Winterhawks take game 5 in WHL playoff series with last-minute goal

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — It sure looked like the Winterhawks were headed the fourth overtime in five games of their WHL western conference semifinal series against Everett.

Tied at 3, Hudson Darby had the game-winning deflection with exactly 60 seconds to go to lift the Hawks over Everett, 4-3. The Winterhawks now lead the series 3-2 and can lock up a second straight trip to the western conference finals with a win at home on Saturday.

It was a back-and-forth affair overall, as all game Portland would score, and Everett would always answer the call.

The Winterhawks first scored 7:07 in the first on a Josh Zakreski goal. The left wing picked up where he left off, as he scored the game-winning goal in overtime in game 4 on Wednesday. Everett would tie it up less than four minutes later, and the teams would head into the second period tied at 1.

Speaking of picking up where he left off, Kyle Chyzowski had a hat trick against Everett on Wednesday. He would score next at the 14:10 mark in the 2nd, but once again the Silvertips struck back and scored a goal less than two minutes later. Once again, the clubs headed into the third period tied, this time at two.

Alex Weiermair would give the Hawks a lead just thirty seconds into the third, but Everett tied it up once more before Darby’s game-winner.

This is an improbable run by the fifth-seeded Winterhawks, as they came into this series as a heavy underdog. Everett, the #1 seed, had only lost twelve games all regular season.

The Winterhawks play on Saturday at 6 PM at Veterans Memorial Coliseum. If they win that game, they advance to the western conference finals. If they lose, they will return to Everett for a winner-take-all game on Tuesday at 7 PM.