Winterhawks win Game 7, advance to Western Conference Championship
The Portland Winterhawks are headed to the Western Conference Championship for back-to-back seasons after defeating the No. 1 seed and Scotty Munro Champion Everett Silvertips in seven games 4-2.
Round 2, Game 7: Portland (4) vs Everett (2)
SOG: EVT (42) – POR (33)
PP: EVT (X/3) – POR (X/2)
Saves: LeGall (29/32) – Štěbeták (40/42)
SCORING:
EVT – Landon DuPont (5) from Dominik Rymon and Eric Jameson
POR – Kyle Chyzowski (11) from Diego Buttazzoni and Tyson Jugnauth
EVT – Lukas Kaplan (4) from Austin Roest and Kaden Hammell
POR – Hudson Darby (4) from Carter Sotheran and Max Pšenička
POR – Kyle McDonough (2) from Hudson Darby and Carter Sotheran*
POR – Diego Buttazzoni (9) (empty net) (power play)
* An official scoring correction will be applied by the WHL
GAME SUMMARY:
The Winterhawks had the first power play of the game, but a couple of key shot blocks and clears, along with Everett’s goaltender, Raiden LeGall, kept Portland off the board.
About four minutes later, the Silvertips got their first opportunity with the man advantage, but Ondřej Štěbeták made three saves, as the Winterhawks penalty killers got the job done. Everett closed out the first period on another power play, again with three shots.
15-year-old exceptional status defenseman Landon DuPont opened the scoring, his fourth straight game with a goal and fifth of the series.
The Silvertips nearly made it 2-0, but Štěbeták made two Grade-A saves, one on a breakaway and the other going into the splits.
Everett appeared to be headed to the second intermission with the lead, but Winterhawks captain Kyle Chyzowsk had other ideas. The overager from Surrey, British Columbia, evened the score at one with his 11th goal of the 2025 WHL Playoffs. Linemate Diego Buttazzoni and fellow 2004-born skater, Tyson Jugnauth, helped set up the play.
Per team historian Andy Kemper, the goal was Chyzowski’s 15th in 16 games against Everett in the playoffs.
Lukas Kaplan restored the Silvertips’ lead 3:03 into the third period off the rush via a wrist shot from the slot.
Shortly after Everett took a 2-1 lead, Štěbeták made another one of his sliding pad saves to keep the deficit to one.
Portland responded 4:34 later, when Hudson Darby once again got the Winterhawks back to even at 12:23 when he banked a shot in off LeGall’s back from below the goal line. Then, just 30 seconds later, the Winterhawks had the lead for the first time in Game 7. Josh Zakreski made a move to the front and got a shot on goal. The rebound came to a rest in the blue paint, where second-year forward Kyle McDonough deposited his second goal in as many games.
With 1:27 remaining, LeGall went to the bench for the extra attacker, but the Hawks rushed up the ice, and the Silvertips skater who came on for him did not recognize the netminder had raced back. Everett was called for too-many-men on the ice.
Buttazzoni sealed Game 7 and the series when he hit the empty net with 21 seconds left on the clock.
The Winterhawks advanced in seven games for the second straight series and will defend their 2024 Western Conference Championship.
UP NEXT:
The Winterhawks advance to the Western Conference Championship, where they will face the Spokane Chiefs in a best-of-seven series.
POSTGAME MEDIA AVAILABILITY
Head Coach Kyle Gustafson
Game-winning goal scorer Kyle McDonough
Captain Kyle Chyzowski
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