WCQF | Game #2 | Recap | Royals (1) @ Winterhawks (5)
Portland, OR – For the second time in as many nights, the Victoria Royals (0-2) and the Portland Winterhawks (2-0) met at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in the Western Conference quarter-finals. Victoria fell just shy in game one as the Winterhawks rallied in the third period to stage a comeback and propel themselves ahead, earning the early series advantage. The Saturday night clash would be a pivotal game, with the series set to switch to Victoria for games three and four. For the second consecutive night, it was a battle between 20-year-old Braden Holt (0-1, 4.23 GAA, .882 save percentage) and 19-year-old Jan Špunar (1-0, 3.00 GAA, .880 save percentage) in between the pipes.
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Heading into the game, Victoria made a change in the lineup, as Ryan Spizawka returned following a 13-game absence, as Victoria continued to welcome injured members back to the lineup.
Early in the first period, Portland earned an early powerplay opportunity as Reggie Newman sat for two minutes after receiving a slashing penalty. On the ensuing man-advantage, Portland opened the scoring. James Stefan (1) unleashed a wrist shot from the top of the face-off dot to the right of Holt, receiving a feathered seam pass from Gabe Klassen. Nate Danielson drew the secondary assist on the play as the Winterhawks notched their second powerplay goal of the series on their third attempt.
Victoria would get their first powerplay chance of the game moments later, as Nate Danielson sat for a two-minute holding call around the nine-minute mark, but the Winterhawks’ penalty kill unit prevailed on this occasion.
Portland would extend their lead to two goals midway through the period, with Luca Cagnoni (3) making it 2-0. Cagnoni showcased his offensive abilities yet again, illustrating the skills that helped him reach 90 points in the regular season, the most by any defenseman in the WHL. On this occasion, Cagnoni grabbed the puck at the near-sided halfway point and walked into the slot before releasing a quick wrist shot that found its way just under the crossbar to beat Holt.
Late in the period, Portland would strike again. Recent signing from the Edmonton Oilers, James Stefan (2) nabbed his second of the period following a perfectly orchestrated pass from Philadelphia Flyers prospect Carter Sotheran. The puck made its way through the defending sticks of the Royals before finding Stefan at the top of the face-off circle, where he did the rest with a shot into the top corner.
The late tally from Stefan was enough to send the game into the first intermission with the Winterhawks leading 3-0, while outshooting the Royals 9-5.
Portland got themselves into some penalty trouble as Gabe Klassen took a cross-checking call, sending the Royals to their second man-advantage of the contest. The early powerplay gave Victoria life, as former Winterhawk Dawson Pasternak (1) notched his first of the postseason. Pasternak, Cole Reschny, and Justin Kipkie connected for the goal as the Royals struck just 1:34 into the period. The 20-year-old forward found a way through Špunar with a shot from the exact spot where the Winterhawks tallied twice in the first period.
The game would stay that way until just prior to the 14-minute mark of the middle frame. Portland would restore their three-goal lead with a powerplay goal of their own. Florida Panthers draft pick Josh Davies (1) grabbed his first career playoff goal with assistance from Gabe Klassen and James Stefan. Davies, an offseason acquisition from the Swift Current Broncos, continued his strong first season with the Winterhawks, fresh off turning 20 just six days ago.
Just like the opening period, the Winterhawks concluded the second with a late goal, sending them into the intermission with a three-goal lead. Victoria outshot the Winterhawks 13-10 in the middle frame.
Early in the third period, Portland would add their fifth of the night. Nate Danielson (1) scored his first goal of the series just over a minute into the final stanza. Danielson connected with Jack O’Brien and Marcus Nguyen for Portland. Braden Holt was able to make the save on the initial Danielson shot, but the puck squeezed through his pads and trickled over the goal line.
The Danielson goal was the only marker of the final frame as the Winterhawks defeated the Royals 5-1 to take a 2-0 series lead.