Blazers prepare for Portland in second round of WHL playoffs starting Friday

The Blazers managed just one win in four tries against Portland during the regular season — 5-1 on home ice on February 1. That’s significant because that was the only game these two teams played after the blockbuster deal that brought Ryan Hofer and Olen Zellweger to the Blazers.

“That last game after the deadline there, that was huge,” Blazers’ captain Logan Stankoven says. “Having Hofe and Zelly in the lineup, that was our solidified team.”

“I’ve played against them lots, so I kind of know how they’re going to play,” Hofer, who scored five goals in four games against the Giants, says. “They’ve got lots of speed and skill. We’ve got lots of heavy guys who can play fast as well, with that skill. I think we’ve got to play hard and it’ll be a good test for us.”

Along with the familiarity that Hofer and Zellweger have with the Winterhawks, the Blazers have a man who has seen that club from the inside.

“Obviously [Don Hay] has a lot of wisdom,” Stankoven says. “He knows that team pretty well over there. Definitely helps to have a guy like that. He can give us some inside info on some of their guys.”

Hay spent three seasons coaching with Head Coach Mike Johnston in Portland. He’s expecting some high-intensity, high offence hockey when these two teams get Round Two underway.

“[Johnston] likes his teams to play a certain way, which is fast, and the ability to make plays. They really push the pace and try to create offence,” Hay says. “Mike’s had success for a lot of years here. His team plays like he wants them to, so it’s going to be up to us to force them out of that comfort zone and make them defend and play our way.”

For Clouston, this is going to be a clash of two very good hockey clubs.

“You’ve got two teams that are built slightly differently, but play slightly differently in different areas of the rink,” Clouston says. “The key is going to be can we get to the top of our game and maintain that longer than the other team.”

by Adam Donnelly

Blazers prepare for Portland in second round of WHL playoffs starting Friday

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