The host Portland Winterhawks used a lethal power play, scoring on three of their five odd-man opportunities, and the 39-save goaltending of Ondrej Stebetak to defeat the Victoria Royals 5-3 in a Western Hockey League game played in front of 4,312 fans Friday night at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
The Royals overcame a 2-0 deficit in the first period as rookie Czech-import Simon Pohludka’s second goal of the season and veteran Teydon Trembecky’s first of the season tied it 2-2 before the break.
Sixteen-year-old rookie Nolan Stewart’s second goal of the season gave Victoria the lead early in the second period before Tyson Jugnauth levelled for Portland at 5:45.
There is an adage in hockey that goals allowed in the first and last minutes of periods are back-breakers. The Royals suffered both as Ryan Miller scored for Portland at 19:52 of the second period and Carsyn Dyck at 35 seconds of the third period.
Jayden Kraus made 17 saves in goal for Victoria to Stebetak’s 39 for Portland.
The Winterhawks moved to 3-1 while Victoria fell to 3-1-1.
The game was a reprise of the last season’s first-round playoff series between the clubs, won in a four-game sweep by the Winterhawks, on their way to the 2024 WHL final.
The Royals are in Wenatchee, Washington, tonight to play the Wild (2-1-1). It will be the first in a trifecta of consecutive games against the Wild, continuing next Friday and Saturday at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
