PORTLAND, Ore. - Even without three of their top players, the Portland Winterhawks keep on rolling through the Western Hockey League.
Paul Bittner scored two third-period goals to break a tie and lead the Winterhawks to a 5-3 win over the Everett Silvertips on Saturday.
Portland has won 10 games in a row, including all eight played without stars Seth Jones, Ty Rattie and Tyler Wotherspoon, who have all been competing at the world junior championship in Russia.
Brendan Leipsic and Nicolas Petan each added a goal and two assists for Portland (33-5-1), while Troy Rutkowski scored the other.
Logan Aasman scored his first WHL goal for Everett (16-24-2), which also got goals from Manraj Hayer and Joshua Winquist.
Hayer scored shorthanded in the first period to give the Silvertips a short-lived early lead.
Rutkowski answered 37 seconds later on the power play, then Petan scored another power-play goal to put Portland up 2-1 through one period.
The Silvertips reclaimed the lead with goals by Winquist and Aasman 50 seconds apart in the second period, but Leipsic answered to tie the game after 40 minutes of play.
Bittner's game-winner came just 2:07 into the third period, and he added an insurance goal with 2:08 remaining in regulation. A rookie from Crookston, Minn., Bittner has scored five goals in his last three games to give him seven for the season.
Brendan Burke made 23 saves to earn the victory in net for Portland as Austin Lotz stopped 32 shots in defeat.
Portland finished 2 for 3 with the man advantage while the Silvertips went scoreless on three opportunities.
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