Winterhawks, Thunderbirds set for Game 7 showdown
The first WHL Playoffs Game 7 in more than three years lands in Portland, Ore. Tuesday with a berth in the 2022 Western Conference Championship on the line.
The host Winterhawks take on the Seattle Thunderbirds (7:00 p.m. MT, Veterans Memorial Coliseum) in a winner-take-all affair, made necessary after Seattle posted a 2-1 victory in Game 6 of the second-round series Monday evening.
2022 NHL Draft prospect Jordan Gustafson scored the deciding goal with just over seven minutes remaining in the first period Monday, while goaltender (and fellow 2022 NHL Draft prospect) Thomas Milic turned aside 29 shots for the Thunderbirds.
In fact, the goaltenders have loomed large in this series. Portland netminder, Pittsburgh Penguins signee Taylor Gauthier has posted a .936 save percentage through the first six games of the best-of-seven affair, with Milic closely in tow at .934.
Four of the seven games have seen five or fewer combined goals.
A pair of American NHL prospects have led the way offensively, though. Seattle’s Lukas Svejkovsky (Pittsburgh Penguins – Point Roberts, Wash.) leads all scorers with eight points (2G-6A) in the series, while Winterhawks sniper Cross Hanas (Detroit Red Wings – Highland Village, Texas) has scored more goals (four) than any other player in the series, a number buoyed by a hat-trick in Game 4 this past Friday.
For those of the historical persuasion, Tuesday’s contest marks the first Game 7 for Portland since a 3-1 first-round victory in 2018 versus the Spokane Chiefs. Hero duties for the Winterhawks fell on the shoulders of another American that evening, with current New York Islanders forward Kieffer Bellows scoring the decider with 4:38 remaining in regulation time.
As for Seattle, the Thunderbirds are 2-3 in their last five winner-take-all contests, most recently dropping a 3-2 overtime decision at Kelowna in the first round of the 2013 WHL Playoffs.
The winner of Game 7 will face the Kamloops Blazers in the 2022 Western Conference Championship.
Through WHL Live on CHL TV, fans can enjoy every single scheduled game throughout the 2022 WHL Eastern Conference Championship with the purchase of a Round Pass at the low price of $19.99 plus applicable taxes and fees.
WHL Live – 2022 WHL Playoffs Packages
Round-by-Round: $19.99 per round
24-Hour Access: $8.99
* all prices in Canadian dollars
+ does not include applicable taxes and fees
