Winterhawks soar past Hitmen
The Calgary Hitmen deserve a bit of a breather.
After all, they have played four of the top 10 ranked teams in the Canadian Hockey League over the past nine days.
After dropping a 2-1 shootout decision to the sixth-ranked Swift Current Broncos on the road on Saturday, the Hitmen returned home to face the Portland Winterhawks, who climbed up from fifth to fourth in the rankings, on Wednesday.
Kieffer Bellows had two goals and an assist to lead the Winterhawks (17-4-0) to a 7-3 win over the Hitmen in front of 5,272 fans at the Scotiabank Saddledome, while his linemate Cody Glass scored once and set up two others. Both players are first-round NHL draft picks as the New York Islanders took Bellows 19th overall in 2016, while the Vegas Golden Knights used their first-ever selection to take Glass sixth overall last June.
SkylarMcKenzie,thethirdmember of Portland’s high-powered top line, had a goal and an assist, while Jake Gricius, Bronson Sharp and Joachim Blichfeld also scored.
Goalie Cole Kehler made 23 saves to pick up his 15th win of the season and Portland’s eighth victory in a row.
Orca Wiesblatt had a goal and an assist for the Hitmen (6-14-4), who trailed 3-0 after the first period and 7-2 after the second. Tristen Nielsen and Matteo Gennaro also scored.
Hitmen goalie Nick Schneider, who stopped 24 of 25 shots he faced against the Broncos four days earlier, finished with 21 saves through two periods of action on Wednesday.
Rookie netminder Matthew Armitage then stopped all nine shots he faced in a relief appearance.
The Hitmen now hope the Winterhawks do them a favour by beating the Red Deer Rebels (9-14-1) on Friday as they play the third of six straight road games, all against Central Division opponents.
The Hitmen will then play host to those same Rebels on Saturday afternoon (1:30 p.m., Sportsnet 960 The Fan) before they get a five-day break in their schedule.
Despite going 0-4-3 in their past seven games, the Hitmen are only three points out of third place in the Central Division.
After beating the Lethbridge Hurricanes 6-3 at home Nov. 4, the Hitmen lost both ends of a homeand-home series to the Central Division-leading Medicine Hat Tigers (4-2 at home and 4-3 in overtime on the road), who were listed as an honourable mention in latest CHL top 10 rankings.
Calgary then dropped a 6-5 overtime decision to the 10th-ranked Brandon Wheat Kings before being edged 4-3 by the Regina Pats (not ranked, but they’re hosting the 100th Memorial Cup in May).
The Hitmen then lost 5-2 to the second-ranked Moose Jaw Warriors on Friday before wrapping up their treacherous five-game road trip with the shootout loss to the Broncos on Saturday. Hit Parade: Including Wednesday’s affair, the Hitmen were scheduled to play seven of eight games and eight of 10 at the ’Dome prior to their holiday break. … After hosting the Rebels on Saturday, the Hitmen will have six days to prepare for their net game, also at the ’Dome, against the Prince Albert Raiders on Dec. 1. … On Thursday, the Hitmen will showcase the Memorial Cup at the Royal Canadian Legion North Calgary Branch No. 264 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. As part of the CHL’s 100th MasterCard Memorial Cup celebration, the trophy will also be at the ’Dome on Saturday. Included will be a special pre-game ceremony involving military veterans and a photo opportunity for fans with the cup on the concourse behind section 223.