PORTLAND 2
VICTORIA 1 (OT)
It wasn鈥檛 exactly a presidential-level performance on Presidents Day in the U.S.
But the Portland Winterhawks still showed enough in a 2-1 overtime WHL victory Monday against the visiting Victoria Royals before 6,723 fans at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
鈥淲e had all kinds of opportunities early on, but we allowed Portland to stick around,鈥� said Victoria head coach Dave Lowry.
Portland鈥檚 intriguing rookie defenceman Caleb Jones, brother of NHLer and former Winterhawks great Seth Jones, scored the winner at 1:13 of three-on-three overtime. The younger Jones, selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2015 NHL draft out of the U.S. Under-18 team, has nine goals and 44 points in 57 games.
The result came after Victoria鈥檚 franchise-record winning streak ended at 11 games in a 4-2 loss Sunday against the Seattle Thunderbirds in Kent, Washington. The loss in Kent also halted a franchise-record-tying run of 14 consecutive games in which Victoria earned at least one point.
Six-foot-two winger Keegan Kolesar, a third-round 2015 NHL draft pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets, led Seattle with three goals as the Thunderbirds swept the season series 4-0. Tyler Soy and Dante Hannoun, the latter on the power play, scored the goals for Victoria in Kent.
Meanwhile, it鈥檚 been a relatively understated season by Winterhawks standards (29-25-3). Victoria (37-16-6) won the season series 3-0-1 but Portland showed Monday it still has some arrows left in its quiver.
Ryan Peckford of the Royals opened the scoring at 6:29 of the first period before captain Dominic Turgeon levelled for Portland at 13:45 of the second period. It was left to Jones to decide matters in extra time.
Rookie Victoria goaltender Griffen Outhouse, who blanked Everett 3-0 on Saturday night before veteran Coleman Vollrath started Sunday against Seattle, made 24 saves in Portland. Adin Hill made 29 saves for the Winterhawks.
Both the Victoria and Portland power plays went 0-2.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 play our brand of hockey long enough today,鈥� said Lowry.
It was Victoria鈥檚 third game against an American Division opponent in as many days and Lowry admitted creeping tiredness may have played a role in Portland.
鈥淚t was a quick turnaround and, yes, 100 per cent, fatigue was a factor,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e have to keep everything in perspective. You never make excuses. But our guys have played a lot of hard hockey. At some point, it catches up with you.鈥�
Victoria concludes its four-games-in-five-days road trip Wednesday in Vancouver against the Giants. The Royals return to Blanshard for a two-game set Friday and Saturday at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre against the Kamloops Blazers.
