Fri May 02 04:40:00 UTC 2025: ## Winterhawks Face Elimination, Down 3-0 in Conference Championship Series
**Portland, OR** – The Portland Winterhawks are on the brink of elimination, trailing the Spokane Chiefs 3-0 in the best-of-seven Western Conference Championship series. Despite scoring five goals in Game 3 at home Wednesday night, the Winterhawks couldn’t contain the Chiefs’ potent offense, which saw eight different players score in an 8-5 victory.
Josh Zakreski and Diego Buttazzoni led the Winterhawks’ attack with two goals and an assist each. Captain Kyle Chyzowski contributed two assists, as the top line combined for eight points. Buttazzoni’s performance also saw him break a franchise record for power-play goals in a single postseason with nine.
Despite the daunting 3-0 deficit, the Winterhawks have a history of overcoming adversity in this year’s playoffs, having won two Game 7s on the road in previous rounds. They’ll need to tap into that experience as they face a crucial Game 4 at home Thursday at 7:00 PM at Veterans Memorial Coliseum. A win would force a Game 5 back in Portland on Saturday.
The team will be wearing their red jerseys for the home games and are encouraging fans to participate in a “Red Out” at the VMC. Tickets are still available. The games are also available to stream on Victory+.
First Piper 