A preview of the WHL's Western Conference Final between the Prince George Cougars and Portland Winterhawks.

The Western Conference Final will feature two of the league's best teams from start to finish as the Prince George Cougars take on the Portland Winterhawks. The two teams split the season series and were only separated by one point at the end of the year. Expect a tight series as these two CHL juggernauts go head-to-head over the next few weeks. 

This series will be intriguing as it pits the two of the best offensive and defensive teams in this year's playoffs against each other. This means there could be 8-7 games as well as 2-1 games, with the score fluctuating every night. Overall, this series may come down to which organization can take advantage of special teams, as both these clubs have shown they are lethal while on the power play. 

While there are plenty of big names in this series, the big focus will be on the battle between Joshua Ravensbergen and Jan Špunar. Both goaltenders have been impressive this postseason and will need to stand on their heads if they want to advance to the WHL Final. In what could be a back-and-forth shooting gallery between the Cougars and Winterhawks, Ravensbergen and Špunar will need to steal a game or two to help their teams advance to the WHL Final. 

Prediction: Portland in six

Playoff Schedule:

Game 1: Friday, April 26 @ Prince George, 7:00 p.m. PT
Game 2: Saturday, April 27 @ Prince George, 6:00 p.m. PT
Game 3: Monday, April 29 @ Portland, 7:00 p.m. PT
Game 4: Wednesday, May 1 @ Portland, 7:00 p.m. PT
*Game 5: Thursday, May 2 @ Portland, 7:00 p.m. PT
*Game 6: Monday, May 6 @ Prince George, 7:00 p.m. PT
*Game 7: Tuesday, May 7 @ Prince George, 7:00 p.m. PT

Season Series:

Prince George: 2-2-0-0
Portland: 2-2-0-0

Portland 2 @ Prince George 1 (Jan 20, 2024) Final
Portland 2 @ Prince George 3 (Jan 19, 2024) Final
Prince George 3 @ Portland 4 (Jan 6, 2024) Final
Prince George 4 @ Portland 0 (Dec 3, 2023) Final

Leading Scorers During Season Series:

Prince George Cougars:

1) Zac Funk: 4 GP, 4 G, 3 A, 7 P
2) Ondrej Becher: 3 GP, 2 G, 3 A, 5 P
3) Riley Heidt: 4 GP, 2 G, 3 A, 5 P
4) Terik Parascak: 4 GP, 0 G, 5 A, 5 P
5) Carlin Dezainde: 3 GP,  1 G, 2 A, 3 P

Portland Winterhawks:

1) James Stefan: 4 GP, 1 G, 5 A, 6 P
2) Luca Cagnoni: 4 GP, 0 G, 4 A, 4 P
3) Gabe Klassen: 4 GP, 3 G, 0 A, 3 P
4) Nate Danielson (POR Total): 2 GP, 1 G, 1 A, 2 P
5) Josh Davies: 4 GP, 2 G, 0 A, 2 P 

Make sure you bookmark THN's WHL site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

Four Potential Unsung Heroes Ahead Of The 2024 WHL Eastern And Western Conference Final

Ollie Josephson And Tij Iginla Added To Team Canada Ahead Of 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship

Standouts From The Second Round Of The 2024 WHL Playoffs: Western Conference Edition

Standouts From The Second Round Of The 2024 WHL Playoffs: Eastern Conference Edition

2024 WHL Playoffs Daily Recap: April 19

Seven WHLers Set To Represent Canada At The 2024 U18 IIHF World Championship

2024 WHL Playoffs Daily Recap: April 17

2024 WHL Playoffs Daily Recap: April 16

2024 WHL Playoffs Daily Recap: April 15