Sunday notes . . .

The Tri-City Americans, the WHL’s regular-season champions, are facing elimination for the first time in these playoffs. They trail the Spokane Chiefs 3-2 going into Game 6 of the Western Conference final Monday night in Spokane. . . . Should the Americans force Game 7, it will be played Tuesday in Kennewick, Wash. . . . Washington Capitals G Olaf Kolzig, who owns a piece of the Americans, was at Game 5 on Saturday. The Chiefs won that one 4-3 in double overtime. . . . These teams, who finished one point apart in the regular season, have gone to extra time four times in five games with three of the games needing double OT. . . . The Americans have won five games in Spokane this season, including Game 4 of this series. . . . The series has featured an amazing goaltending battle. Dustin Tokarski of the Chiefs has a 1.41 GAA in the playoffs, along with a .946 save percentage. Chet Pickard of the Americans is 1.76 and .938. Each goaltender has put up three shutouts. . . . Tri-City F Drew Hoff was injured 2:32 into the second period of Game 5. No word on whether he’ll play in Game 6. . . . The winner of the series advances to the WHL final for the Ed Chynoweth Cup against the Lethbridge Hurricanes. The final is expected to open Friday in the home of the Western Conference champion. . . . The Hurricanes, who will have had eight days off by then, will head west on Wednesday. . . . The Hurricanes, who completed a sweep of the Calgary Hitmen on Wednesday, took Thursday and Sunday off and had a light skate Friday. They were back at it Sunday with an intense practice. . . . The Lethbridge coaching staff was in attendance at Game 5 of the Western Conference final.