PORTLAND — Brian Woolger's goal with 2:31 left in the game allowed the Portland Winter Hawks to beat Everett 3-2 last night in the Rose Garden and stay alive in the Western Hockey League playoffs.

The Silvertips, leading the best-of-seven series 3-2, will try to close out the Winter Hawks at 7:05 tonight at Everett Events Center. Game 7, if necessary, would be Tuesday in Portland.

"We knew they'd come out and play their best game of the series," Everett's Torrie Wheat said. "They got their break and we're going back for Game 6. They're still down two (wins), we're only down one."

Woolger got the rebound of Braydon Coburn's shot and beat goalie Mike Wall high to the glove side. Wall, entering the game with a .966 save percentage, gave up three goals on 25 shots.

"It's such a relief," Woolger said. "It feels like we haven't got the breaks, no matter what we did."

Everett outshot Portland for the first time in the series, 26-25, getting the 26th shot with one second left as Zach Hamill tried to send the game into overtime.

Brandon Dubinsky, by far Portland's best player in the series, had a goal and assist for the Winter Hawks, who have lost in the first round the past three years.

The Winter Hawks, who had outplayed Everett in several areas in the first four games, came out with some jump in Game 5, playing physical and desperate. On a delayed penalty, the Winter Hawks had a rebound goal by Kyle Bailey disallowed 58 seconds in because an official's whistle had stopped play. But they got on the board 20 seconds later with the man advantage on Mark Kress' holding penalty.

Dubinsky scored his fourth goal of the series, taking a pass from Coburn and beating Wall high on the stick side.

Everett responded strongly in the second period, which ended with the score 2-2.

Just 34 seconds into the period, Silvertips defenseman Ivan Baranka hit the post with a shot. Then, cutting into the slot area, he took a pass from Alex Leavitt and beat goalie Blake Grenier for his first goal of the series.

Portland's Nick Hotson took a loose puck after a faceoff, spun around and shot, then got his own rebound and slammed it past Wall at 6:47.

A minute later, the Silvertips' Brady Calla scored his first goal of the playoffs to tie the score at 2.

Game summary

WINTER HAWKS 3, SILVERTIPS 2

Everett	0	2	0	—	2
Portland	1	1	1	—	3

First — 1. Portland, Dubinsky 4 (Coburn, Mikkelson) 11:58 (pp). Second — 2. Everett, Baranka 1 (Leavitt) 0:34 (pp). 3. Portland, Hodson 1 (Festerling) 6:47 . 4. Everett, Calla 1, 7:47. Third — 5. Portland, Woolger 1 (Coburn, Dubinsky) 17:29 . Shots on goal — Everett 7-12-7 — 26. Portland 9-10-6 — 25. Goalies — Everett: Wall (L,3-2); Portland: Grenier (W,2-3). Power plays ( Goalies — s-chances) — Everett: 1-6; Portland: 1-5. A — 7,575.