Oil Kings, Rockets draw first blood

D Michal Plutnar (Tri-City, 2011-14) has signed three-year contract with Liberec (Czech Republic, Extraliga). This season, he had 12 points, three of them goals, in 51 games with the Americans.
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If the WHL’s Western Conference final between the Kelowna Rockets and Portland Winterhawks needs a Game 6, it will be played in the Rose City on Sunday, April 27, at 2 p.m. Originally, the game had been scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. . . . The time change should make things easier on fans as an NBA playoff game between the Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers is to start at 6:30 p.m., at the Moda Center. . . . The hockey game would be played at Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
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The finalists for the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy as the WHL's player of the year are F Mitch Holmberg of the Spokane Chiefs and F Sam Reinhart of the Kootenay Ice, as voted on by, according to the WHL, “general managers, coaches, broadcast and media representatives of all WHL member clubs.”
Reinhart, 18, who represents the Eastern Conference, had 105 points, including 36 goals.
Holmberg, 20, represents the Western Conference. He won the WHL scoring title with 118 points, including a WHL-leading 62 goals.
The WHL’s awards luncheon is scheduled for April 30 in Calgary.
The WHL, for whatever reason, chose to release this news on Good Friday, the same day that both of its conference finals began.
Everyone knows that governments release bad news on Friday afternoons. The WHL chooses to release good news on the afternoon of a holiday Friday. Why not hold on to the release until Monday and do it when both of its conference finals are enjoying a day of rest?
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THE THIRD ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. MEDICINE HAT (4)
(Edmonton leads, 1-0)
Season series: Edmonton, 5-0-1; Medicine Hat, 1-5-0.
(All games on Shaw TV)
Friday: Medicine Hat 3 at Edmonton 8 (7,694)
Sunday: Medicine Hat at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
Tuesday: Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
x-Saturday, April 26: Medicine Hat at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
x-Monday, April 28: Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 29: Medicine Hat at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Edmonton: D Blake Orban, day-to-day.
Medicine Hat: F Anthony Ast, day-to-day; F Gavin Broadhead, day-to-day; F Hunter Shinkaruk, indefinite.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
KELOWNA (1) vs. PORTLAND (2)
(Kelowna leads, 1-0)
Season series: Kelowna, 4-0-0; Portland, 0-4-0.
Friday: Portland 4 at Kelowna 5 (6,218)
Saturday: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
Tuesday: Kelowna at Portland (Moda Center), 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Kelowna at Portland (Moda Center), 7 p.m.
x-Friday: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
x-Sunday, April 27: Kelowna at Portland, 2 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 29: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Kelowna: F Myles Bell, week-to-week.
Portland: None.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:

In Edmonton, the Oil Kings scored twice in the game’s first 66 seconds and went on to an 8-3 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Game 2 of the Eastern Conference final is scheduled for Sunday in Edmonton. . . . Oil Kings F Curtis Lazar scored his fourth goal of these playoffs just 32 seconds into the game and D Cody Corbett, with his fifth, made it 2-0 at 1:06. . . . The first two goals came with the teams playing 4-on-4. . . . Edmonton built a 7-0 lead before the game was half over. . . . Corbett scored twice, while teammates F Henrik Samuelsson, F Reid Petryk, F Mads Eller and F Edgars Kulda each had two assists. . . . According to a tweet by Edmonton radio voice Corey Graham, Lazar has 22 career playoff goals, the “most in modern Oil Kings history.” . . . Medicine Hat F Curtis Valk scored twice, giving him a playoff-leading 12 goals. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry stopped 28 shots. . . . The Tigers started Marek Langhamer, switched to Nick Schneider and later brought Langhamer back. Langhamer gave up five goals on 22 shots; Schneider was beaten three times on eight shots. . . . The Tigers were 1-for-4 on the PP; the Oil Kings were 0-for-2. . . .


In Kelowna, the Rockets erased a 3-0 first-period deficit and went on to beat the Portland Winterhawks, 5-4. . . . Game 2 in the Western Conference final is to be played tonight in Kelowna. . . . After the Rockets cut the deficit to 3-2, the Winterhawks were a split second away from a 4-2 lead as F Oliver Bjorkstrand was that close to his third goal as the first period ended. Replay showed that time expired with the front edge of the puck just starting to cross the top of the goal line. . . . Portland D Keoni Texeira gave his side a 4-2 lead at 15:43 of the second period. . . . Kelowna F Rourke Chartier, perhaps the best forward on the ice, cut that to 4-3 at 16:26 of the second period. . . . Kelowna F Justin Kirkland tied it at 4:17 of the third, via the PP, and D Jesse Lees gave the home side its first lead with his first goal at 5:59. . . . The Rockets outshot the visitors 14-4 and outscored them 2-0 in the third. . . . Bjorkstrand scored 33 seconds into the game and added his 11th of the playoffs, on the PP, at 5:49. . . . Portland F Chase De Leo made it 3-0 on another PP, at 12:19. . . . The Rockets got on the board when F Tyson Baillie scored at 13:08 of the first. . . . Kelowna D Madison Bowey may have scored his side’s biggest goal when he got a shorthanded tally off a 2-on-1 break at 19:33. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke stopped 22 shots, nine fewer than Brendan Burke of Portland. . . . The Winterhawks were 2-for-5 on the PP; the Rockets were 1-for-4. . . . Portland F Brendan Leipsic and D Derrick Pouliot each had an assist as they ran point streaks to 10 games. They now share the franchise record for longest playoff point streak. . . . Pouliot’s assist was his 46th career playoff helper, breaking the franchise record that he had shared with F Ty Rattie, who is finishing up his freshman season with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves . . . . The Rockets continue to be without F Myles Bell (leg), a 42-goal man in the regular season.
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From Portland Winterhawks (@pdxwinterhawks): “As we count down to Game 1, consider that Hawks and Rockets are two of just 18 teams to win 54 or more games in a season in WHL history.”


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Off to camps they go

THE MacBETH REPORT:

F Lukas Bohunicky (Kootenay, 2005-07) has been loaned to Ceske Budejovice by Mlada Boleslav (both Czech Republic, 1. Liga) for one month. He had three points, one of them a goal, in 23 games with Mlada Boleslav.
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The Czech Republic’s national junior team will have at least five WHLers at its selection camp. G Marek Langhamer (Medicine Hat), F Richard Nejezchleb (Brandon), D David Nemecek (Saskatoon), D Michal Plutnar (Tri-City) and F Dominek Volek (Red Deer) all were invited on Wednesday. . . . The selection camp opens Dec. 13 in Rokycany, Czech Republic. . . . There’s more right here on the Czech team.
Meanwhile, Edmonton Oil Kings F Henrik Samuelsson is the only WHLer, and one of five CHL players, invited to the U.S. national junior team’s selection camp. Samuelsson (undisclosed injury) won’t play Friday when the Oil Kings are at home to the Portland Winterhawks. The U.S. team will gather in Minneapolis on Dec. 15. . . . Here’s SI.com on Samuelsson’s chances of making the team: “Henrik Samuelsson is one of just four first-round picks headed to camp, but he’s a good bet to be one of the two forwards cut loose. He’s proven to be a solid player with Edmonton of the WHL and would bring a rugged presence to the bottom six, but he’s struggled to make his mark in previous USA camps, and then there’s that CHL thing.”
Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post reports that Regina Pats LW Maximilian Kammerer is expected to attend the German national junior’s selection camp. . . . The World Junior Championship runs Dec. 26 through Jan. 5 in Malmo, Sweden.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:
In Brandon, F Jayce Hawryluk broke a 4-4 tie with 28.9 seconds left in the third period and the Wheat Kings beat the Regina Pats, 5-4. . . . With the victory, Brandon (15-13-2) moved past Regina (15-13-1)and into a sixth-place tie with the Kootenay Ice (15-14-2) in the Eastern Conference. . . . Hawryluk, who has 13 goals, scored twice and added an assist. . . . The Pats pulled into a 4-4 tie with goals by F Braden Christoffer at 7:48 of the third period and D Griffin Mumby at 8:40. . . . Mumby scored his first WHL goal in his 73rd game. The 17-year-old from Calgary was scoreless in 51 games last season. . . . Regina lost D Kyle Burroughs after he absorbed a first-period hit from Hawryluk. Burroughs was wobbly and needed help to get off the ice. He didn’t return. Hawrulyk wasn’t penalized on the play. . . . G Jordan Papirny stopped 30 shots in his 14th straight start for Brandon as G Curtis Honey remains sidelined with an injury. . . . Brandon was 3-for-5 on the PP. . . . The Pats are without F Morgan Klimchuk (hip). . . .

In Swift Current, F Graham Black had a goal, his 16th, and two assists to help the Broncos to a 4-1 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Black also was plus-4. . . . The Broncos (18-11-3) lead the Eastern Conference by two points over the idle Medicine Hat Tigers (17-8-3), who hold four games in hand. . . . Broncos F Colby Cave opened the scoring, with his 17th, at 1:53 of the first period. That was the Teddy Bear goal. . . . Broncos G Eetu Laurikainen stopped 35 shots. . . . The Hurricanes have lost seven in a row and have one victory in their last 18 outings. . . . Lethbridge had F Russell Maxwell (undisclosed injury) and F Tyler Cooper (concussion) back in its lineup. . . . The Hurricanes got their goal from F Carter Folk, a 17-year-old Reginan. It was his first WHL goal and came in his 22nd game, 15 of which have come this season. . . .

In Red Deer, the Rebels overcame a 3-1 deficit with four straight goals and beat the Prince Albert Raiders, 6-3. . . . The Raiders got goals from F Leon Draisaitl, his 16th, and F Mike Winther, his third, at 16:32 and 16:59 of the second to take a 3-1 lead. . . . But the Rebels tied it before period’s end as D Kayle Doetzel, with his first, and F Dominik Volek, with his 14th, counted 35 seconds apart. . . . Rebels D Haydn Fleury broke the 3-3 tie with his fifth goal 42 seconds into the third. . . . Volek had a goal and an assist, and was plus-3. . . .

In Spokane, F Mitch Holmberg, the WHL’s leading scorer, struck for two shorthanded goals in the first period and the Chiefs went on to a 2-1 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . With D Tyler King off for tripping, Holmberg scored at 17:51 and 19:29. . . . Chiefs G Eric Williams turned aside 27 shots, 10 fewer than Saskatoon’s Troy Trombley. . . . Saskatoon went 0-5 as it played five times in six nights on its U.S. Division swing. The Blades are 1-9-0 in its last 10. . . . The Chiefs were 0-for-4 on the PP; it has gone three games without a PP goal. . . . F Liam Stewart drew assists on both of Holmberg’s goals. Holmberg leads the WHL in goals (32) and points (66). . . . The Chiefs are without D Reid Gow, who has an undisclosed injury. He has yet to score this season, but has 33 assists in 28 games. . . . Saskatoon D David Nemecek took a charging major and game misconduct for a second-period hit on Spokane F Riley Whittingham. . . .

In Vancouver, G Jared Rathjen stopped 33 shots to lead the Giants to a 3-2 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Ice, which has lost three straight, outshot its hosts 8-4 and 14-5 in the last two periods. . . . Vancouver F Jackson Houck broke a 2-2 tie with a PP goal at 15:19 of the third period. . . . F Austin Vetterl had pulled the Ice into a 2-2 tie at 6:14, on the PP. Vetterl, who once played for the Giants, also had an assist. . . . The Giants (13-11-7), with points in 11 straight games (6-0-5), hold down the Western Conference’s eighth and final playoff spot, seven points up on the Prince George Cougars (11-16-4). . . . Vancouver’s next three games all will be against the Victoria Royals. They’ll play Friday and Saturday in Victoria, then return for a game in Vancouver on Tuesday. The Royals (19-11-1) are fourth in the Western Conference, six points ahead of the Giants.
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From Red Deer Rebels (@Rebelshockey): “Thanks again to all the fans who braved the roads and the windchill tonight. The support is appreciated! #reddeer”
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From F Henrik Samuelsson (@Hsamuelsson1994) of the Edmonton Oil Kings: “After 1/2 a year I figured out what my password was for twitter. Exciting news thought I'd share that. #excitement”
More from Samuelsson: “And also thanks for all the congratulations! Even tho most of you will be rooting for canada...”
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From Joe McFarland (@JoeMcFarland): “Lethbridge Hurricanes are 3-22-2-2. They were 28-34-3-7 last year. So just to match last year, they'd have to go 25-12-1-5 rest of way. #WHL”

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Ams win, drop Blazers into second in division

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
The Kamloops Blazers lost more than a WHL game on Wednesday night.
The Blazers, who dropped a 3-1 decision to the Tri-City Americans at Interior Savings Centre, were knocked off the B.C. Division’s top rung by the Kelowna Rockets, who dumped the visiting Victoria Royals, 6-1.
The Rockets (30-10-2), who have won seven in a row, lead the Blazers (28-11-4), who had a three-game winning streak snapped, by two points and hold a game in hand.
And now the Spokane Chiefs have won three straight and are only five points behind the third-place Blazers in the Western Conference standings.
As well, Kamloops centre Colin Smith, who was held pointless for a second straight game, no longer is leading the WHL scoring race, having been passed by forward Nic Petan of the Portland Winterhawks. Petan drew an assist in Portland’s 3-0 victory over the visiting Prince George Cougars, and now holds a 69-68 lead over Smith.
Last night, the Blazers had opportunities to take control as they were presented with six of the game’s first seven power-play opportunities, something of an oddity because the Americans are the league’s least-penalized team.
However, the Blazers, whose power play went in ranked No. 2 in the 22-team league, were able to capitalize only on the first of those. That came at 2:53 of the first period when left-winger Tim Bozon got his 26th goal of the season, tapping in a loose puck that had gotten through Tri-City goaltender Eric Comrie.
The Americans finally got that one back at 11:14 of the second period on their second power play, with defenceman Michal Plutnar getting a shot from the point through traffic and past goaltender Cole Cheveldave.
The second period ended with both goaltenders making marvellous saves, Comrie using his left pad to beat centre Brendan Ranford on a clearcut breakaway and Cheveldave using his right pad to stone centre Marcus Messier.
In the end, it was right-winger Beau McCue, the pride of Missoula, Montana, who broke the Blazers’ hearts, taking a Mitch Topping rebound off the end boards and banging it past Cheveldave just 30 seconds into the third period.
Centre Justin Feser iced it for the visitors with an empty-net goal from the neutral zone with 19.6 seconds left in the final period.
If there was some good news for the Blazers, it was that Cheveldave looked like his old self. The sophomore was making his first start after getting hooked twice and then watching backup Taran Kozun make two winning starts in a row.
Cheveldave made 24 saves, 11 fewer than Comrie, who showed Kamloops fans why he is so highly rated.
The Blazers will play their next five games on the road. They are in Prince George on Friday and Saturday, then will play in Victoria on Tuesday and Wednesday, before going to Kennewick for a Jan. 18 date with the Americans.
Kamloops next plays at home on Jan. 19 against the Royals.
JUST NOTES: The attendance was 4,227. . . . The Blazers finished 1-for-7 on the PP; the Americans were 1-for-3. . . . The Blazers scratched F JC Lipon and D Marek Hrbas. Lipon, who played for Canada at the World Junior Championship, is at home in Regina. He will join the Blazers in Prince George for a Friday-Saturday doubleheader with the Cougars. Hrbas, who played for the Czech Republic at the WJC, returned to Kamloops on Tuesday night, but was given the night off. . . . The Blazers also were missing associate coach Dave Hunchak, who has returned to Saskatchewan on a personal matter. Goaltending coach Dan De Palma was behind the Blazers’ bench in Hunchak’s spot. . . . The Daily News Three Stars: 1. Comrie: The real deal; 2. D Zach Yuen, Tri-City: Always plays well here; 3. Feser: Heart-and-soul guy. . . .
F Devin Oakes, 17, made his WHL debut with the Blazers. Oakes, who has 21 points in 30 games with the junior B Kamloops Storm, was in camp with the Blazers but was limited due to offseason shoulder surgery. Oakes, 6-foot-1 and 207 pounds, is from Prince Rupert. . . . F Matthew Gelinas, who signed Tuesday with the Americans, also made his WHL debut. The son of former NHLer Martin Gelinas, now an assistant coach with the Calgary Flames, took a mostly regular shift and saw some PP time. He is to return to the midget AAA Calgary Royals after playing Friday in Kelowna.
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F Alex Forsberg, the first overall selection in the 2010 bantam draft, didn’t return to the Prince George Cougars following the Christmas break. He has asked for a trade.
Sheri Lamb of the Prince George Citizen has the Cougars’ side of the story right here.
Unfortunately, as Lamb writes, “Repeated attempts by The Citizen to contact Forsberg over the telephone and through social media for his comments were ignored, while his Twitter account was shut down last weekend.”
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The Portland Winterhawks have added D Shaun MacPherson, 18, to their roster. MacPherson, who was in their training camp prior to this season and has been on their protected list, had 18 points in 32 games with the SJHL’s Kindersley Klippers. From Edmonton, he played for the midget AAA Knights of Columbus Pats last season, putting up 15 points in 33 games.
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JUST NOTES:
D Rene Hunter, 19, was back skating with the Brandon Wheat Kings on Friday. Hunter, from Ebb and Flow, Man., left the club for personal reasons on Nov. 28. . . . F Mike Ferland, 20, was on the ice with the Wheat Kings yesterday but was wearing a no-contact jersey. He was injured Monday in Edmonton and didn’t play Wednesday in Calgary. . . .
D Martin Gernat of the Edmonton Oil Kings, who hasn’t played all season due to shoulder surgery, is expected to get medical clearance on Monday and could play a couple of weeks after that. Having Gernat, 19, in the lineup will be liking getting a freebie at the trade deadline. The Slovakian had 55 points in 60 games as a freshman last season. . . . Edmonton GM Bob Green has told Evan Daum of the Edmonton Journal that he has spoken with Brandon GM Kelly McCrimmon about Wheat Kings F Mike Ferland, 20. The Oil Kings have room to add a 20-year-old player. . . .
Congrats to former WHL coach Walt Kyle (Seattle, 1992-94) picked up his 200th victory as head coach of the Nortern Michigan Wildcats last night. NMU posted a 6-2 victory over the host St. Cloud State Huskies. Kyle is in his 11th season with the Wildcats.
G Mac Carruth of the Portland Winterhawks will tie a franchise record for career victories should he get the start and beat the Silvertips in Everett tonight. He and Darrell May Sr. share the record, at 105. . . . Carruth is a Chicago Blackhawks draft pick; May scouts for Chicago. . . . Paul Buker of The Oregonian has more right here.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:
In Saskatoon, F Josh Nicholls scored twice to help the Blades to a 6-3 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Nicholls, who was playing in his 300th regular-season game with the Blades, leads the WHL with 29 goals. . . . Nicholls also drew an assist, giving him 50 points in 39 games. . . . With 29 goals, Nicholls is five shy of his career high from 2010-11. . . . In his 300 career games, Nicholls has 278 points. . . . Saskatoon F Adam Kambeitz, who also was playing in game No. 300, scored his ninth goal of the season, into an empty net. . . . Saskatoon G Patrick Johnson stopped 36 shots for his second straight victory. . . . The victory lifted the Blades to within eight points of the East Division-leading Raiders. . . . F Anthony Bardaro scored his 16th goal, and his sixth in four games, for the Raiders. . . . You have to live on the Prairies, or to have lived there, to appreciate the promotion the Blades ran last night — it was Ukrainian Night and the Saskatoon goal song apparently was Beer Barrel Polka. . . . The only thing missing was the Schmenge Brothers. . . .

In Regina, F Morgan Klimchuk scored in the circus to give the Pats a 3-2 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Klimchuk was the only one of six shooters to score in the shootout. . . . Regina F Jack Rodewald forced OT with his fifth goal at 17:42 of the second period. . . . The Pats have won three in a row and four of five. . . .

In Calgary, the Hitmen scored the game’s last five goals and beat the Moose Jaw Warriors, 6-1. . . . Calgary F Brooks Macek had a goal, his 20th, and two assists, while D Colby Harmsworth had three assists. A 17-year-old freshman from Saskatoon, Harmsworth went into the game with one assist in 22 games. . . .

In Cranbrook, the Kootenay Ice ran its winning streak to four games by beating the Swift Current Broncos, 4-1. . . . The Ice has won four in a row for the first time this season. . . . The Broncos have lost three in a row. . . . Ice F Sam Reinhart got his 15th goal, shorthanded, and added an assist. . . . Broncos F Adam Lowry drew an assist on his club’s goal, running his point streak to 16 games. . . .

In Red Deer, the Vancouver Giants scored three times in the circus and beat the Rebels, 5-4. . . . F Cain Franson, F Trevor Cheek and D Brett Kulak scored for Vancouver in the shootout; Red Deer got circus goals from F Rhyse Dieno and F Dominik Volek. . . . Volek scored his first two goals of the season in regulation time. . . . Vancouver F Jackson Houck forced OT with his ninth goal at 9:13 of the third. . . . This was the start of a Vancouver road trip in which the Giants will play five games in six nights. . . . G Jared Rathjen, who was acquired from the Victoria Royals on Thursday, backed up Tyler Fuhr for Vancouver. . . . Giants F Lucas Leone, who signed Thursday after playing for the BCHL’s Coquitlam Express, had one assist. . . .

In Kamloops, F Kale Kessy scored twice in his first game with the Blazers, as they dumped the Seattle Thunderbirds, 6-1. . . . Kessy, who was acquired from the Vancouver Giants on Wednesday night, has 11 goals. . . . He played on a line with Brendan Ranford, who had four assists, and Cole Ully, who scored once and added two assists. . . . Kamloops D Josh Connolly, the younger brother of Tampa Bay Lightning F Brett Connolly, scored his first WHL goal. . . . The Blazers have won three in a row, while the Thunderbirds have lost nine straight. . . .

In Prince George, the Kelowna Rockets scored the game’s last three goals and beat the Cougars, 4-2. . . . F Zach Franko had a goal, his 16th, and two assists for the Rockets, while F Myles Bell got his 25th goal and added an assist. . . . The victory kept the Rockets within two points of the B.C. Division-leading Kamloops Blazers. . . . The Rockets, who have won five in a row, play in Prince George again tonight, while the Blazers are idle. . . .  The Cougars hae lost four straight. . . . Prince George had G Nathan Warren of the major midget Cariboo Cougars backing up starter Mac Engel. That’s because Brett Zarowny was ill. The Cougars were missing seven other regulars, as well. . . .

In Victoria, D Michal Plutnar’s OT goal gave the Tri-City Americans a 3-2 victory over the Royals. . . . Plutnar’s second goal of the season came at 4:59 of OT— there was 0.3 left on the clock. . . . Tri-City D Zach Yuen forced extra time with his fourth goal, on the PP, at 10:38 of the second. . . . The Royals had F Alex Gogolev back from an undisclosed injury, but F Logan Nelson, F Luke Harrison and F Ben Walker all were out. . . .

In Everett, F Reid Petryk broke a 2-2 tie at 17:16 of the third period as the Silvertips beat the Spokane Chiefs, 3-2. . . . Petryk’s 11th goal of the season came on a penalty shot. . . . Petryk also scored in the second period. . . .  Everett F Josh Winquist also had a penalty shot. He came up short against G Garrret Hughson at 11:33 of the third. . . . Winquist took the penalty shot in place of F Manraj Hayer who was shaken up when he was hauled down on a breakaway. . . . The Chiefs overcame a 2-0 deficit, with F Blake Gal forcing OT with his sixth goal at 12:13 of the third period on the PP. . . . F Todd Fiddler drew assists on both Spokane goals. . . . D Kevin Davis, the 11th overall selection in the 2012 bantam draft, made his WHL debut with the Silvertips. . . . Spokane D Brenden Kichton had an assist as he played his 300th regular-season game. . . . Everett is 3-1 since the Christmas break, including three victories within the U.S. Division.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Tanner Eberle, Moose Jaw
D Brett Lernout, Swift Current

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Bryson Gore, Moose Jaw
F Chase Clayton, Calgary
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From Tampa Bay Lightning F Brett Connolly (@bconnolly8): “@jconnolly02 congrats on your first of many goals. Don’t stop at 1. #stayhot”

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