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Triton
04-05-2006, 10:45 AM
Brandon, Manitoba -- For the first time in five years, the Brandon Wheat Kings have failed to advance to the second round of the Western Hockey League playoffs.

For the second straight game, 18-year old goalkeeper Joey Perricone stopped everything that the Wheat Kings threw at him, as the Warriors blanked Brandon 5-0 to win their best of seven WHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series four games to two.

A native of San Juan Capistrano, California, Perricone made 30 saves to record his second consecutive shutout. In the series' six games, Perricone gave up just seven goals as the Warriors came back from a 2-1 series deficit to win three straight games, including two on the road.

The Warriors will now play the Calgary Hitmen in the Eastern semi-finals beginning this weekend at the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary.

For the Wheat Kings, it was a disappointing end to the season that saw the defending Eastern Conference Champions battle back from a slow start to post a .600 record during the final four months of the regular season and earn a playoff berth for the thirteenth time in the past 14 years. This marked only the second time in playoff history that the Warriors have defeated Brandon in post-season play. The last time was in 1997 when Moose Jaw upset the defending champion Wheat Kings in six games.

"I think, to a man that we could beat Moose Jaw," Wheat Kings' general manager and head coach Kelly McCrimmon told Bruce Luebke during CKLQ's post-game show Tuesday night. "We had confidence during the regular season against their team and I think that in the playoffs we had confidence."

During the regular season, Brandon managed to split the 8-game season series with Moose Jaw, with Codey Burki, Mark Derlago and Bryan Kauk leading the team in scoring with ten, eight and seven points respectively. With the exception of Derlago, who scored three of Brandon's 7 playoff goals, Burki and Kauk were two of many who simply did not produce in the series. In fact, only four - Derlago, Teegan Moore, Theran Yeo and Sami Sandell managed to beat Perricone during the series. Former Calgary Hitmen defenceman Dustin Kohn meanwhile finished atop the team's playoff scoring lead with four assists in six games.

Tuesday's game marked the end of at least one Wheat King career at the Keystone Centre as 20-year old blueliner Riley Day took to the ice for the final time. A former member of the AAA midget Wheat Kings, Day spent four years in the WHL, playing a total of 350 games including sixty in the playoffs. A member of the 2004 WHL Champion Medicine Hat Tigers, Day was obtained by the Wheat Kings in December 2004 in exchange for the playing rights to Kevin Undershute and became one of only a handful of players that have participated in back to back League Championship finals.

Although Day was the lone overage player on this year's club, the Wheat Kings could have as many as seven at camp this coming fall. They include the likes of defencemen Stephane Lenoski and forwards Moore, Derlago, John Wikner, Jeff Topilko, Cole Hunter and Corey Courchene.

This year's club included fourteen Manitoba born players - the second most in both franchise and league history. The '95-96 Wheat Kings featured sixteen Manitobans.

WHEATMAN
04-05-2006, 11:17 AM
It always sucks to lose, but next year we should be favorites to win the division. For losses all we give up is Day. I already can't wait till next year, we'll have a good team, loaded with experience in winning and losing, should be a good one next year

Warrior Fan
04-05-2006, 12:59 PM
4 OF THESE PLAYERS AS WELL. SORRY ABOUT CAPS LOCK. CAN'T GET THEM OFF HERE RIGHT NOW FOR SOME REASON.

They include the likes of defencemen Stephane Lenoski and forwards Moore, Derlago, John Wikner, Jeff Topilko, Cole Hunter and Corey Courchene.

Triton
04-05-2006, 01:09 PM
Our losses aren't huge.Day,Hunter,Wikner,and Topilko.They will keep 3 out of Courchene,Moore,Derlago(for sure),and Lenoski.

Plus we have a great nucleous coming back,plus our rookies coming up who are going to be great players in this league.

Very excited about next season and our future.So,so much depth.We did however make the playoffs in our rebuilding year and in a year where we were so terrible at the beginning.Great turnaround guys.Proud of this team anyways.

Hatguy
04-05-2006, 06:19 PM
The way the Wheaties came together and played well in the playoffs should have hockey fans in Brandon excited for next season. With Plante returning, you will have the best goalie in our division. Is Reaves staying? I'm assuming he will be, I liked his style. Reaves is a huge hitter and camps himself in front of the net, he is hard to move. You'll also have Burki and Derlago right? A lot of good returning players next year. The Wheat Kings can and should contend for the East division championship next year