Tuesday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT: F Andy Schneider (Seattle, Swift Current, 1988-93) has signed a one-year contract extension with Klagenfurt (Austria Erste Bank Liga). He has four goals and 17 assists in 20 games for Klagenfurt this season.
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Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post is reporting that the Swift Current Broncos “are expected to use Regina as their home base” in the opening round of WHL playoffs, should they clinch a spot in the postseason. The Broncos need one point from their remaining three games to wrap up the Eastern Conference’s final spot, but they can’t play in their home building because the world women’s curling championship will be there. “I think it’s pretty much a lock,” Neil Donnelly, vice-president of events and entertainment at Evraz Place, which operates the Brandt Centre, told Harder. “We’re just waiting for the paperwork to be signed but it’s pretty much a done deal.” . . . Harder also notes that the Brandon Wheat Kings may have a conflict during the first round as the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair runs March 29 through April 3. Should Brandon and Swift Current meet in the first round and should that series go seven games, Game 7 may end up being played in Regina. . . . The Brandt Centre is available, of course, because the Pats will miss the playoffs. . . . The Broncos can wrap up that playoff spot Wednesday when they play the Raiders in Prince Albert. . . . Harder also has a good story in Wednesday’s paper with Pats governor and president Russ Parker talking about the past and the future. That story is right here.
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F Curt Gogol of the Saskatoon Blades has been suspended for three games for going after Hitmen D Zak Stebner in the third period of Sunday’s game in Calgary. Gogol was hit with a fighting major and a game misconduct; Stebner wasn‘t penalized. . . . The Hitmen scored six PP goals and won the game, 6-1. . . . Gogol began serving his suspension Tuesday night, sitting out the Blades’ 4-2 victory over the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors.
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The Spokane Chiefs have added D Garrett Leedahl, 18, from the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos. He got into 17 games with the Chiefs before assigned to Humboldt on Jan. 10. He had 10 points in 12 games with the Broncos.
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D Mark Schneider, who has 20 points and is plus-19 in 57 games, might return to the Brandon Wheat Kings’ lineup on Wednesday night. He has missed three games with a concussion, but took part in a full-contact practice on Tuesday. “I feel a lot better,” Schneider, 19, told Brandon Sun sports editor James Shewaga. “It’s been probably about a week since I have had headaches, so it’s always a good feeling to get back out on the ice and practise with the guys ... Definitely I would like to play (tonight).” . . . The Wheat Kings, who are at home to the Moose Jaw Warriors on Wednesday night, are without F Paul Ciarelli (thumb) and D Ryley Miller (broken jaw).
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THE PLAYOFF CHASE
Teams in the running for playoff spots, showing games remaining (d — division leaders, who are seeded one-two; y — clinched division championship; x — clinched playoff spot):
EASTERN CONFERENCE
(top eight advance)
y-Calgary (3) 49-17-1-2-101
dx-Brandon (3) 47-18-1-3-98
x-Saskatoon (3) 45-17-3-4-97
x-Medicine Hat (2) 39-23-3-5-86
x-Kootenay (3) 40-24-3-2-85
x-Red Deer (3) 39-25-0-5-83
x-Moose Jaw (3) 33-26-4-6-76
Swift Current (3) 34-30-1-4-73
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Prince Albert (3) 31-33-3-2-67
Tuesday: Moose Jaw 2 at Saskatoon 4; Red Deer 2 at Lethbridge 5.
Wednesday: Moose Jaw at Brandon; Swift Current at Prince Albert; Regina at Saskatoon; Calgary at Edmonton; Red Deer at Kootenay.
Thursday: No games scheduled.
Friday: Brandon at Regina; Prince Albert at Saskatoon; Edmonton at Calgary; Medicine at Lethbridge; Kootenay at Red Deer.
Saturday: Saskatoon at Prince Albert; Regina at Brandon; Moose Jaw at Swift Current; Edmonton at Kootenay; Lethbridge at Medicine Hat.
Sunday: Red Deer at Calgary.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
(top eight advance)
dx-Tri-City (3) 45-21-1-2-93
y-Vancouver (3) 40-24-2-3-85
x-Everett (3) 44-20-3-2-93
x-Spokane (3) 43-21-3-2-91
x-Portland (2) 42-25-2-1-87
x-Kelowna (2) 33-31-2-4-72
x-Kamloops (2) 32-32-2-4-70
x-Chilliwack (3) 31-32-1-5-68
Tuesday: Everett 0 at Portland 3; Chilliwack 7 at Prince George 4; Kelowna 2 at Spokane 5.
Wednesday: Chilliwack at Prince George; Seattle at Tri-City.
Thursday: No games scheduled.
Friday: Portland at Chilliwack; Prince George at Kamloops; Tri-City at Spokane; Kelowna at Vancouver; Seattle at Everett.
Saturday: Prince George at Kelowna; Kamloops at Vancouver; Chilliwack at Everett; Portland at Seattle; Spokane at Tri-City.
Sunday: Vancouver at Seattle; Swift Current at Moose Jaw; Everett at Spokane.
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This paragraph from a Spokane Chiefs’ press release following Tuesday’s action about sums up the Western Conference:
“Through 69 games the Chiefs can still finish anywhere in the conference standings from first through fifth, with the exception being second place, and can still play any of four teams in the first round of the playoffs.”
The last game of the regular season has the Chiefs playing host to the Everett Silvertips on Sunday at 6 p.m. Pacific time. It will be interesting to watch this play out, but perhaps a whole lot won’t be decided until the outcome of that game is known.
Oh, what fun . . .
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TUESDAY:
In Spokane, F Kyle Beach scored his WHL-leading 52nd goal to help the Chiefs to a 5-2 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . The Chiefs are 12-1-0-1 in their last 14 games. . . . The Rockets had a three-game winning streak snapped. . . . Beach opened the scoring at 10:59 of the first period. . . . F Levko Koper gave the Chiefs a 2-0 lead with his 27th, before F Shane McColgan got his 25th for the Rockets on the PP at 5:39 of the second period. . . . The Chiefs then scored three in row, with F Blake Gal getting his 10th, D Stefan Ulmer his eighth and F Kenton Miller his 11th. . . . F Brandon McMillan scored his 20th for the Rockets. . . . Attendance was 4,643. . . . The Chiefs revealed earlier in the day what regular readers here have known since last month, thanks to The MacBeth Report -- Ulmer has signed to play for Lugano in the Swiss National League next season.
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In Lethbridge, the Hurricanes scored four second-period goals and went on to beat the Red Deer Rebels, 5-2. . . . F Andrej Kudrna, with his 30th goal, pulled Red Deer into a 1-1 tie just 45 seconds into the second period. . . . The Hurricanes, who had lost three straight, then exploded for four goals in just under 13 minutes, with F Cam Braes getting two and F Austin Fyten and F Carter Bancks adding one each. Braes has 25; Fyten and Bancks have 19 apiece. . . . Fyten also had two assists. . . . Lethbridge G Brandon Anderson stopped 29 shots. . . . Lethbridge was 2-for-8 on the PP; Red Deer was 0-for-7. . . . Attendance was 2,781. . . . Red Deer has lost four of six.
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In Portland, G Mac Carruth stopped 26 shots to help the Winterhawks to a 3-0 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . The shutout was the first of Carruth’s career. . . . Everett has been blanked seven times this season; only the Edmonton Oil Kings (8) have been shut out more often. . . . Everett had been 9-0-1-1 in its last 11 games and had a chance to move into sole possession of first place in the Western Conference with a victory. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie got his 17th at 12:09 of the first period and that stood up as the winner. . . . F Spencer Bennett had a goal, his 19th, and two assists for the Winterhawks. . . . D Luca Sbisa also scored. He has four goals this season. . . . Everett G Thomas Heemskerk stopped 37 shots. . . . Portland was 1-for-3 on the PP; Everett was 0-for-2. . . . Attendance at Memorial Coliseum was 2,652. . . . The Silvertips lost D Radko Gudas with a leg injury in the second period. He didn’t return and will be re-evaluated on Wednesday. . . . Everett D Curtis Kulchar (knee) has medical clearance to resume practising so should be ready for the start of playoffs.
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In Prince George, F Ryan Howse scored three goals and set up another as the Chilliwack Bruins beat the Cougars, 7-4. . . . Howse, who is from Prince George, scored twice in the second period to give his side a 4-1 lead and then got a third at 18:33 of the third. He has 44 goals this season. . . . F Kevin Sundher got his 25th for the Bruins and F Dylen McKinlay added his 20th into an empty net. . . . Chilliwack D Brandon Manning had one goal, his 12th, and was plus-5. . . . F Troy Bourke, playing his second WHL game but his first in Prince George, scored twice for the Cougars. Bourke, who played his minor hockey in Onaway, Alta., spent this season with the midget AAA St. Albert Raiders. As a 15-year-old he finished second in the league scoring race and was No. 1 in goals (27). He was the 26th overall pick in the 2009 bantam draft. . . . F Brett Connolly, the CHL’s reigning rookie of the year, had one assist in his return from hip problems. He has played only 13 games this season; this was his first appearance since Dec. 5. Connolly finished the game, apparently none the worse for wear, although head coach Dean Clark said in the postgame radio show that Connolly was winded and perhaps feeling a bit under the weather. . . . F Wilson Dumais also scored his first goal for Prince George. . . . The Cougars have lost 14 in a row. . . . The same teams meet again Wednesday in Prince George which may have something to do with 116 minutes in penalties being handed out Tuesday.
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In Saskatoon, G Gaelan Patterson broke a 2-2 tie in the third period and the Blades went on to a 4-2 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Patterson scored his 26th goal on the PP at 2:58. . . . F Marek Viedensky added an empty-netter, his 18th, at 19:19. . . . The Bladesd had lost three of their last four games. . . . F Jason Bast had put the Warriors into a 2-2 tie with his 30th goal just 29 seconds into the third. . . . Saskatoon G Steven Stanford stopped 28 shots in winning his 27th game of the season. . . . The Warriors were 0-for-4 on the PP; the Blades were 1-for-3. . . . Attendance was 3,957.