Wednesday . . .

If you haven’t seen them yet, NHL Central Scouting released its final rankings for this season of players eligible for the 2010 NHL draft. . . . I, for one, don’t put a whole lot of stock in any draft ratings but they are useful as a point of reference. But, really, scouting is a hugely inexact science. If you don’t believe that, simply take a look at the ratings -- they’re right here -- and pay special attention to how much a player rose or sank from the midseason ratings until now. . . . F Craig Cunningham of the Vancouver Giants rose 90 spots -- that’s right, 90 spots! -- to 108 in a matter of a couple of months, while linemate Brendan Gallagher dropped 22 spots to 174. Gallagher had 81 points, including 41 goals, and 111 penalty minutes in 72 regular-season games and has been a regular buzz saw in the playoffs. Now you don‘t suppose the scouts are holding his height -- 5-foot-8 -- against him, do you? . . . Note that F Brett Bulmer of the Kelowna Rockets is up 99 spots to No. 65, while D Radek Gudas of the Everett Silvertips is up 40 spots to No. 91 and F Kevin Sundher of the Chilliwack Bruins went up 25 spots to No. 67. Oh, and F Brendan Ranford of the Kamloops Blazers is up 57 spots to No. 111. . . . F Luke Moffatt of the U.S. national under-18 team dropped 20 spots to No. 95. He was taken second overall by the Kelowna Rockets in the 2007 WHL bantam draft.
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The Dallas Stars have recalled F Aaron Gagnon (Seattle, 2001-07) from the AHL’s Texas Stars. Gagnon, 23, appeared in one game for Dallas on October 16 vs. Boston, going scoreless. He leads the Texas Stars in scoring with 58 points, including 27 goals, through 77 games.
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These are interesting times in the offices of the OHL’s Peterborough Petes. The team’s board of directors dismissed longtime GM Jeff Twohey the other day and now five scouts, including the head scout, have walked out the door. That story is right here.
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D Seth Jones, who was selected by the Everett Silvertips with the 11th pick of the 2009 bantam draft, has committed to joining USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program next season. Jones, from Plano Texas, will start out with the U.S.’s U-17 team. He had 18 points in 42 games with the midget major Dallas Stars this season. . . .
F Nicolas Kerdiles also committed to the NTDP and will join the U-17 team. Kerdiles, from Irvine, Calif., was selected by the Kelowna Rockets in the seventh round of the 2009 draft. He played for the Los Angeles Selects midget minor team this season, leading the team with 54 points in 37 games. . . .
F Nikolas Olsson of Escondido, Calif., also will join the U.S.’s U-17 team. He was taken by the Red Deer Rebels in the ninth round of the 2009 draft. Olson was a teammate of Kerdiles’ with the L.A. Selects, putting up 28 points, including 19 goals, in 21 games.
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WHL PLAYOFFS
SECOND ROUND
(Best-of-7)
(x — if necessary)
(All times local)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Calgary (1) vs. Medicine Hat (5)
(Calgary leads series 3-1)
Friday: Medicine Hat 2 at Calgary 5 (8,431)
Sunday: Medicine Hat 0 at Calgary 4 (6,976)
Tuesday: Calgary 3 at Medicine Hat 4 (OT) (3,832)
Wednesday: Calgary 4 at Medicine Hat 1 (4,006)
Friday: Medicine Hat at Calgary, 7 p.m.
x-Sunday: Calgary at Medicine Hat, 6 p.m.
x-Tuesday: Medicine Hat at Calgary, 7 p.m.
———
Brandon (2) vs. Saskatoon (3)
(Brandon leads series 2-1)
Friday: Brandon 6 at Saskatoon 5 (6,418)
Saturday: Brandon 4 at Saskatoon 1 (5,353)
Wednesday: Saskatoon 5 at Brandon 4 (4,026)
Friday: Saskatoon at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday: Saskatoon at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
x-Monday: Brandon at Saskatoon, 7 p.m.
x-April 14: Saskatoon at Brandon, 7 p.m.
———
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Tri-City (1) vs. Kelowna (6)
(Tri-City leads series 3-1)
Friday: Kelowna 3 at Tri-City 5 (3,977)
Saturday: Kelowna 4 at Tri-City 1 (3,812)
Tuesday: Tri-City 2 at Kelowna 0 (5,231)
Wednesday: Tri-City 3 at Kelowna 2 (5,368)
Friday: Kelowna at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
x-Sunday: Tri-City at Kelowna, 5 p.m.
x-Tuesday: Kelowna at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
———
Portland (5) vs. Vancouver (2)
(all Portland games at Memorial Coliseum)
(Vancouver leads series 2-1)
Saturday: Vancouver 9 at Portland 6 (5,849)
Sunday: Vancouver 7 at Portland 4 (3,757)
Wednesday: Portland 3 at Vancouver 2 (7,088)
Friday: Portland at Vancouver, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday: Portland at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
x-Tuesday: Vancouver at Portland, 7 p.m.
x-April 14: Vancouver at Portland, 7 p.m.
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WEDNESDAY:
In Brandon, F Darian Dziurzynski scored twice and added an assist to help the Saskatoon Blades to a 5-4 victory over the Wheat Kings. . . . Brandon leads the series 2-1, with Game 4 set for the Wheat City on Friday night. . . . After a scoreless first period, the teams combined for six second-period goals. . . . F Walker Wintoneak of Saskatoon opened the scoring at 1:33, but Brandon got the next three goals. F Shayne Wiebe, at 1:55, and D Colby Robak, at 8:16 on the PP, sent Brandon into the lead and F Scott Glennie upped it to 3-1 at 13:18. . . . Saskatoon tied it before the period ended, on goals from D Jyri Niemi, at 14:34, and F Derek Hulak, at 16:38. . . . Dziurzynski scored two third-period goals, at 3:00 and 8:27, to give the visitors a two-goal lead. Both goals were set up by F Gaelan Patterson. . . . Brandon F Brent Raedeke closed out the scoring at 18:54, with his fifth playoff goal. . . . Saskatoon G Steven Stanford stopped 32 shots, while Brandon’s Andrew Hayes turned aside 23. . . . Brandon was 1-for-3 on the PP; Saskatoon was 0-for-2. . . . The loss was the first of these playoffs for Brandon, which had opened with a sweep of the Swift Current Broncos and then won twice in Saskatoon. . . . Attendance was 4,026. . . . Saskatoon GM/head coach Lorne Molleken returned after serving a four-game suspension. . . . Saskatoon F Randy McNaught now has served his five-game suspension and is eligible to play again.
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In Medicine Hat, the Tigers scored the game’s first goal but didn’t score again as they lost 4-1 to the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Calgary holds a 3-1 edge in the series and can wrap it up at home on Friday. . . . F Zdenek Okal scored at 8:13 of the first period on the PP, but that was it for the Tigers. . . . F Joel Broda may have scored the game’s biggest goal when he tied the score at 19:55 of the first, also on the PP. . . . F Cody Sylvester got what proved to be the winner at 13:27 of the second and later added an empty-netter, his seventh goal of these playoffs, at 17:53 of the third. . . . F Kris Foucault also scored for Calgary, with Sylvester earning the lone assist. . . . Calgary G Martin Jones stopped 18 shots, five fewer than Medicine Hat’s Tyler Bunz. . . . Calgary was 1-for-6 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 1-for-5. . . . Attendance was 4,006.
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In Kelowna, F Kruise Reddick broke a 2-2 tie in the third period and the Tri-City Americans went on to a 3-2 victory over the Rockets. . . . The Americans, who swept the two games in Kelowna, hold a 3-1 lead and can wrap up the series at home on Friday. . . . The Americans got on the board first, when D Tyler Schmidt scored at 5:33 of the first, and the teams exchanged goals after that. . . . Kelowna D Tyson Barrie, on the PP, got his club a tie at 9:18 of the second, but D Brock Sutherland gave the Americans the lead again, just 18 seconds later. It was the first playoff goal for Sutherland, who was playing in his 17th career postseason game. The Brandon native has three goals in 112 regular-season games. . . . F Brandon McMillan pulled the Rockets even again, at 10:41 of the third. . . . Reddick got his fifth goal of the playoffs at 11:51, on the PP. . . . F Justin Feser had two assists for the Americans. . . . The Americans were 1-for-3 on the PP; the Rockets were 1-for-6. . . . Tri-City G Drew Owsley kicked out 33 shots. Kelowna G Mark Guggenberger stopped 10 shots. . . . Owsley faced Kelowna F Max Adolph on a first-period penalty shot with the visitors ahead 1-0. Adolph lost control of the puck on a deke attempt and the puck went wide. . . . The Rockets held a 35-13 edge in shots as the Americans were credited with three, six and four shots, by period. . . . Attendance was 5,368.
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In Vancouver, the Portland Winterhawks held true to form -- they won on the road, again -- by beating the Giants, 3-2. . . . Vancouver holds a 2-1 edge in the series with Game 4 at Pacific Coliseum on Friday. . . . D Luca Sbisa gave Portland a 3-1 lead with a PP goal at 2:20 of the third period. . . . Vancouver cut it to 3-2 on F James Wright’s PP score at 17:04 but couldn’t get the equalizer. . . . Portland F Spencer Bennett opened the scoring at 1:11 of the first period on the PP. . . . Vancouver tied it on Wright’s third playoff goal at 1:44 of the second. . . . Portland F Luke Walker gave his side a 2-1 lead at 18:43 of the second. . . . Walker has five goals in these playoffs. . . . Portland F Chris Francis drew three assists. . . . Portland G Ian Curtis stopped 25 shots, 10 fewer than Vancouver’s Mark Segal. . . . Portland was 2-for-5 on the PP; Vancouver was 1-for-4. . . . Attendance was 7,088. . . . The Winterhawks are 5-0 on the road in these playoffs. At the same time, they are 0-5 at home. . . . Vancouver lost for the first time in seven games. The Giants had swept the Kamloops Blazers and then won two games in Portland.