Portland keeps pace with Spokane with 5-3 win

Nino Niederreiter.

File photo.

The Portland Winterhawks (48-18-0-3) scored goals on their first three shots of the game en route to a 5-3 win over the visiting Vancouver Giants (33-31-1-4, 99 points) in a Western Hockey League game before 7,133 fans Wednesday at the Rose Garden.

The win gives the Winterhawks 99 points on the season, as they remain first in the Western Conference, one point ahead of the Spokane Chiefs (46-17-4-2, 98 points), who beat Chilliwack 2-1 in a shootout Wednesday. The Chiefs fired off 79 shots in the game, causing Chilliwack goaltender Lucas Gore to make 78 saves before missing both shootout attempts.

Portland and Vancouver combined for 62 shots on goal.

Spokane and Portland, both play twice before meeting Sunday at the Rose Garden in the regular-season finale for both teams.

The Winterhawks opened the scoring against Vancouver just 55 seconds into the game on a goal by defenseman Troy Rutkowski, then made it 2-0 at the 5:36 mark on the 38th goal of the season by Ryan Johansen, after which Vancouver replaced starting netminder Mark Segal with Brendan Jensen.

Just under three minutes following Johansen’s goal, the Winterhawks scored their third goal on their third shot of the game when Seth Swenson beat Jensen for his third goal of the season, giving the Hawks a 3-0 lead they’d take into the second period.

Portland kept up the pressure in the second period, with Brad Ross scoring 3:31 into the period with a goal at the doorstep, his 30th of the season, to make it 4-0.

But the Giants fought back and scored three straight to get back into the game. They got on the board at the 4:26 mark when Nathan Burns scored on a wraparound, then scored again at the 13:12 mark when a shot by James Henry got through a crowd and past Portland goaltender Keith Hamilton to make it 4-2. The Giants pulled to within one at the 17:21 mark when Greg Lamoureux scored off a faceoff to cut the Hawks’ lead 4-3 going into the third period.

The game remained tight through the third period, and at the 14:20 mark Riley Boychuk scored a highlight-reel goal when the puck came to him in the crease and he scored with a between-the-legs shot to give the Hawks a 5-3 lead, a score that would stand as the final.

The Winterhawks will close out the regular season with three games in three nights this weekend, beginning Friday at home at the Rose Garden against the Everett Silvertips at 7 p.m. followed by a road game Saturday in Seattle. They finish up Sunday at home against Spokane in a game that could decide first overall in the Western Conference at 5 p.m. at the Rose Garden.

NINO'S STRONG WEEK GETS CHL ATTENTION, March 9, 2011

Nino Niederreiter, star forward for the Portland Winterhawks, received the highest weekly honor bestowed by the Canadian Hockey League Tuesday when it named him Player of the Week.

Niederreiter scored seven goals and added two assists for nine points in four games for the week that ended Sunday.  

Niederreiter opened the week with two straight multi-point games including a first star performance with two goals and two assists in a 6-5 win over the Tri-City Americans on Tuesday.  He followed that up with his second hat-trick of the season on Friday as third star of a 9-1 win over the Seattle Thunderbirds.  He finished the week with a goal in each of the last two contests including one in a 5-0 win over the Vancouver Giants on Saturday where he was named first star of the game, and added another goal on Sunday despite the Hawks losing 6-2 loss to the Chilliwack Bruins.

Niederreiter, an 18-year-old from Chur, Switzerland, is playing in his second WHL season with the Winterhawks and has collected 61 points in 49 games this season.  He was a first-round selection of the New York Islanders in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft chosen fifth overall.

The CHL Player of the Week is selected from players among the three major junior hockey leagues: the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League and Quebeck Major Junior Hockey League.

2010-11 CHL Players of the Week
Feb. 28 – Mar. 6: Nino Niederreiter, Portland Winterhawks
Feb. 21 – Feb. 27: Taylor Beck, Guelph Storm
Feb. 14 – Feb. 20: Mark Stone, Brandon Wheat Kings
Feb. 7 – Feb. 13: Quinton Howden, Moose Jaw Warriors
Jan. 31 – Feb. 6: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Red Deer Rebels
Jan. 24 – Jan. 30: Cody Lindsay, Ottawa 67’s
Jan. 17 – Jan. 23: Tyler Johnson, Spokane Chiefs
Jan. 10 – Jan. 16: Sean Couturier, Drummondville Voltigeurs
Jan. 3 – Jan. 9: Zach O’Brien, Acadie-Bathurst Titan
Dec. 27 – Jan. 2: Joey Hishon, Owen Sound Attack
Dec. 13 – Dec. 19: Jonathan Parker, Prince Albert Raiders
Dec. 6 – Dec. 12: Cody Eakin, Swift Current Broncos
Nov. 29 – Dec. 5: Charles Hudon, Chicoutimi Saguenéens
Nov. 22 – Nov. 28: Zack Phillips, Saint John Sea Dogs
Nov. 15 – Nov. 21: Christian Thomas, Oshawa Generals
Nov. 8 – Nov. 14: Brendan Ranford, Kamloops Blazers
Nov. 1 – Nov. 7: Jason Akeson, Kitchener Rangers
Oct. 25 – Oct. 31: Andrej Kudrna, Red Deer Rebels
Oct. 18 – Oct. 24: Michaël Bournival, Shawinigan Cataractes
Oct. 11 – Oct. 17: Sena Acolatse, Prince George Cougars
Oct. 4 – Oct. 10: Nathan Moon, Kingston Frontenacs
Sept. 27 – Oct. 3: Brandon Hynes, Victoriaville Tigres
Sept. 23 – Sept. 26: Alex Aleardi, Plymouth Whalers