PORTLAND, Ore. - The Portland Winterhawks scored three goals in less than two minutes late in the third period to break a tie and skate away with a 5-2 win over the visiting Spokane Chiefs in Western Hockey League action on Friday.
Portland has won a season-high 13 consecutive games, which is two short of the franchise record set in 1997-98.
Troy Rutkowski had a goal and two assists to lead the Winterhawks (36-5-1), who trailed 2-1 after 40 minutes of play, while Chase De Leo, Presten Kopeck, Brendan Leipsic and Nicolas Petan also scored.
Todd Fiddler and Brenden Kichton scored for the Chiefs (27-14-1), who had a three-game winning streak broken.
Petan and Kichton traded goals in a first period that ended in a 1-1 tie.
Fiddler scored on a rebound at the 5:14 mark of the second period to give the Chiefs their only lead of the game.
The game stayed 2-1 Spokane until De Leo banked the puck off Chiefs' defenceman Cole Wedman and past goaltender Garret Hughson from behind the net to make it 2-2 with just over 13 minutes left in regulation.
Leipsic scored on the power play with 4:54 to play, Kopeck redirected a Rutkowski shot into the net 17 seconds later and Rutkowski added an insurance goal with 3:15 left in regulation.
Mac Carruth improved to 20-2-0 on the season by making 24 saves as Hughson stopped 36 shots in defeat.
Portland went 1 for 6 on the power play while Spokane went 1 for 4.
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