Scout
03-10-2008, 07:23 AM
with Gregg Drinnan
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Sunday notes and highlights . . .
We’re into the final week of the WHL season and here’s a look at the week ahead. . . . There aren’t any Monday games and only one Tuesday when the Medicine Hat Tigers meet the Rebels in Red Deer. . . . There are seven games scheduled for Wednesday. . . . There aren’t any games scheduled for Thursday. . . . The final weekend features 27 games — 10 on Friday, 11 on Saturday and six on Sunday. . . .
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EASTERN CONFERENCE: The big game Wednesday is in Cranbrook between the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Kootenay Ice. The Hurricanes are third in the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of the Ice. If Lethbridge wins its last four games, it will finish atop the conference. . . . Also on Wednesday, the Regina Pats meet the Moose Jaw Warriors in the Crushed Can. Regina leads the East Division by four points over the Warriors with each team having three games left. So one more victory and Regina wraps up the East Division and the conference’s second seed. . . . On Friday, the Medicine Hat Tigers are in Lethbridge. Right now, the Tigers are fifth in the Eastern Conference but are just two points behind the Hurricanes. . . .
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WESTERN CONFERENCE: The Spokane Chiefs have to be favoured to finish on top, what with three of their last four games being against the hapless Portland Winter Hawks (twice) and the struggling Kamloops Blazers. Spokane’s other game is in Kennewick, Wash., against the Tri-City Americans on Saturday. . . . The Chiefs are in Kamloops on Wednesday while the Americans meet the Silvertips in Everett. . . . On Friday, the Seattle Thunderbirds are in Everett in what could be a preview of a first-round series. The teams meet again Sunday in Seattle. . . . The Vancouver Giants, who have sewn up the B.C. Division so can be no worse than the West’s second seed, don’t play until Friday when they are at home to the Prince George Cougars. The Giants are in Kamloops on Saturday and finish up by entertaining the Chilliwack Bruins on Sunday. . . .
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The Prince George Cougars, who won’t make the playoffs, have added D Bruin McDonald and F Nick Buonassisi to their roster for their last three games. Both players were the major midget Cariboo Cougars, whose season ended on the weekend. . . . Shaw Cable’s final regular-season telecast will be Friday with the Medicine Hat Tigers in Lethbridge to play the Hurricanes. . . .
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SUNDAY IN THE WHL:
In Calgary, the Lethbridge Hurricanes got a goal from each of their big guns as they dropped the Hitmen, 4-3, before 18,784 fans. . . . That is the third-largest crowd in WHL history. . . . The victory lifted the Hurricanes (43-20-2-3) into third place in the Eastern Conference, a point ahead of the Kootenay Ice. The teams meet Wednesday in Cranbrook. . . . The Hurricanes went 5-1 against Calgary. . . . The Hitmen (45-21-1-4) remain atop the Eastern Conference. . . . Calgary has two games remaining while the Hurricanes have four left, meaning that if both teams win out Lethbridge, which is four points back, would catch the Hitmen. . . . Were that to happen each team would have 47 victories, which is the first tiebreaker. The second tiebreaker is head-to-head play and the Hurricanes would win that. . . . Forwards Colton Sceviour, with his 30th goal), Zach Boychuk (33), Mitch Fadden (33) and Dwight King (31) scored for Lethbridge. . . . Fadden broke a 2-2 tie at 11:26 of the third period, with one of those highlight reel-type scores, and King made it 4-2 just 55 seconds later. . . . F Brock Nixon got his 29th of the season for Calgary in the game’s last minute. . . . Calgary was 1-for-6 on the PP; Lethbridge was 1-for-2. . . . Lethbridge G Juha Metsola stopped 25 shots, 11 more than Calgary’s Dan Spence. . . . The largest crowd in WHL history? On March 15, 1997, there were 19,103 fans in the Rose Garden in Portland as the Seattle Thunderbirds and Winter Hawks played to a 6-6 tie. . . .
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In Moose Jaw, the Warriors scored three times on the power play as they dumped the Edmonton Oil Kings, 3-1. . . . The Warriors (36-19-6-8) had lost their last two games. The victory pushed them into sixth in the Eastern Conference, a point ahead of the Brandon Wheat Kings and Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Oil Kings (20-38-4-7) have lost seven in a row. . . . Moose Jaw was 3-for-8 on the PP; the Oil Kings were 0-for-9. . . . This one featured a roughing penalty to Edmonton D Matt Swaby before the first puck was dropped and a fight — Edmonton LW Karey Pieper vs. Moose Jaw LW Terrance Delaronde — at the final buzzer. . . . Moose Jaw C Joel Broda scored the game’s first goal, his 29th. . . . Moose Jaw G Joey Perricone stopped 27 shots, nine fewer than Edmonton’s Alex Archibald. . . .
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In Seattle, the Spokane Chiefs got 34 saves out of G Dustin Tokarski as they beat the Thunderbirds, 2-1. . . . The victory allowed the Chiefs (47-14-1-5), who have won six in a row, to keep pace with the Tri-City Americans atop the WHL’s overall standings, each with 102 points. . . . The Chiefs are 7-2 against Seattle. . . . The Thunderbirds (39-23-5-2), who were playing their fifth game in six nights, are fourth in the Western Conference, four points ahead of the Everett Silvertips. . . . The Chiefs got second-period goals from C Judd Blackwater, his 28th, and C David Rutherford, his 20th. . . . D Sena Acolatse scored Seattle’s goal at 7:19 of the third. . . . Spokane was 1-for-5 on the PP; Seattle was 1-for-6. . . . Seattle had a 35-16 edge in shots on goal. . . . Riku Helenius was in goal for Seattle. . . .
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In Kennewick, Wash., C Taylor Procyshen scored twice to lead the Tri-City Americans to a 6-2 victory over the Portland Winter Hawks. . . . The Americans (49-16-2-2) are one victory away from winning 50 games for the first time in franchise history. Before being the Americans, they were the New Westminster Bruins, Nanaimo Islanders, Billings Bighonrs, Calgary Centennials and Calgary Buffaloes. Their history begins in 1966-67. . . . Tri-City is 8-1 versus Portland. . . . The Winter Hawks (10-56-2-1) had ended a 22-game losing streak the previous night. . . . Prochyshen has 31 goals this season. . . . Tri-City LW Colton Yellow Horn got his WHL-leading 47th goal and added two assists. He has 93 points, three behind Kelowna Rockets C Colin Long, who leads the league. . . . Tri-City G Chet Pickard won his 43rd game of the season although he gave way to Kyle Birch in the third period. . . .
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In Chilliwack, the Kelowna Rockets edged the Bruins 4-3 in the circus in a game that featured only 37 shots on goal through overtime. . . . The Rockets (36-25-2-6) had lost their last two games and seven of their previous 10. They are sixth in the Western Conference, one point behind the Everett Silvertips. . . . The Bruins (26-33-4-5) have lost eight straight and 11 of 12, but the loser point lifted them three points clear of the eighth-place Kamloops Blazers. Each team has four games remaining. . . . D Tyson Barrie and C Cody Almond scored for Kelowna in the circus. . . . Kelowna C Colin Long, the WHL’s points leader, scored once. . . . Chilliwack got two goals from C Oscar Moller, who has 39 goals. His second goal, at shorthanded score at 8:09 of the third period, broke a 2-2 tie. . . . Moller was back on a line with Mark Santorelli, after the two had spent about a month apart. . . . Santorelli had one assist. He is second in the points derby, two points behind Long. . . . Kelowna D Luke Schenn forced OT with a goal, his sixth, at 13:38. . . . Kelowna LW James McEwan and Chilliwack RW Evan Pighin scrapped seven seconds into this one. . . . Two members of the Vancouver Canucks’ front office — GM Dave Nonis and assistant GM Steve Tambellini — watched this one.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Sunday notes and highlights . . .
We’re into the final week of the WHL season and here’s a look at the week ahead. . . . There aren’t any Monday games and only one Tuesday when the Medicine Hat Tigers meet the Rebels in Red Deer. . . . There are seven games scheduled for Wednesday. . . . There aren’t any games scheduled for Thursday. . . . The final weekend features 27 games — 10 on Friday, 11 on Saturday and six on Sunday. . . .
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EASTERN CONFERENCE: The big game Wednesday is in Cranbrook between the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Kootenay Ice. The Hurricanes are third in the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of the Ice. If Lethbridge wins its last four games, it will finish atop the conference. . . . Also on Wednesday, the Regina Pats meet the Moose Jaw Warriors in the Crushed Can. Regina leads the East Division by four points over the Warriors with each team having three games left. So one more victory and Regina wraps up the East Division and the conference’s second seed. . . . On Friday, the Medicine Hat Tigers are in Lethbridge. Right now, the Tigers are fifth in the Eastern Conference but are just two points behind the Hurricanes. . . .
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WESTERN CONFERENCE: The Spokane Chiefs have to be favoured to finish on top, what with three of their last four games being against the hapless Portland Winter Hawks (twice) and the struggling Kamloops Blazers. Spokane’s other game is in Kennewick, Wash., against the Tri-City Americans on Saturday. . . . The Chiefs are in Kamloops on Wednesday while the Americans meet the Silvertips in Everett. . . . On Friday, the Seattle Thunderbirds are in Everett in what could be a preview of a first-round series. The teams meet again Sunday in Seattle. . . . The Vancouver Giants, who have sewn up the B.C. Division so can be no worse than the West’s second seed, don’t play until Friday when they are at home to the Prince George Cougars. The Giants are in Kamloops on Saturday and finish up by entertaining the Chilliwack Bruins on Sunday. . . .
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The Prince George Cougars, who won’t make the playoffs, have added D Bruin McDonald and F Nick Buonassisi to their roster for their last three games. Both players were the major midget Cariboo Cougars, whose season ended on the weekend. . . . Shaw Cable’s final regular-season telecast will be Friday with the Medicine Hat Tigers in Lethbridge to play the Hurricanes. . . .
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SUNDAY IN THE WHL:
In Calgary, the Lethbridge Hurricanes got a goal from each of their big guns as they dropped the Hitmen, 4-3, before 18,784 fans. . . . That is the third-largest crowd in WHL history. . . . The victory lifted the Hurricanes (43-20-2-3) into third place in the Eastern Conference, a point ahead of the Kootenay Ice. The teams meet Wednesday in Cranbrook. . . . The Hurricanes went 5-1 against Calgary. . . . The Hitmen (45-21-1-4) remain atop the Eastern Conference. . . . Calgary has two games remaining while the Hurricanes have four left, meaning that if both teams win out Lethbridge, which is four points back, would catch the Hitmen. . . . Were that to happen each team would have 47 victories, which is the first tiebreaker. The second tiebreaker is head-to-head play and the Hurricanes would win that. . . . Forwards Colton Sceviour, with his 30th goal), Zach Boychuk (33), Mitch Fadden (33) and Dwight King (31) scored for Lethbridge. . . . Fadden broke a 2-2 tie at 11:26 of the third period, with one of those highlight reel-type scores, and King made it 4-2 just 55 seconds later. . . . F Brock Nixon got his 29th of the season for Calgary in the game’s last minute. . . . Calgary was 1-for-6 on the PP; Lethbridge was 1-for-2. . . . Lethbridge G Juha Metsola stopped 25 shots, 11 more than Calgary’s Dan Spence. . . . The largest crowd in WHL history? On March 15, 1997, there were 19,103 fans in the Rose Garden in Portland as the Seattle Thunderbirds and Winter Hawks played to a 6-6 tie. . . .
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In Moose Jaw, the Warriors scored three times on the power play as they dumped the Edmonton Oil Kings, 3-1. . . . The Warriors (36-19-6-8) had lost their last two games. The victory pushed them into sixth in the Eastern Conference, a point ahead of the Brandon Wheat Kings and Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Oil Kings (20-38-4-7) have lost seven in a row. . . . Moose Jaw was 3-for-8 on the PP; the Oil Kings were 0-for-9. . . . This one featured a roughing penalty to Edmonton D Matt Swaby before the first puck was dropped and a fight — Edmonton LW Karey Pieper vs. Moose Jaw LW Terrance Delaronde — at the final buzzer. . . . Moose Jaw C Joel Broda scored the game’s first goal, his 29th. . . . Moose Jaw G Joey Perricone stopped 27 shots, nine fewer than Edmonton’s Alex Archibald. . . .
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In Seattle, the Spokane Chiefs got 34 saves out of G Dustin Tokarski as they beat the Thunderbirds, 2-1. . . . The victory allowed the Chiefs (47-14-1-5), who have won six in a row, to keep pace with the Tri-City Americans atop the WHL’s overall standings, each with 102 points. . . . The Chiefs are 7-2 against Seattle. . . . The Thunderbirds (39-23-5-2), who were playing their fifth game in six nights, are fourth in the Western Conference, four points ahead of the Everett Silvertips. . . . The Chiefs got second-period goals from C Judd Blackwater, his 28th, and C David Rutherford, his 20th. . . . D Sena Acolatse scored Seattle’s goal at 7:19 of the third. . . . Spokane was 1-for-5 on the PP; Seattle was 1-for-6. . . . Seattle had a 35-16 edge in shots on goal. . . . Riku Helenius was in goal for Seattle. . . .
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In Kennewick, Wash., C Taylor Procyshen scored twice to lead the Tri-City Americans to a 6-2 victory over the Portland Winter Hawks. . . . The Americans (49-16-2-2) are one victory away from winning 50 games for the first time in franchise history. Before being the Americans, they were the New Westminster Bruins, Nanaimo Islanders, Billings Bighonrs, Calgary Centennials and Calgary Buffaloes. Their history begins in 1966-67. . . . Tri-City is 8-1 versus Portland. . . . The Winter Hawks (10-56-2-1) had ended a 22-game losing streak the previous night. . . . Prochyshen has 31 goals this season. . . . Tri-City LW Colton Yellow Horn got his WHL-leading 47th goal and added two assists. He has 93 points, three behind Kelowna Rockets C Colin Long, who leads the league. . . . Tri-City G Chet Pickard won his 43rd game of the season although he gave way to Kyle Birch in the third period. . . .
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In Chilliwack, the Kelowna Rockets edged the Bruins 4-3 in the circus in a game that featured only 37 shots on goal through overtime. . . . The Rockets (36-25-2-6) had lost their last two games and seven of their previous 10. They are sixth in the Western Conference, one point behind the Everett Silvertips. . . . The Bruins (26-33-4-5) have lost eight straight and 11 of 12, but the loser point lifted them three points clear of the eighth-place Kamloops Blazers. Each team has four games remaining. . . . D Tyson Barrie and C Cody Almond scored for Kelowna in the circus. . . . Kelowna C Colin Long, the WHL’s points leader, scored once. . . . Chilliwack got two goals from C Oscar Moller, who has 39 goals. His second goal, at shorthanded score at 8:09 of the third period, broke a 2-2 tie. . . . Moller was back on a line with Mark Santorelli, after the two had spent about a month apart. . . . Santorelli had one assist. He is second in the points derby, two points behind Long. . . . Kelowna D Luke Schenn forced OT with a goal, his sixth, at 13:38. . . . Kelowna LW James McEwan and Chilliwack RW Evan Pighin scrapped seven seconds into this one. . . . Two members of the Vancouver Canucks’ front office — GM Dave Nonis and assistant GM Steve Tambellini — watched this one.