Soaring 'Hawks' too much

by Wayne Moore

The Winterhawks have taken a commanding two games to none lead over the Rockets in their best-of-seven opening round playoff series.

Mac Carruth was forced to turn aside just 20 shots for his second career WHL playoff shutout Saturday leading the Winterhawks to a convincing 4-0 victory.

Terry Rutkowski scored what stood up as the game winner eight minutes into the middle frame when he wired a wrist shot past Adam Brown from the mid slot on a Portland power-play.

Ten minutes later, Brad Ross stole the puck from Myles Bell on a Rockets power-play and broke in all alone from center ice before beating Brown on a backhand-forehand deke.

Ty Rattie on another power-play and Tyler Wotherspoon rounded out the scoring in the third period.

Brown, who faced 55 shots in Friday's 6-3 series opening loss was busy again Saturday as the Hawks peppered him with 39 shots, including 20 during a scoreless first period.

Both teams finished up the night a man short due to penalties in what was a very chippy affair.

Oliver Gabriel of the Winterhawks was handed a game misconduct to go with a slashing minor early in the second while Rockets Brett Bulmer was handed an automatic game misconduct after he was assessed a major penalty for kneeing.

It was Bulmer's third kneeing penalty of the night. Bulmer finished the game with 23 minutes in penalties including four minors and the major.

Rattie had an assist to go along with his goal giving him five points in the series thus far while Sven Bartschi added a pair of assists.

The series now returns to Kelowna for games three and four Tuesday and Thursday.

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"They were definitely the better team," said Rockets coach Ryan Huska, whose squad was almost doubled in shots on goal, 39-20, for the second straight night after Friday's 55-29 differential. "They wanted the game more, and, because of that, they won the majority of the puck battles on the ice."

"It's terrible to give up goals like that," Huska said of the demoralizing marker with 1:07 left in the middle frame, the product of a Myles Bell turnover at Portland's blue-line, springing Ross, who deked Rockets goalie Adam Brown. "We were on the power play and those are typically killers, because you go into your room remembering that goal instead of something positive. That was a tough one for us."