Sunday . . .

G Kurtis Mucha earned the victory Sunday as the ECHL’s Stockton Thunder edged the visiting Las Vegas Wranglers, 6-5, in front of 6,845 fans. Mucha came on in the first period, relieving Andrew Perugini, with his club down 3-0. Mucha stopped 15 of 17 shots the rest of the way, with Stockton winning on F Matt Robinson’s third goal of the game, and 29th of the season, at 19:00 of the third period.
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The Dallas Stars like what they’ve got in former Kelowna Rockets F Jamie Benn. Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News has more right here.
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As was written here late last week, it is sounding more and more as though F Tyler Pitlick will be leaving Minnesota State-Mankato and joining the Medicine Hat Tigers. Check out this right here, from Shane Frederick of the Mankato Free Press.
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The Prince George Citizen’s Jason Peters reports that D Michael King, a third-round selection by the Kootenay Ice in the 2008 WHL bantam draft, has opted to join the BCHL’s Westside Warriors. King, 6-foot-4 and 198 pounds, played the last two seasons with the major midget Cariboo Cougars, who play out of Prince George. “We phoned Kootenay and told them that I was going BCHL and was going for a scholarship,” King told Peters. “They phoned quite a few times after that, wanting to talk and stuff but I think I made the right choice.”
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WHL PLAYOFFS
FIRST ROUND
(Best-of-7)
(All times local)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Calgary (1) vs. Moose Jaw (8)
(Series tied 3-3)
Monday: Moose Jaw at Calgary, 7 p.m.
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Brandon (2) vs. Swift Current (7)
(Brandon wins series 4-0)
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Saskatoon (3) vs. Red Deer (6)
(Saskatoon wins series 4-0)
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Kootenay (4) vs. Medicine Hat (5)
(Medicine Hat wins series 4-2)
Sunday: Kootenay 1 at Medicine Hat 4
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
Tri-City (1) vs. Chilliwack (8)
(Tri-City wins series 4-2)
Sunday: Tri-City 4 at Chilliwack 1
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Vancouver (2) vs. Kamloops (7)
(Vancouver wins series 4-0)
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Everett (3) vs. Kelowna (6)
(Series tied 3-3)
Monday: Kelowna at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
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Spokane (4) vs. Portland (5)
(Portland leads series 3-2)
Monday: Spokane at Portland, 7 p.m. (Rose Garden)
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PLAYOFF NOTES: The Portland Winterhawks have played seven games in Spokane this season, including three in the playoffs, and have won them all. The Chiefs, meanwhile, have gone into Portland six times and has won five times. . . . The series between the Winterhawks and Chiefs is on a 2-3-1-1 format because the NCAA basketball tournament was in the arena in Spokane last weekend. Spokane opened in Portland with two victories; the Winterhawks went to Spokane and won three times. . . . They’ll play Game 6 in Portland on Monday, with Game 7, if needed, in Spokane on Wednesday. . . . Scott Sepich of The Oregonian reports: “The only other time the Winterhawks have won three road games in a playoff series was in 2006, when they won three games in Seattle in a 4-3 series victory. That was the last postseason series victory for Portland.” . . .
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SUNDAY:
In Medicine Hat, F Joey Frazer scored twice, the last one into an empty net, as the Tigers scored a 5-2 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Tigers, who won 5-2 in Cranbrook on Friday night, won the series, 4-2. . . . Medicine Hat F Emerson Etem scored his fourth goal of the series at 12:37 of the first period, with Fraser getting his second of the series at 1:36 of the second period. . . . Etem finished with a goal and two helpers, while F Linden Vey had four assists. . . . Medicine Hat G Tyler Bunz stopped 23 shots, while Nathan Lieuwen turned aside 20 for the Ice. . . . The Tigers were 0-for-5 on the PP; the Ice was 0-for-3. . . . Attendance was 4,006.
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In Chilliwack, G Drew Owsley stopped 33 shots to lead the Tri-City Americans to a 4-1 victory over the Bruins. . . . The Americans won the series, 4-2. . . . F Patrick Holland opened the scoring for the visitors, with his second goal of the series, at 10:56 of the first period. . . . Chilliwack F Roman Horak tied it at 8:27 of the second period, on the PP. . . . F Jordan Messier scored the eventual winner at 12:55 of the second period, with F Sergei Drozd and F Brooks Macek adding third-period goals. . . . Macek had four goals in the series. . . . Chilliwack G Lucas Gore stopped 32 shots. . . . The Americans were 1-for-6 on the PP; the Bruins were 1-for-5. . . . Attendance was 3,787.

Friday . . . early

The Medicine Hat Tigers may be close to adding a potential impact forward to their roster for next season. Tyler Pitlick, a 6-foot-1, 190-pounder from
Centerville, Minn., turns 19 on Nov. 1. He played this season as a freshman at Minnesota State-Mankato, earning 19 points, including 11 goals, in 38 games. A nephew of former NHLer Lance Pitlick, Tyler was ranked 21st among North American skaters eligible for the NHL draft in Central Scouting’s mid-term ratings. . . . Pitlick apparently is about to visit Medicine Hat and check out things before deciding whether to leave school and join the Tigers.
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The Kamloops Blazers’ three 20-year-olds all will be getting at least a taste of the pro game. . . . D Ryan Funk flew out of Kelowna Friday morning to join the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads. He is expected to be in the lineup Friday night against the Victoria Salmon Kings. . . . C C.J. Stretch is heading home to California on Sunday and will skate with the ECHL’s Ontario Reign. . . . G Kurtis Mucha is expected to join the ECHL’s Stockton Thunder at some point on the weekend. The Thunder is affiliated with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. Mucha went to camp with the Oilers and was offered a minor-league contract; instead of signing, he chose to return to the Portland Winterhawks, hoping to finish his WHL career there. However, they dealt him to Kamloops in November.