Can an empty-net goal change the course of a playoff series?
The Portland Winterhawks hope so.
Oliver Bjorkstrand, who scored a Western Hockey League-leading 63 goals in 59 regular season games, was scoreless in the first two playoff games until his empty-netter on Sunday capped the Winterhawks 3-0 win over visiting Seattle.
“It’s always nice to get that (first) goal so you kind of get it off your back. Even though it’s empty net, it’s still a goal,” Bjorkstrand said. “I like scoring goals.”
His goal on Sunday capped a win that squared the first-round playoff series with the Thunderbirds at 1-1. The series resumes with games Tuesday and Thursday at ShoWare Center in Kent.
Seattle, naturally, is trying to keep the dynamic Bjorkstrand quiet. On Sunday, Thunderbirds goalie Taran Kuzon made saves on the looks Bjorkstrand did get.
“They got sticks, they got bodies (on Bjorkstrand), they did as good job on him,” Winterhawks coach Jamie Kompon said. “We’ve got to find a way to make sure that he gets free. The one (good) thing is that he’s not frustrated.”
Bjorkstrand said he and line mates Nic Petan and Paul Bittner are used to getting physical attention and vocal attention from opponents.
“We know they’re going to come after us, so we have to keep our cool and not get too frustrated,” he said. “The pucks aren’t really going in now for me, so I’ve got to try to find different ways of getting pucks to the net.
“I don’t feel like I’m getting frustrated with the fact that (the Thunderbirds) playing me hard. It’s more (frustrating) that I want to score goals and help the team win.”
The other ingredient to winning hockey is defense. For Portland’s top line — and for the Winterhawks as a whole — that starts with not taking neutral zone chances that turn into odd-man opportunities that Seattle thrives upon. After the T-Birds scored three goals on odd-man chances in their Game 1 win on Saturday, they had only one true odd-man rush in Game 2.
“We’ve just got to be careful we don’t make any dangerous turnovers,” Bjorkstrand said. “If we make sure we don’t do that, I feel like we’re going to be good.”
Kompon said he does not expect to be breathing easy at any point in this series.
“(Sunday) was an indication of how much parity there is in our league,” Kompon said after Game 2. “They’re a very well structured team and a very hard working team. And they don’t quit as you saw (in Game 1).”
Viewing parties — The Portland Winterhawks Booster Club will host viewing parties Tuesday and Thursday at Kenton Station, just across the Interstate Bridge from Vancouver at 8303 N. Denver. Also scheduled to show the games are Sports Page in Beaverton, Oregon City Ice House and McGillacuddy’s in northeast Portland.
Youth team wins title — On Monday, the Portland Junior Winterhawks Bantam AA team won a national title in the Youth Tier II 14U 1A Division at the 2015 Toyota-USA Hockey Youth Nationals in Salt Lake City. They beat a team from Idaho 3-2 in overtime to win the title.
