Rockets first to reach conference final

Red Ice Martigny (Switzerland, NL B) exercised its option on F Kirill Starkov (Red Deer, 2006-07) for next season. Starkov began the season with Esbjerg (Denmark, Metal Ligaen), picking up 45 points, including 12 goals, in 31 games. He was released over issues involving betting on a game, and signed with Red Ice in January, although the transfer wasn’t approved until playoffs. In three games, he had one goal. He also is suspended for the Swiss federation for the first five games of 2014-15 because of his involvement in the betting scandal.
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Ten hockey thoughts . . .
1. We are living in 2014. How is it that a WHL team, the Moose Jaw Warriors, gets caught up in a debate over a retro logo that obviously is out of place in these times?
2. When TSN analyst Craig Button gets around to doing whatever it is he is going to do to help the Saskatoon Blades in their personnel hunt, will he recommend Mike Gillis as GM?
3. On March 10, the NHL had to prematurely halt a game in the first period after Dallas forward Rich Peverley collapsed at the bench. The host Stars were trailing the Columbus Blue Jackets 1-0 at the time. So what was the NHL’s thinking in replaying the entire game, but allowing Columbus to open with a 1-0 lead? Nathan Horton, the goal scorer, is injured and didn’t even make the trip to Dallas, meaning he scored a goal without being in the lineup.
4. Is it just me or have the WHL playoffs, unless you are a follower of the Kootenay Ice, been rather drab? Five of 12 series have ended in sweeps. Only two of eight first-round series went as deep as six games. It could be that only one four second-round series sees a Game 6. Right now, the won-lost record is 56-11. So much for parity.
5. If the Detroit Red Wings get F Henrik Zetterberg back, might they give the Pittsburgh Penguins a run for their money in the first round of the NHL playoffs?
6. Are the Portland Winterhawks headed for a fourth straight appearance in the WHL’s championship final? Only the Flin Flon Bombers (1967-71), Edmonton Oil Kings (1968-72) and New Westminster Bruins (1974-78) have appeared in four straight finals.
7. Is the WHL headed for a third consecutive final series between Portland and Edmonton?
8. If Vancouver fires head coach John Tortorella, might Trevor Linden, a former Medicine Hat Tigers star who now is the Canucks’ president of hockey operations, hire Willie Desjardins? Now the head coach of the AHL’s Texas Stars, Desjardins had success as Medicine Hat’s GM/head coach.
9. Is this the offseason in which the rumours of the impending sale of the Regina Pats actually turn out to be true, and will it be Calgary oil money that ends up owning the franchise?
10. With the NHL’s Calgary Flames searching for a general manager, will Kelly Kisio, the president of hockey operations and alternate governor for the Calgary Hitmen, be on Brian Burke’s radar? If he isn’t, he should be.
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In the spirit of the opening of the MLB season, The Sports Curmudgeon, an old friend of the blog, takes a look at some of the food available at a few of the baseball parks across North American right here. You are advised not to read this on a full stomach. It also is suggested that you not try to duplicate any of these things at home.
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After three tours of duty as an assistant coach, Mark Osiecki is the head coach of the U.S. national junior team that will comp[ete in the 2015 world junior championship. . . . Osiecki, presently an assistant coach with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs, was an assistant coach with the team in 2010, 2011 and 2013, winning two gold medals and a bronze. . . . Don Granato, the head coach of the U.S. National Team Development Program’s U-17 team, and Kevin Patrick, an assistant coach at the U of Vermont, will work as Osiecki’s assistant coaches. . . . Jim Johannson, USA Hockey’s executive director of hockey operations, will be Team USA’s general manager for a sixth consecutive year. . . . The 2015 WJC is scheduled for Montreal and Toronto, Dec. 26 through Jan. 5. The U.S. will be in a group with Canada, Finland, Germany and Slovakia. . . . The U.S. will hold its summer evaluation camp in Lake Placid, N.Y., Aug. 2-9.
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The USHL has approved an expansion franchise that will play out of Bloomington, Ill., as the Thunder. The franchise is owned by CSH International, which also owns, among many other things, the WHL’s Everett Silvertips and the NAHL’s Amarillo Bulls. Bill Yuill, a familiar face in WHL circles, is CEO of CSH International, while Gary Gelinas, the Silvertips’ president and governor, is the president of CSH.
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F Spencer Kryczka has committed to Princeton U. Kryczka, who turned 19 on March 13, was selected by the Red Deer Rebels in the third round of the 2010 WHL bantam drafat. A native of Calgary, he finished this season with the AJHL’s Camrose Kodiaks, after playing more than two seasons with the Okotoks Oilers. This season, he had 25 points, including 12 goals, in 48 games.
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If you are a follower of the junior B Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, you should know that there’s a new blog out there that will endeavour to keep you up to date on happenings. You will find it right here. There also is a link to it over there on the right.
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F Graham Black of the Swift Current Broncos has signed an ATO with the Albany Devils, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils. Black, who played out his junior eligibility this season, was a fifth-round selection by the Devils in the 2012 NHL draft. . . . From Regina, Black had 97 points, 34 of them goals, in 69 games with the Broncos this season.
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For today’s good read, we take you to grantland.com and a piece by Charles P. Pierce about the NFL’s Washington Redskins and their owner, Dan Snyder. It is the owner, of course, who refuses to do away with what Pierce refers to as being “racially vicious.” . . . That piece is right here.
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And here is a longer read for you, as Charlie Gillis of Maclean's magazine takes a look at the ugliness that seems to have entrenched itself into some areas of Canadian minor hockey. Gillis paints anything but a pretty picture; in fact, it’s likely worse than even you suspect. That piece is right here. A shower is suggested for after you have read it.
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G Eric Williams of the Spokane Chiefs has signed with the ECHL’s Colorado Eagles. Williams, 20, went 33-19-4, 2.67, .906 with the Chiefs this season, his fourth in the WHL. The Eagles, who have a playoff spot under wraps, began a three-game series with the visiting Alaska Aces last night. . . . The Eagles head coach is Chris Stewart, who did a turn as head coach of the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders back in the day.
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THE SECOND ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. BRANDON (7)
(Edmonton leads, 3-1)
Season series: Edmonton, 3-1-0; Brandon, 1-2-1.
Thursday: Brandon 0 at Edmonton 5 (5,899)
Saturday: Brandon 0 at Edmonton 3 (7,115)
Tuesday: Edmonton 5 at Brandon 2 (3,522)
Wednesday: Edmonton 2 at Brandon 5 (3,246)
Friday: Brandon at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
x-Monday: Edmonton at Brandon, 7 p.m.
x-Wednesday: Brandon at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Edmonton: F Brandon Baddock, day-to-day; D Blake Orban, day-to-day.
Brandon: G Curtis Honey, day-to-day.
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MEDICINE HAT (4) vs. KOOTENAY (6)
(Kootenay leads, 2-1)
Season series: Medicine Hat, 3-3-0; Kootenay, 3-3-0.
Saturday: Kootenay 4 at Medicine Hat 2 (3,750)
Sunday: Kootenay 2 at Medicine Hat 5 (3,755)
Wednesday: Medicine Hat 1 at Kootenay 3 (2,461)
Thursday: Medicine Hat at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
Saturday: Kootenay at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
x-Monday: Medicine Hat at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
x-Wednesday: Kootenay at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
(NOTE: Kootenay plays home games in Cranbrook, B.C.)
INJURIES
Medicine Hat: F Gavin Broadhead, day-to-day; F Hunter Shinkaruk, indefinite.
Kootenay: F Tim Bozon, indefinite; F Ryan Chynoweth, indefinite; D Tyler King, day-to-day; D Tanner Faith, 3-5 months.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
KELOWNA (1) vs. SEATTLE (4)
(Kelowna wins, 4-0)
Season series: Kelowna, 2-1-1; Seattle, 2-1-1.
Thursday: Seattle 2 at Kelowna 6 (4,581)
Saturday: Seattle 3 at Kelowna 6 (5,675)
Tuesday: Kelowna 5 at Seattle 4 (5,029)
Wednesday: Kelowna 5 at Seattle 2 (2,219)
INJURIES
Kelowna: F Myles Bell, week-to-week.
Seattle: F Connor Honey, indefinite; F Jaimen Yakubowski, day-to-day.
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PORTLAND (2) vs. VICTORIA (3)
(Portland leads, 3-1)
(Series televised by Shaw-TV in Canada;
Games 6 and 7, if necessary, on Comcast SportsNet in Portland area)
Season series: Portland, 1-1-2; Victoria, 3-1-0.
Friday: Victoria 2 at Portland 8 (6,152)
Saturday: Victoria 3 at Portland 6 (10,947)
Monday: Portland 1 at Victoria 2 (6,505)
Tuesday: Portland 4 at Victoria 3 (6,745)
Thursday: Victoria at Portland (Moda Center), 7, p.m.
x-Saturday: Portland at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
x-Monday: Victoria at Portland (Veterans Memorial Coliseum), 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Portland: None.
Victoria: None.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:

In Cranbrook, F Levi Cable scored three times to lead the Kootenay Ice to a 3-1 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . The Ice leads the series 2-1, with Game 4 in Cranbrook tonight. . . . Cable, who has six playoff goals, broke a 1-1 tie with a shorthanded goal at 16:38 of the third period, then added an empty-netter at 19:09. . . . Cable, a 19-year-old from Hudson Bay, Sask., had opened the scoring at 9:03 of the second period. . . . Medicine Hat F Curtis Valk tied the game, with his seventh goal, at 7:40 of the third. . . . Cable, in his third season with the Ice, scored 10 goals in 70 regular-season games. WHL Facts (@WHLFacts) tweeted that Cable scored three goals in 45 games between Nov. 30 and March 24. Since March 25, Cable has six goals in as many games. . . . Ice F Sam Reinhart had two assists, his first points of the series, and now leads all playoff scorers in assists (14) and points (19). . . . Ice G Mackenzie Skapski turned aside 39 shots, 12 more than the Tigers’ Marek Langhamer. . . . Kootenay was 0-for-4 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 0-for-3.


 In Kent, Wash., the Kelowna Rockets erased a 1-0 first-period deficit with four straight goals and went on to beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 5-2. . . . The Rockets won the series, 4-0, giving them an 8-1 record in these playoffs. . . . The Rockets finished atop the overall standings so are the No. 1 seed through the playoffs. They now await the winner of the other Western Conference semifinal, between the No. 2 Portland Winterhawks and No. 3 Victoria Royals. The Winterhawks take a 3-1 lead into Game 5 tonight in Portland. . . . Seattle D Ethan Bear opened the scoring at 14:22 of the first period, on a PP. . . . Kelowna D Damon Severson, who had 11 points, including four goals, in the four games, tied it at 16:11 of the second period and F Cole Linaker gave Kelowna the lead at 18:14. . . . Severson and Linaker each have four goals in these playoffs. . . . Kelowna F Marek Tvrdon got his fifth at 12:46 and F Tyson Baillie added his third, on the PP, at 15:00. . . . Seattle F Sam McKechnie scored his first goal at 15:12, but Kelowna F Nick Merkley got an empty-netter at 19:33. . . . The Rockets were 2-for-5 on the PP; Seattle was 1-for-7. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke stopped 42 shots, as did Seattle’s Taran Kozun. . . . Seattle D Evan Wardley didn’t finish the game and was on crutches with a leg injury.


In Brandon, F Jens Meilleur broke a 2-2 tie with a third-period shorthanded goal and the Wheat Kings, getting 49 saves from G Jordan Papirny, went on to beat the Edmonton Oil Kings, 5-2. . . . The Oil Kings lead the series 3-1 with Game 5 scheduled for Friday in Edmonton. . . . Edmonton had won seven straight games in these playoffs. . . . Papirny has stopped 181 shots in the four games. He will celebrate his 18th birthday today; perhaps his teammates should buy him breakfast, lunch and dinner. . . . F Richard Nejezchleb scored his fourth goal of the playoffs, at 6:04 of the first period, to give Brandon its first lead of the series. . . . Edmonton D Cody Corbett tied it at 9:37, with Brandon F Tim McGauley restoring the lead at 11:35. . . . Edmonton F Luke Bertolucci, who had six goals in 63 regular-season games, tied it again, at 7:47 of the second period, with his third playoff goal. . . . Meilleur scored at 6:32 of the third, with F John Quenneville adding insurance at 11:28 and Nejezchleb, who also had an assist, getting an empty-netter during a PP. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry stopped 26 shots. . . . Brandon was 1-for-4 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-for-4.


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Tuesday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Chris Schmidt (Seattle, 1992-96) signed a one-year contract with the Schwenninger Wild Wings (Germany, 2.Bundesliga). He had one goal and one assist in 33 games this season for Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg (Germany, DEL). . . .
F Nigel Dawes (Kootenay, 2001-05) and F Dustin Boyd (Moose Jaw, 2002-06) signed one-year contracts with Barys Astana (Kazakhstan, KHL). Dawes had one assist in 13 games with the Atlanta Thrashers and Montreal Canadiens and 41 goals and 31 assists in 66 games with Chicago Wolves and Hamilton Bulldogs (both AHL) this season. Boyd had one goal in 10 games with Montreal and 20 goals and nine assists in 47 games with Hamilton this season. . . .
F Frantisek Mrazek (Red Deer, 1997-99) signed a one-year contract extension with the Landshut Cannibals (Germany, 2.Bundesliga). He had 10 goals and eight assists in 29 games for tthe Cannibals this season.
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The hockey fans of Winnipeg have gotten back their NHL franchise. Granted, it’s not the same franchise that was taken away from them — that one is in Phoenix now — but the Manitoba capital is back in the club.
Now all that needs be done is for those same fans to cough up for 13,000 season tickets.
That, according to NHL comissioner Gary Bettman, would be a great show of support in advance of the board of governors’ June 21 meeting at which the sale of the franchise is expected to be voted on.
Season tickets are priced from $1,755 to $5,805, and the NHL wants at least a three-year commitment. So, for you and your partner to get in on the cheap, this reignited love affair with the NHL is going to cost you close to $12,000 before you even know the team’s nickname.
As for that nickname, hockey fans everywhere seem to be clamouring for Jets. But if that was going to happen, you would think the announcement would have been made Tuesday. No?
Perhaps the new owners are looking for a commercial tie-in. Does Manitoba Pilseners have a certain ring to it, or what?
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Now that the NHL has moved the Atlanta Thrashers to Winnipeg, where does it go next?
The next time an existing NHL franchise is looking for a soft landing place, what city will be used as leverage? In other words, a year from now, when city council in Glendale, Ariz., is under the gun again, what city will be rumoured as the next home of the Coyotes?
Quebec City would love to get back in, but doesn’t have a building.
There is an NHL-calibre building in Portland but only in the last while has there been any sort of movement to attract a franchise. Things are in the preliminary, preliminary stages, though, and there are miles and miles to go. The NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers are owned by Paul Allen, who hasn’t shown any serious interest in the NHL. Bill Gallacher, who owns the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks and a piece of the BCHL’s Nanaimo Clippers, at one point was attempting to purchase the Dallas Stars.
There is an empty arena in Kansas City but, again, there doesn’t seem to have been much interest shown there. Until now, at least.
Bill Daly, the NHL’s second-in-command, admitted last week that there have been preliminary talks with someone in Seattle, but that city doesn’t have a building that meets NHL standards.
Of course, Atlanta is home to a facility that does.
This is what ESPN refers to as a developing situation.
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My satellite TV provider gives me five Rogers Sportsnet channels.
Five!
On Tuesday afternoon, four of those channels were showing poker. Two of them were carrying Poker After Dark, although it was 1:30 pm., which, I suppose, is after dark. The other two were carrying a program simply referred to on the channel guide as Poker.
No, I didn’t watch. But it has me wondering: Do enough people watch poker on TV that it warrants coverage on four channels at the same time? Or is it such cheap programming that it’s worth it considering the number of viewers of afternoon TV?
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The Rexall Spots Corporation has hired Darryl Porter, a former part-owner of the Tri-City Americans and Chilliwack Bruins, as vice-president of family brands.
According to a news release, he will be “responsible for both the Oil Kings in the Western Hockey League and the Edmonton Capitals of the North American Baseball League. Both teams are part of the Rexall Sports Corporation, which also owns and operates the NHL's Edmonton Oilers . . .
“Porter's passion and knowledge in operating minor league teams, including his extensive experience in sponsorship sales, ticket sales and brand building, makes him the ideal leader for the Oil Kings and Capitals.”
Porter is an Edmonton native.
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The Moose Jaw Warriors will induct former players Blair Atcheynum and Derek Kletzel, along with ex-radio voice Rob Carnie, into the Warriors and Legends Hall of Fame. The banquet is Aug. 19 with a golf tournament on Aug. 20, all of it presented by Conexus. . . . Atcheynum (1986-89) had 189 points, including 105 goals, in 143 games with the Warriors. He holds the club record for goals (70) in a season (1988-89). Kletzel (1988-92) is a former Warriors captain who played 190 games with Moose Jaw. He finished with 183 points, including 100 assists. Kletzel is part-owner of Julien's Fitness and Rehab in Moose Jaw and is the analyst on Warriors’ radio broadcasts. . . . Carnie spent 15 years as the voice of the Warriors on CHAB.
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The case of headshots in the Memorial Cup reached the floor of the Ontario Legislature on Tuesday when Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Bill Murdoch called for the resignation of David Branch, who is the president of the OHL and the commissioner of the CHL.
Bill Walker of the Owen Sound Sun Times had that story right here.
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STU MacGREGOR

JUST NOTES: The NHL’s Edmonton Oilers have agreed with head scout Stu MacGregor on a three-year contract extension. MacGregor is a former Kamloops Blazers general manager who scouted for the Dallas Stars before joining the Oilers’ scouting staff in 2000. He was named the Oilers’ head scout before the 2007-08 season. . . . The Colorago Eagles are leaving the Central league and moving into the ECHL. The Eagles, who lost the Central league final in seven games to the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs on Friday, will begin play in the ECHL in the fall. The Eagles, who spent eight seasons in the Central league, play out of Loveland, Colo. Chris Stewart, a former head coach of the Prince Albert Raiders (1995-98), is the president, GM and head coach of the Eagles. . . . The QMJHL lost a franchise on Tuesday but will get it back in a year. The QMJHL has purchased the Lewiston Maineiacs and is to hold a dispersal draft. The Maineiacs had been in Lewiston since 2003, after having operated as the Sherbrooke Castors. At the same time, the QMJHL announced that a Sherbrooke group that includes former NHL G Jocelyn Thibault has been sold an expansion franchise starting with the 2012-13 season. Lewiston was the QMJHL’s only American franchise and won the league championship in 2007. . . . F Alex Kerfoot will play for the BCHL’s Coquitlam Express in the fall. Kerfoot, 16, had 108 points, including 36 goals, in 38 games as he won the B.C. major midget league’s scoring title with the Vancouver-North West Giants last season. He was selected by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the 12th round of the 2009 bantam draft.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

Tuesday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT: F Mark Smith (Saskatoon, Tri-City, 1995-97) won’t return to the Cardiff Devils (UK Elite) next season. He had 30 goals and 42 assists in 61 games with Cardiff this season. From the Cardiff press release: “Smith, an electrifying skater and stick handler, struggled with a knee injury throughout last season and will now consider his options for the future.” . . .
Brno (Czech Republic Extraliga) announced a series of moves for next season after keeping its spot in the Extraliga by virtue of finishing in first place in the relegation series. . . . F Jaroslav Svoboda (Kootenay, 1998-2000) signed a two-year contract extension. . . . F Vaclav Varada (Tacoma/Kelowna, 1994-96) was returned to Vitkovice (Czech Republic Extraliga). . . . F Jakub Sindel (Brandon, 2004-05) won’t be re-signed. . . . Svoboda had eight goals and four assists in 42 games and two goals and two assists in seven games in the relegation series. . . . Varada started the season with Vitkovice, getting two goals and eight assists in 19 games. He was then loaned to Brno, where he had four goals and four assists in 14 regular-season games and one assist in 10 relegation-series games. Varada has one year left on his contract with Vitkovice. . . . Sindel had 11 goals and nine assists in 44 games this season.
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USHL versus WHL.
USHL versus Western Canadian junior A.
USHL versus the world.
What’s the deal?
Well, I went to someone whose opinion I respect and someone who is quite familiar with the WHL, junior A in the west, and the USHL.
I simply asked him for an opinion. And here is what he told me:
1. The WHL is No. 1. The players are bigger, he said, and when you put everything together the WHL’s players are more skilled. He also pointed out that play in the WHL is more structured, which may have something to do with the level of coaching in the WHL never having been better than it is right now.
2. The USHL is No. 2. He said the USHL’s best teams would be “decent” WHL teams. “There is lots of skill,” he said, “but the players are much smaller on average.” He also pointed out that the USHL’s best players are 17 and 18 years of age — because the best 19- and 20-year-olds are at NCAA schools.
3. He said the best BCHL teams — he mentioned Vernon and Penticton — would “be OK” in the USHL. But, he added, the “bottom-end teams wouldn’t stand a chance.” The other side of that, he said, is that the USHL’s weakest teams “would be good/very good BCHL teams.”
The other three junior A leagues — the AJHL, SJHL and MJHL — follow the BCHL in any rankings.
To sum up, he said he is “very impressed” with the USHL “and its calibre of play.” Still, the edge, when it’s one league against the other, he said, has to go to the WHL.
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Chris Stewart, who did a turn as head coach of the Prince Albert Raiders a while back, is returning to coaching after a two-year absence. Stewart, the president and GM of the Central league’s Colorado Eagles, has added the head-coaching duties to his portfolio. The announcement came as the Eagles revealed that they won’t renew the contract of head coach Kevin McClelland, a former NHL player who also coached in Prince Albert. McClelland went 87-30-11 in two seasons with the Eagles. This season, they were first-round playoff losers to the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs. . . . In previous stints as a CHL coach, Stewart has put up 375 coaching victories, third all-time. . . . Stewart was named Prince Albert’s director of hockey operations and head coach on July 17, 1995. He was fired on Dec. 8, 1997. . . . McClelland took over as the Raiders’ head coach on July 3, 1998. He resigned on June 13, 2000. . . . The future of Eagles assistant coach Greg Pankewicz (Prince Albert, Regina, 1989-91) hasn’t yet been decided. He has been with Colorado, as a player or coach, for seven seasons.
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Another WHL team is trying to erase convicted sexual abuser Graham James from its history. The Calgary Hitmen, whom James served as an owner, general manager and head coach, have removed him from a team photo that hangs in the Pengrowth Saddledome. The CTV outlet in Calgary has that story right here.
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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 wins series 4-2)
April 2: Medicine Hat 2 at Calgary 5 (8,431)
April 4: Medicine Hat 0 at Calgary 4 (6,976)
April 6: Calgary 3 at Medicine Hat 4 (OT) (3,832)
April 7: Calgary 4 at Medicine Hat 1 (4,006)
April 9: Medicine Hat 5 at Calgary 4 (9,004)
April 11: Calgary 3 at Medicine Hat 2 (OT) (4,006)
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Brandon (2) vs. Saskatoon (3)
(Brandon wins series 4-2)
April 2: Brandon 6 at Saskatoon 5 (6,418)
April 3: Brandon 4 at Saskatoon 1 (5,353)
April 7: Saskatoon 5 at Brandon 4 (4,026)
April 9: Saskatoon 4 at Brandon 3 (4,765)
April 10: Saskatoon 2 at Brandon 3 (4,026)
April 12: Brandon 5 at Saskatoon 2 (8,606)
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
Tri-City (1) vs. Kelowna (6)
(Tri-City wins series 4-1)
April 2: Kelowna 3 at Tri-City 5 (3,977)
April 3: Kelowna 4 at Tri-City 1 (3,812)
April 6: Tri-City 2 at Kelowna 0 (5,231)
April 7: Tri-City 3 at Kelowna 2 (5,368)
April 9: Kelowna 3 at Tri-City 4 (OT) (4,334)
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Portland (4) vs. Vancouver (5)
(Vancouver leads series 3-2)
April 3: Vancouver 9 at Portland 6 (5,849)
April 4: Vancouver 7 at Portland 4 (3,757)
April 7: Portland 3 at Vancouver 2 (7,088)
April 9: Portland 3 at Vancouver 5 (8,828)
April 10: Portland 5 at Vancouver 4 (6,418)
Tuesday: Vancouver 3 at Portland 1 (5,589)
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THIRD ROUND
CONFERENCE FINALS
(Best-of-7)
(x — if necessary)
(All times local)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Calgary (1) vs. Brandon (2)
Friday: Brandon at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Saturday: Brandon at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Tuesday: Calgary at Brandon, 6 p.m.
April 21: Calgary at Brandon, 6 p.m.
x-April 23: Brandon at Calgary, 6 p.m.
x-April 25: Calgary at Brandon, 5 p.m.
x-April 27: Brandon at Calgary, 6 p.m.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
Tri-City (1) vs. Vancouver (5)
Friday: Vancouver at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday: Vancouver at Tri-City, 7::35 p.m.
Tuesday: Tri-City at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
April 22: Tri-City at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
x-April 24: Vancouver at Tri-City, 1 p.m.
x-April 26: Tri-City at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
x-April 27: Vancouver at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
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MONDAY:
In Portland, F Tomas Vincour broke a 1-1 tie at 7:25 of the second period and the Vancouver Giants went on to a 3-1 victory over the Winterhawks. . . . The Giants won the series 4-2 and now will meet the Tri-City Americans in the Western Conference final. That series opens with Friday and Saturday games in Kennewick, Wash. . . . Vincour’s goal, his fifth of the playoffs, came via the PP. . . . F Brendan Gallagher had given Vancouver a 1-0 lead with a shorthanded goal at 8:02 of the first period. . . . F Nino Niederreiter scored a PP goal just 31 seconds later. . . . Gallagher has nine goals in these playoffs; Niederreiter scored eight. . . . F James Henry gave Vancouver some insurance with a PP goal at 9:31 of the third. . . . Vancouver was 2-for-4 on the PP; Portland was 1-for-5. . . . Vancouver G Mark Segal stopped 32 shots in running his playoff record to 8-2. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth stopped 26 shots. . . . The Giants were without F J.T. Barnett (shoulder), who might not play again this season. . . . The Giants also were without F Brett Breitkreuz (undisclosed), while Portland reamined without D Taylor Aronson (shoulder). . . . The Winterhawks, who hadn’t played in the playoffs since the spring of 2006, were done in by their inability to win on home ice. They played six home playoff games in two rounds and lost them all. At the same time, they won six of seven road games. . . . The Giants, meanwhile, now are 5-0 on the road. . . . Attendance at the Rose Garden was 5,589. . . . The start of the second period was delayed by about 15 minutes after a fan was injured while taking part in a broomball game during the intermission. The male fan fell and was taken off the ice on a stretcher. . . . Portland D Luca Sbisa, whose NHL rights belong to the Anaheim Ducks, is likely to be assigned to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. The Moose is preparing to open a first-round playoff series against the Hamilton Bulldogs on Thursday.
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PLAYOFF NOTES: The Calgary Hitmen know that they are going to have to raise their game to another level if they are to beat the Brandon Wheat Kings in the Eastern Conference final. That series opens Friday in Calgary and the Calgary Herald takes a look right here. . . . If you hadn’t already guessed, Shaw TV will cover the series between Calgary and Brandon.