PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Kootenay Ice exploded for five goals in a huge second period in their Western Hockey League final game against Portland.
Good thing, too, as the Winterhawks were far from finished.
Kevin King and Matt Fraser each scored twice as the Ice hung for a wild 7-5 victory over the Winterhawks in Game 2 of the WHL final Saturday.
The series is even at one game apiece, with Games 3 and 4 coming Tuesday and Wednesday in Cranbrook, B.C.
Kootenay led 6-1 with 5:28 left in the second period, but Portland scored four unanswered goals to draw within one with 11:46 to play in regulation.
The Ice, however, were able to keep their cool and escape with the victory. Kevin King scored an empty-net goal with 10 seconds left to cap the scoring.
"We knew Portland wasn't going to go away," said Kootenay head coach Kris Knoblauch. "They came out strong in the third period and we got away from our game plan, but we got the win we came here for."
Fraser helped Kootenay build a 2-1 lead early in the second period, but left the game with an apparent left leg injury in a collision that resulted in a four-minute penalty for Portland's Brad Ross. Ross was also injured on the play and didn't return.
That's when the floodgates -- and the penalty box gate -- opened wide.
Over the next nine minutes, Portland was whistled for two major penalties and two minor penalties that gave the Ice a seemingly endless power play.
"We took 18 penalty minutes in a row," said Portland coach Mike Johnston. "I've never seen that. I've coached 25 years and never seen that many calls in a row on one team."
The Ice scored four times on the extended man advantage, including two 5-on-3 goals. Max Reinhart, Cody Eakin, Steele Boomer and King each scored for Kootenay.
After Ross's double-minor, Portland's Tayler Jordan was hit with a major penalty and game misconduct 23 seconds later for checking Boomer from behind. Eight minutes later, Riley Boychuk drew an elbowing major for dropping the Ice's Hayden Rintoul by the Kootenay net.
Sven Bartschi scored a short-handed goal for Portland to draw the Winterhawks within 6-2 after two periods.
Kootenay outshot Portland 27-7 in the period. Winterhawks goaltender Mac Carruth was lifted for Keith Hamilton after the sixth Ice goal. Carruth made 25 saves while Hamilton stopped all 13 shots he faced in relief.
Bartschi kicked off the comeback effort for Portland in the third periiod, scoring his second of the game on the power play 6:12 in.
"We felt that we had to get that first goal in the third," said Johnston. "With the crowd behind us, you never know what can happen at that point. We had them on their heels."
Taylor Peters and Joe Morrow scored 13 seconds apart two minutes after Bartschi's goal to ignite the sellout crowd of 10,947 at the Rose Garden.
"This is one of the loudest places I've played," said Kootenay's Eakin, who played in this year's world junior championship in Buffalo, N.Y.
"Portland fed off them in the third period. It will be nice to go back to our arena and get that from our fans."
Despite a late flurry, Portland could not get the equalizer. Knoblauch praised his team's focus down the stretch in the raucous atmosphere.
"Our players were very focused and knew what was at stake," he said.
"I just reminded them they needed to have a few more good shifts to get through this."
The Winterhawks fired 27 shots at Kootenay goaltender Nathan Lieuwen in the period. Lieuwen finished with 39 saves overall.
Lieuwen also denied Bartschi on a penalty shot to keep the score tied 1-1 early in the second period.
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