WHL Championship series: Seven questions to ask ahead of Monday’s seventh game

Seven things to ponder as Portland and Edmonton prepare to play out the final game of the Western Hockey League season Monday night...

No. 1 - How did we even make it to the seventh game?

Good question.

For those that haven't been patiently following the series, it may be difficult to explain just how unlikely the seventh game has been. The Winterhawks were dominant in the first two games of the series and, in Game 3, took a 2-0 lead within four minutes. But the next three-and-a-half games were all Edmonton: the Oil Kings rallied in Game 3 to win 3-2, Tristan Jarry shut out Portland in Game 4 and the Albertan side eked out a close Game 5 win. The Oil Kings then jumped out to a 3-0 lead in Game 6, at home, with a chance to take the series.

But it was the Winterhawks turn to rally. With Oil Kings forward Brett Pollock already in the box for tripping, Henrik Samuelsson took a two-minute high sticking minor drawn by Portland's Brendan Leipsic, giving the Winterhawks a two-man advantage. Their powerplay to that point in the series had been cold, but Mat Dumba unloaded on a slapper from the point to get Portland on the board. Dumba scored his second powerplay goal of the night after Edmonton took a 5-2 lead going into the third period but the Winterhawks were able to tie it up. Young Keegan Iverson ended the classic, scoring the overtime winner to force a seventh game back in Portland.

No. 2 - How good has Tristan Jarry been?

Going into Game 4, Portland had scored a goal in 247 consecutive games, a streak dating back to December 11 of 2011. Not only did the Edmonton Oil Kings goaltender shut the Winterhawks out in that game, but Portland hadn't scored in the final 56:30 of the third game. Despite Jarry's poor performance in Game 6, allowing 6 goals on 41 shots, in the first five games the Pittsburgh Penguins prospect put up a .929 save percentage, including a shutout streak that lasted 132:08.

It hasn't entirely been the defence that's kept Portland off the scoresheet. Jarry, alone, is probably the reason Oliver Bjorkstrand and Taylor Leier have yet to score this series, turning away multiple Grade-A opportunities from either forward. There was a brief stretch the Oil Kings goaltender looked completely unconscious, but also effortless. He didn't have to make too many acrobatic saves, simply got in the right positions and let pucks hit him, spilling very few rebounds.

No. 3 - Where has Nicolas Petan gone?

During the regular season, the Portland Winterhawks scored 335 goals, with Bjorkstrand (50 goals), Leier (37 goals) and Nicolas Petan (35 goals) accounting for more than a third of the overall production of the club.

This series though, all three players have been held off the scoresheet, with the offence coming from more unlikely sources. Defenceman and Minnesota Wild prospect Dumba not only scored twice in Game 6 for the Winterhawks, and has actually led the team with five goals in the six game series so far.

So where's all that offence going? The best two players in the series for Edmonton have possibly been their top defensive pairing of Ashton Saunter and Griffin Reinhart. The two have matched up often against Petan's unit with Paul Bittner and Brendan Leipsic, and short of Bittner's red-hot start to the series, that line has been invisible. Dysin Mayo and Cody Corbett have done an admirable job against the Winterhawks other dangerous line with Leier, Bjorkstrand, and Chase De Leo, but that line has been getting its chances and very noticeable in the offensive zone.

No. 4 - Who's getting the scoring done for Edmonton?

Surprisingly, the Oil Kings have been out-scored 16-18 in this series, even though all the talk has been about Portland's top guns shooting blanks. Phoenix prospect Samuelsson has scored in each game but the fourth, and scored twice in Game 6 to lead the series with six goals to his person. The most dangerous-looking Oil Kings forward, however, has been Edgars Kulda, who has done a great job moving the puck to the slot from the perimeter. He's had four goals on the series and three in the last two games.

But other than that, the Oil Kings have yet to get much from Pollock, who was leading the team in playoff scoring coming in, or Ottawa Senators first rounder Curtis Lazar. Also missing in action has been Oilers 2012 second rounder Mitch Moroz, who was in the right place at the right time for a big goal in Game 4, but along with Lazar and Pollock has not only scored a single goal on offence, but has looked suspect defensively.

No. 5 - Who starts Game 7 for Portland?

Probably the most pertinent question of the bunch, actually. Former Brandon Wheat King and Lethbridge Hurricane Corbin Boes was brought on to give Portland starter Brendan Burke a veteran backup behind him, but Boes wound up taking Burke's job in the second game of the Western Conference final. Boes was very good in his playoff run, going 6-3 with a .929 save percentage, but did not look good in the early going of Game 6, yanked after allowing 7 goals on 10 first period shots.

Burke was good the rest of the way, and looked like a fresh goaltender who had already established a rhythm despite having gone nearly a month without facing a puck, stopping 28 of 30. Now, Portland coach Mike Johnston has a tough decision to make for the seventh game. Burke earned the 'W' in the sixth game, but Boes had a big hand in shutting down the Oil Kings and getting the Winterhawks to where they are.

Johnston has yet to tell the media who he'll go with, but perhaps Boes has found another way to contribute. Dumba told reporters post-game that the overage goaltender gave a moving speech during the second intermission of Sunday's game that helped Portland come back from a three-goal deficit.

No. 6 - Who could break out in Game 7 and be the unlikely hero?

In the first two games of the series, Portland's USA Kid line of Iverson with Dominic Turgeon and Alex Schoenborn looked plenty dangerous, but have been quiet since (although Iverson did score the winner Sunday night). Schoenborn has probably been the second most-dangerous player on the line and has had a number of chances turned away by Jarry. Johnston has cut his bench, giving his fourth line ice time in only rare occasions, so the top nine will have to do it for Portland.

The Oil Kings, meanwhile, have got some great shifts in the last few games from their third line of Luke Bertolucci, Mads Eller and Riley Kieser. Eller in particular has looked sharp and has played very well in both ends, but has just two assists for his troubles. The speedy Bertolucci is listed at 5'8" and scored just six goals in the regular season this season, but also has six so far in the postseason including one in the championship series, and has to be taken seriously as a threat in the final game.

No. 7 - Who gains an advantage from this ridiculous bit of scheduling?

While Baie-Comeau and Val-d'Or get a day off as the series shifts back to Baie-Comeau for the seventh game of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League finals, Game 7 between Portland and Edmonton will start about 24 hours after the conclusion of Game 6.

That doesn't seem right. Back in 2012, the Winterhawks and Oil Kings also fought to a seventh game, and after an emotional, hard-fought win by Portland in Game 6 to send the series to Edmonton, the Oil Kings crushed the Winterhawks 4-1 in the seventh game, out-shooting Portland 27-16 through two periods and holding the high octane squad to just four shots in the third period.

If history repeats itself, advantage Portland, who carry the momentum (whatever that's worth in this series) but more importantly, get home ice advantage.

By the way, props to WHL on SHAW broadcaster Dan Russell, who channelled his inner Jack Buck when calling Iverson's Game 6 winner: "They have scored, they have come back, and we will see you tomorrow night!"

Whether the reference to Buck's call of Kirby Puckett's legendary walk-off home run in Game 6 of the 1991 World Series was intentional or not, the line was appropriate, goosebumps-inducing, and is a classic for a reason.