Rattie Leads Portland to 5-4 Win Over Ams in Game Two
Ty Rattie of the Portland Winterhawks scored the game winning shorthanded goal at 7:58 of overtime as Portland beat the Tri-City Americans 5-4 for the second straight night to take a two games to none lead in the best of seven WHL Western Conference finals.
The game winning goal completed a hat trick on the night for Rattie, who leads the WHL in playoff scoring with 16 goals. On the game winning play, Rattie chipped the puck past a pinching Justin Feser at the point, sending he and Sven Bartschi out on a 2-on-1 chance. Rattie kept the puck and beat Americans goalie Ty Rimmer for the winner. Derek Pouliot of the Winterhawks was in the penalty box for a slash, setting up the Americans power play and Rattie's dramatics.
Rattie had tied the game with his second goal of the night on a Winterhawks power play with 1:53 left in regulation. Rattie put a rebound past Rimmer to set up overtime.
The Americans had two separate two goal leads in this game, at both 3-1 and 4-2, but couldn't maintain the advantages. Justin Feser's goal at 4:52 of the third, his fourth of the playoffs, gave the Ams that 4-2 lead, but Joey Baker of Portland scored his first goal of the playoffs on a rebound in front at the 9:55 mark of ther 3rd before Rattie tied it.
Jordan Messier opened the scoring with his first playoff goal at the 4:27 mark of the first on an Ams power play. The Americans made it 2-0 on Adam Hughesman's 7th at the 8:50 mark before Rattie's first of the night on a 5 on 3 power play at the 13:39 mark made it 2-1 after the first twenty minutes.
Patrick Holland's power play goal :46 into the second, his sixth of the playoffs made it 3-1 Ams. Portland's Brad Ross scored his tenth at the 13:01 mark to make it 3-2.
Derek Pouliot had four assists for Portland, while Brendan Shinnimin's two assists for the Ams stretched his point scoring streak to 36 games, dating back to February 3rd. Shinnimin now has 81 points in those thirty-six games. Brad Ross had a goal and an assist for the Winterhawks and Joe Morrow had two assists.
The Americans finished 2-7 on the power play and the Winterhawks were 2-4. Rimmer made 43 saves on 48 shots faced and Portland's Mac Carruth made 34 saves on the 38 shots he faced.
Games three and four will be Wednesday and Thursday night in Portland's Rose Garden.