SPOKANE, Wash. -- The Portland Winterhawks proved to be too much for the tiring Spokane Chiefs.
Troy Rutkowski's goal at 5:22 of the third period broke a 3-3 tie and lifted the Winterhawks to a 6-3 victory Monday to wrap up their best-of-seven Western Conference final against the Chiefs in Western Hockey League action.
Craig Cunningham and Sven Bartschi both had a goal and two assists for Portland, while Ty Rattie, Ryan Johansen and Nino Niederreiter all scored and added an assist as the Winterhawks finished off the Chiefs in six games.
"We give (Spokane) a lot of credit for the way they played all season," Cunningham said. "If there's a team that plays their system to a 'T', it's those guys. Tonight they looked tired. When you work that hard all year long and know you've kind of got to play your (top) four D (defencemen), I thought we kept coming at them in waves."
The Winterhawks will take on the Kootenay Ice in the WHL final. Game 1 is Friday in Portland.
Marek Kalus, Levko Koper and Mike Aviani supplied the offence for Spokane.
Mac Carruth made 24 saves for the Winterhawks, while James Reid stopped 32 shots.
Portland won three one-goal games before breaking this one open in the third period, with Rattie scoring at 14:07 and Niederreiter connecting with less than three minutes to play.
"Their big guns got it done," Spokane coach Don Nachbaur said. "Their high-end guys were the backbreakers against us in this series. ... It's a tough one. You always feel comfortable if you lose if you pour out your passion and lay it on the line. I don't think we did that. I think that's what hurt us."
The Chiefs got off to a quick start with Kalus depositing a rebound from an Anthony Bardaro shot past Carruth 2:32 into the game.
For all it was worth, the Chiefs scored first in every game, usually a sign of success.
Exactly a minute later, Aviani knocked in a free puck. Dominik Uher had kept the puck alive in the corner but Winterhawks defenceman Collin Valcourt poked it free to Carruth, who couldn't cover it up.
Portland countered with a gift goal by Bartschi at 8:17. Corbin Baldwin blocked Cunningham's shot from the right circle but the puck bounced high in the air and Bartschi skated into it, deflecting it in with his chest.
There was a third straight reviewed goal, this one disallowed, at 17:06 when it was determined that Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Brad Ross kicked the puck past Spokane goalie James Reid.
Portland continued with the pressure in the second period with Johansen, who scored in five of the games to earn MVP honours, found a loose puck out front and placing it just under the crossbar with Reid sitting down to tie the game at 9:38.
"They played strong, they make you make mistakes and they capitalize on those mistakes," Nachbaur said. "That's not the way we played all year long. We got pucks to the net all year long but tonight we chose to make plays. We're not that type of team. That's why we lost."
Just 50 seconds later it was Cunningham picking up a loose puck and spinning around to slide a backhand just inside the post.
That seemed to suck the life out of the Chiefs until late in the third period. They finally broke through when Koper, after getting clobbered in front of the net, got up just in time to snag the rebound of a Brenden Kitchton shot and flipped it in to tie the game 3-3.
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