December 15 Weekly Preview
The Winterhawks’ players are leaving town today to head home for the holidays. They are departing on a high note after winning two of three over the weekend: on the road against Seattle on Saturday and in Kennewick against Tri-City last night.
Look Back at the Weekend: Dec. 12-14
- The Hawks’ game on Sunday night marked not only the team’s last game before Christmas, but also the exact halfway point of the regular season. While the team has compiled record of 19-14-0-3, good enough for 2nd in the U.S. Division and third in the Western Conference, it has been a tale of two seasons for the 2014-15 Winterhawks. The four-time defending Western Conference Champions struggled during the first ten games of the season posting a 1-7-0-2 (.200) record. However, the Hawks found their stride at the beginning of the Eastern Swing in mid-October and are playing .700+ hockey thanks to a 18-7-0-1 (.712) record over the last 26 games.
- Rookie forward Alex Overhardt went into Sunday’s game with four points on the season, but he earned two points in a productive night against the Americans. He scored the Hawks’ second goal in the first period, also his first career goal, and then added an assist in the second for his first career multi-point game.
- Chase De Leo leads the team with 42 points so far this season and his 12-game point streak is the longest current streak on the Hawks roster. He notched an assist on Alex Schoenborn’s third period empty net goal last night against the Americans to extend the streak to 12 games and give him his 16th point during that time.
- Adin Hill now leads all WHL goaltenders with a save percentage of 0.926. He’s stopped 411 of the 433 shots he’s faced so far this season, with a goals against average of 2.90 which gives him 13th place overall in the WHL in that category.
- The U.S. Division could see a lot of movement in the upcoming weeks, as the holiday break comes in the midst of a ten-game span pitting the Hawks against their divisional rivals. After the break, the Hawks are slated to play seven straight games within the division.
Look Ahead: Dec. 15 – the start of holiday break!
- As the rest of the Hawks head home for the break, Nic Petan remains with Team Canada, and Oliver Bjorkstrand with Denmark, as they both seek to make the final rosters for their respective teams. De Leo is now en route to the USA camp in Boston, as he becomes the third Hawk to head to his country’s national junior team selection camps this season.
- Need a unique and useful holiday gift for the Hawks fan in your life? Check out the “Pucks and Paws” calendar for the Oregon and Southwest Washington Humane Societies. It’s still available in the Winterhawks’ team store, and can be found online at http://portland-winterhawks-store.mybigcommerce.com/. The calendars, which feature photos of Winterhawks players with cats and dogs, are on sale for $20 each. Proceeds benefit the Oregon and Southwest Washington Humane Societies.
- The Hawks kick off the second half of the regular season on Saturday, Dec. 27 as they take on the Thunderbirds in Seattle. The following night, the Hawks bring the action back to Portland for the Jack in the Box Lift Ticket night against the Spokane Chiefs at 5 pm in the Coliseum. Then, the Hawks host the Seattle Thunderbirds at 8 p.m. in the annual New Year’s Eve game. Fans will have the opportunity to bring their skates that night to skate with the players after the game. It’s a great tradition for fans of all ages, and a great way to meet the players.
