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Tipped Off
04-11-2006, 11:15 AM
OregonLive.com

Hawks search for answers

Portland hopes its defense gets better against Vancouver with rest and some adjustments

Tuesday, April 11, 2006
MOLLY BLUE

Until he helped out, Sasha Golin said, he had no idea what the Portland Winter Hawks defensemen were going through.

Injuries and defections cut the Hawks' defense in half by the first two games of the Western Hockey League Western Conference semifinals against Vancouver.

So Golin, a right wing, moved back to help out in Saturday's 7-1 loss at Vancouver's Pacific Coliseum.

"I was glad to kind of help on defense. I didn't realize how short-shifted they were," Golin said. "I played every second shift, pretty much."

Portland was propelled to an emotional 1-0 win at Vancouver in Game 1 -- and the first against the Giants all season -- that Golin said was boosted by the momentum generated in the Hawks' Game 7 come-from-behind 4-3 overtime victory at Seattle last Wednesday.

"It's been an emotional roller coaster," Golin said. "We used that energy from Game 7 to our advantage. I think that helped us."

With the best-of-seven series tied 1-1, Portland now plays host to Vancouver on Wednesday and Thursday at the Rose Garden. Both games start at 7 p.m.

"We stole a game," in Vancouver, Portland coach Mike Williamson said. "We did what we had to do to get one. The important thing is that we're 1-1."

For the Hawks to win again, they'll need more rest and more defensemen.

Portland has had some rest, with a three-day break between games after playing four in five days, but how did the Hawks get so short-handed?

Garth Collins left the team during the first round of the playoffs against Seattle. Lenny Thunderchild was injured in Game 7 at Seattle and has been sidelined.

Michael Funk has an undisclosed injury and hasn't played since the second game of the Seattle series. And Jordie Fike is in uniform and on the bench but hasn't played against Vancouver.

In Vancouver, the Winter Hawks brought in defenseman Tu Ariss, a 16-year-old list player, to bolster their back line. But Ariss didn't travel back to Portland because of school conflicts and won't be available this week.

That leaves Cameron Cepek, who returned to the lineup just before the playoffs after missing 51 games with a wrist injury, Scott Gabriel, Max Gordichuk and Michael Sauer, who also is on the ice for penalty kills and power plays.

"Sauer probably played a little more, because of the special teams, but they all had a ton of shifts," Williamson said.

Vancouver coach Don Hay said he expects the games in Portland to be more physical and more aggressive.

"The rest is obviously good for them," Hay said. "Four games in five nights is a task for any team. I expect Portland to come at us with a lot more energy and with more of an offensive push."

Tipped Off
04-11-2006, 11:21 AM
Steve Ewen, The Province

Published: Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Brendan Mikkelson likely won't have an ounce of bad luck next year.

He's gone way past his quota for this season.

His first knee injury of the campaign cost the Vancouver Giants rearguard a tryout with the Canadian world junior team.

His second, a torn anterior cruciate ligament on Jan. 13, led to season-ending surgery six weeks ago in Edmonton.

And as things have played out, it's meant that he's missing a playoff matchup with the team that he started the campaign with, the Portland Winter Hawks.

The Giants and Winter Hawks are tied 1-1. Game 3 goes at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Portland.

Mikkelson came back to Vancouver Monday so at least he can soak up a little of the postseason atmosphere for next season, when the Giants host the Memorial Cup tournament.

"I'd love to be out there beating them right now," said Mikkelson, 18, who joinined the Giants in October in a swap that sent fellow blueliners Max Gordichuk and Scott Gabriel to Portland, along with forward prospect Darcy Osmond.

"But that's just the way things are going for me this year.

"I've talked to some of the our guys periodically. I haven't given them a whole lot of advice about playing Portland. We need to just keep getting shots. We really took it to them last game, and they couldn't handle our speed and our forecheck."

Mikkelson played the two seasons prior to this one with the Winter Hawks, and says he still has some good friends on the team. He had some brief conversations with Portland players prior to the series, but said that it was no more than just small talk.

"What's it like, us playing Portland? It's hard to describe," said Mikkelson, a second-round draft pick of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks this past summer.

"But, obviously, I want Vancouver to win very much.

"I remember the times I got to play Portland during the regular season, I really enjoyed it."

Mikkelson had been staying at his family's home in St. Albert, Alta., while rehabbing.

Coming back to Vancouver kickstarts prepartions for him for next year. He'll be a key contributor, especially with the graduation of Paul Albers and Mark Fistric almost certainly playing pro.

"We're going to approach him this summer like we approached Paul Albers last summer," Giants general manager Scott Bonner said, pointing to the veteran D-man who has had a breakout season.

"We're going to take a lot of interest in what he's doing and how he's doing it. We know his value next year.

"The nice problem is that we have a key player like him and we're doing well without him right now. We know we have something in the bank, so to speak."

BRULE SET TO GO

Gilbert Brule's lengthy third period stint on the bench Saturday seems to have been truly precautionary.

The Vancouver Giants star took part in all of practice Monday, and showed no ill effects of being sideswiped away from the play by Portland Winter Hawks tough guy Frazer McLaren late in the second period of Vancouver's 7-1 win in Game 2 of their best-of-seven WHL Western Conference semifinals.

Brule had to be helped off the ice and was favouring his knee. He came out for the third period, took one short shift early on, and spent the rest of the game on bench. Giants coach Don Hay said that he was merely resting his player after what had happened.

McLaren picked up a tripping minor for the episode.