October 9, 2026 | Home | Winterhawks Record: 3-2-0-0
The Numbers
Goals: Winterhawks 4, Wild 1
Shots: Winterhawks 40, Wild 21
Power Play: Winterhawks 0/3, Wild 1/6
Penalty Kill: Winterhawks 5/6, Wild 3/3
Faceoffs: Winterhawks 33, Wild 29
Three Stars: Kyle McDonough (POR) | Trevor Toyne (POR) | Jordin St. Louis (POR)
The Game
After a rough back-to-back against the Chiefs last weekend, the Winterhawks bounced back with a dominant 4-1 win over Wenatchee. They came out working the neutral zone, took advantage of a passive Wild defense, and had possession in the offensive zone for most of the night.
The story starts with how little the Wild contested the neutral zone. They played a passive 2-3 and backed their defensemen off at their own blue line way too early. That gave Portland extra time to make decisions, catch pucks, and complete passes, which turned into clean zone entries and a lot of O-zone time. For long stretches, this was a one-way game.
Portland opened the scoring at 6:10. Trevor Toyne scored his first WHL goal off a 2-on-1 rush with a trailing backchecker. Luke Wilfley slid a cross-crease feed over, and with Tobias Tvrznik caught trying to push across, Toyne buried it into an almost wide-open net. Nathan Brown picked up the second assist.
Wenatchee got one back on the power play at 11:53. After spending about half the man advantage just trying to get set in the zone, they scored off a broken play from the corner, Kayden Longley to Kalen Miles in front, with Rui Han on the secondary assist. 1-1.
It did not stay tied long. A Wild player blew a tire at the blue line, Portland went the other way 2-on-1 shorthanded, and David Hoy buried a clean shot from the middle of the right circle at 13:29, with Wilfley assisting. Then Jake Gustafson won a battle behind the net and found Kyle McDonough parked in front, who scored in his season debut at 16:09. 3-1 after one.
Jordin St. Louis would make it 4-1 just 2:23 into the 2nd, forechecking, stealing the puck off a Wild defenseman, and finishing far side, unassisted. From there the game got chippy, including a Nathan Brown fight, but the result was never really in doubt.
The Turning Point:
The shorthanded goal. Whatever momentum the Wild built off their power play goal got stripped away just 1:36 later. They were already chasing the game, and after Hoy's shorthanded answer, the Winterhawks just kept control the rest of the way.
What Worked and What Didn't
With the Puck
This was the cleanest Portland has looked moving the puck. Because the Wild sat back in that passive neutral zone setup, the Winterhawks had extra time to make decisions on their passes and catch pucks, which led to cleaner offensive zone entries and sustained pressure. The goals came in different ways too: off the rush, shorthanded on the 2-on-1, off a battle behind the net to the front, and off a forecheck steal.
The power play is still a major issue. Portland went 0-for-3 on the night and is now just 1-for-15 on the season. For a team getting this many chances, they need to start capitalizing.
Without the Puck
The penalty kill was the strength. Portland did a good job denying zone entries, and even on the kills the Wild had a really hard time setting up at all. The defense was solid all around, including on a 5-on-3, with the penalty killers laying the body on the line and keeping their sticks in the passing lanes. A very solid night from the PK group.
The one thing to clean up is the penalties themselves. Portland spent too much time in the box, and even in a dominant win that is the habit that bites you against better teams.
The 3rd was a chippy, penalty-filled grind. Portland took their foot off the gas a bit and sat back to play with the lead. The Wild tried to make a push, but they were plagued by bobbled pucks and missed passes. It was a rough watch for them.
Between the Pipes
Ondřej Štěbeták: 7/10
Solid night, with one caveat that comes with being on the good side of a lopsided game. Early on he had trouble staying in it, because Portland was dominating the O-zone so much that he barely saw a shot. The goal against almost caught him off guard, like he was cold from the lack of work.
What stood out: As the shot volume picked up a little later, he settled in and stayed solid. The one thing I would have liked is cleaner rebound control.
The big save: He made some strong stops on grade-A chances in the 2nd once the Wild got a few looks.
The goals against: The lone goal was the broken play from the corner on the Wild power play, and it beat him almost before he was set. His defense bailed him out a couple of times too, coming in to block a shot or break up the puck after he made a good initial save but ended up well out of position.
At the other end, Tobias Tvrznik gets a 6/10. His first period was rough, mostly because his team left him out to dry on a lot of early high-danger looks that seemed to catch the whole Wild group off guard. He stayed structured in his crease, but when he came out to challenge he was often off angle, and that is how most of the goals beat him. His rebound control was a strength, swallowing up a lot of pucks, and when he did cough one up his defense collapsed into the slot to clear it.
The Standouts
The penalty kill group: No individual standouts tonight, because the effort was pretty even across the board, with all four goals scored by a different Winterhawk. If anyone earned it, it was the PK as a unit. They denied zone entries, made the Wild work just to set up, and blocked shots and kept sticks in lanes, including on the 5-on-3.
What It Means
The encouraging part is the response. After the Spokane weekend, Portland came out and played a complete, controlling game against a team that simply could not match them through the neutral zone.
The issues that still need addressing are connected, and they are about special teams and discipline. The Winterhawks are taking too many penalties, and when they do draw power plays of their own, they are having trouble capitalizing. Clean up the trips to the box and start burying the man advantage, and this is a team that can compete against anybody when it plays like it did tonight.
Looking Ahead
Next: Kamloops Blazers
October 12, 2026 | Sandman Centre, Kamloops
I'm watching whether they can keep up the solid neutral zone passing and clean offensive zone entries. Last time they played the Blazers they excelled in the neutral zone, so I want to see them carry that into this one.
Final Thought
The Winterhawks took advantage of a very passive Wild defense and used it to their advantage all night, keeping offensive zone control in a strong bounce-back win. But with the power play troubles and staying out of the box, those are the stories to watch going forward. The question is whether they can keep this up while cleaning up the discipline and finally cashing in on the power play.
Be curious.
