RECAP: Hawks clinch WHL Playoffs berth with 8-3 win over Giants

The Winterhawks offense came alive again with an 8-3 romp against Vancouver to seal the team’s 13th straight trip to the WHL Playoffs.

Game #53: Portland (8) vs. Vancouver (3)

SOG: POR (54) – VAN (20)

PP: POR (2/12) – VAN (1/7)

Saves: Maric (17/20) – Hutchison (46/54)

COMPLETE BOX SCORE

SCORING:

• POR – First Period – 5:52 – James Stefan (38) from Diego Buttazzoni and Marek Alscher
• POR – First Period – 6:20 – Kyle Chyzowski (15) from James Stefan and Luca Cagnoni
• POR – First Period – 9:39 – Nate Danielson (17) from Marcus Nguyen and Marek Alscher
• POR – Second Period – 4:28 – James Stefan (39) from Tyson Jugnauth and Justen Maric
• POR – Second Period – 5:30 – Kyle McDonough (4) from Tyson Jugnauth and Ryan Miller
• POR – Second Period – 16:56 – Kyle Chyzowski (16) from Marcus Nguyen and Ryan Miller
• POR – Second Period – 18:32 – Luca Cagnoni (13) from Gabe Klassen and James Stefan
• VAN – Third Period – 2:17 – Cameron Schmidt (18)
• VAN – Third Period – 6:13 – Ty Halaburda (17) from Samuel Honzek and Mazden Leslie
• VAN – Third Period – 10:17 – Tyson Zimmer (18) from Aaron Obobaifo
• POR – Third Period – 17:25 – Diego Buttazzoni (24) from Marcus Nguyen and Luca Cagnoni

The Story:
Led by James Stefan (2G, 2A) and Kyle Chyzowski (2G), eight different Portland skaters recorded multiple points as the Winterhawks trounced the Vancouver Giants 8-3 on Saturday night to officially clinch a berth in the 2024 WHL Playoffs.

With the win, Portland seals its spot in the playoffs for the 13th consecutive season. The Winterhawks’ record now stands at 37-13-2-1 on the year (77pts, 1st Western Conference).

Stefan and Chyzowski got Portland off to a flyer with goals just 28 seconds apart in the first period. The 20-year-old Stefan started the scoring with a sneaky shot from the goal line through the five-hole of Matthew Hutchison, followed shortly after by Chyzowski roofing a backhander from the slot at 6:20. Nate Danielson tripled the lead later in the frame with a very similar goal to Stefan’s, collecting a pass at the goal line and wiring a shot underneath Hutchison for a 3-0 Portland advantage after 20 minutes.

The Winterhawks poured on the pressure in the second period and opened up a 7-0 lead with a four-goal middle stanza. Stefan struck first at 4:28 after a stellar Justen Maric save sprung an odd-man rush the other way resulting in another Stefan snipe. Kyle McDonough joined the fun 1:02 later as he hammered home a Tyson Jugnauth rebound, before Chyzowski and Luca Cagnoni tacked on two more in the final minutes of the period. Chyzowski’s second was an acrobatic marker as he deflected a clearing attempt out of mid-air, caught it with his glove, dropped it to his stick and batted it home in one impressive motion at 16:56. Cagnoni added the extra point to the touchdown with a laser from the blue line at 18:32.

Vancouver grabbed three consolation goals in the third through Cameron Schmidt, Ty Halaburda and Tyson Zimmer, but Portland’s damage was done, and Diego Buttazzoni added another in the waning moments to make it 8-3. Justen Maric finished with 17 saves in the win, while Hutchison faced down 46 in Vancouver’s defeat.

Portland wraps up a busy weekend on the road at 4:05 P.M. tomorrow against the Everett Silvertips.

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