks forward Oliver Bjorkstrand said. “We don’t like each other. The fans don’t like each other. So it’s going to be an intense series.”
The series begins with games at 6 p.m. Saturday at Veterans Memorial Coliseum and 5 p.m. Sunday in the Moda Center.
The Winterhawks understand that — partly because they are the No. 3 seed in the West — the path to a fifth consecutive appearance in the Western Hockey League championship series starts with a challenging first step.
The regular-season series between the rivals was competitive. Seattle won seven times and Portland five, but two Seattle wins came in shootouts.
First-year Winterhawks coach Jamie Kompon said it is difficult to predict the playoff outcome based on regular-season battles.
“We only matched up a couple times with our full contingent, with them having (Mathew) Barzael and (Shea) Theodore in the lineup and us having Nic (Petan) and Oliver (Bjorkstrand) and everyone else in the lineup,” Kompon said. “I think the best is yet to come from both teams. It’s going to be a great series.”
The Winterhawks figure to be fresher at the start of this series than they were at the end of the regular season, when they played eight games over 12 days, five of them on the road. Losses at Tri-City and at Seattle last weekend cost them a chance to claim the U.S. Division title.
Kompon noted that his team played well at even strength and poorly on special teams down the stretch of the regular season.
“We’ve given up far too many power play and far too many short-handed goals in our recent stretch,” Kompon said.
Seattle, which finished seven points back of Portland in the standings, is led by draft-eligible forwards Barzal (12 goals, 45 assists) and Ryan Gropp (30 goals, 28 assists). Goalie Taran Kozun, 20, backstops a much-improved Seattle defense that allowed the third fewest goals in the league (201). Theodore, 19, was a 2013 first-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks. He posted 48 points in only 43 games this season.
“The big thing is they’re so dangerous on the rush. It’s about us making sure that we take care of the puck and we don’t give them any opportunities to quick transition,” Kompon said. “And in the (Portland) zone we’ve got to limit their time and space.”
Seattle, of course, will face a similar challenge with a Winterhawks team that scored 287 goals in the regular season, fourth most in the league. Bjorkstrand led the league in goals (63) and points (118). The 19-year-old from Denmark did that in only 59 regular-season games. On Monday Bjorkstrand was named the WHL player of the month for March, the third consecutive month he’s won that honor.
“My confidence is obviously good right now,” the Columbus Blue Jackets prospect said. “But it’s a new season so I have to forget about all that.
“I can be proud of myself, but I’ve got to move on and work hard in the playoffs.”
Notes
• Forward Alex Schoenborn, out since early February with a lower-body injury, practiced this week. Kompon said the team will decide Friday if Schoenborn will return to action this weekend.
• Winterhawks awards — Bjorkstrand won the team MVP award, as voted by his teammates at the end of the regular season. He also won the Booster Club Fan Favorite Award. Nic Petan won the Winterhawk Award selected by the coaches for the player who embodies character, leadership, heart and soul. Goaltender Adin Hill was the team’s rookie of the year. Dominic Turgeon won the Sportsmanship and Ability Award. Anton Cederholm won Best Defensive Player Award. Josh Hanson and Alex Overhardt were honored as the team’s Scholastic Players of the Year.
• Bjorkstrand (first team) and Petan (second team) were named to the WHL’s Western Conference All-Stars.
