Showing posts with label Taran Kozun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Taran Kozun. Show all posts

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Kozun blanks Silvertips. . . . Big night for Cougars' Witala . . . Hitmen catch Tigers








D Ole-Kristian Tollefsen (Brandon, 2002-04) has signed a two-year-plus-option extension with Färjestad Karlstad (Sweden, SHL). Tollefsen, the team captain, has two goals and three assists in 42 games with Färjestad this season.
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The Regina Pats have announced a new ticket-pricing schedule along with new prices. As Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post writes, it all “is proving to be a tough sell” with fans. . . . Harder’s story is right here.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES

B.C. DIVISION: Kelowna (12 games remaining) lost in Victoria (12); those two will finish 1-2 in the division. . . . Kelowna leads the overall standings by two points over Brandon. . . . Vancouver (12) beat visiting Kamloops (11), while Prince George (11) was winning at home. Vancouver holds third place by three points over Prince George and five over Kamloops. Prince George is five points out of the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot.
U.S. DIVISION: Everett (13) lost on the road, while Portland (13) won at home. Everett leads the division by three points over Portland. . . . Seattle (13), which beat Everett at home, is five points behind Portland. . . . Spokane (14) lost at home and holds down the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot. It is 11 points behind Seattle and one up on Tri-City (12), which also lost at home.
EAST DIVISION: Brandon (12) won on the road and now trails Kelowna by two points in the overall standings. . . . Regina (14) won at home and is 23 points behind Brandon, but leads Swift Current (13) by 13 points. Swift Current won at home last night. . . . Moose Jaw (12) ended a seven-game road trek with a loss. It is five points out of a playoff spot. . . . Prince Albert (12) lost in Swift Current and is seven points out of a playoff spot.
CENTRAL DIVISION: Calgary (13) won on the road to move into a tie with idle Medicine Hat (13) atop the division. . . . Red Deer (13) is third, eight points off the pace and seven points ahead of Kootenay (12), which won on the road. . . . The Ice holds down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot four points ahead of idle Edmonton (13).
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WHL team logoIn Swift Current, the Broncos erased a 2-0 first-period deficit with five goals as they beat the Prince Albert Raiders, 5-2. . . . Goals by F Tim Vanstone, his 10th, and F Austin Glover, his 12th, gave the visitors a 2-0 lead by the 12-minute mark of the first. . . . F Colby Cave, with his 27th, and F Jake DeBrusk, with his 35th, on a PP at 11:40, tied it in the second period. . . . D Brett Lernout broke the tie with his 13th on another PP at 18:23. . . . The Broncos were 3-for-5 on the PP; the Raiders were 0-for-5. . . . Broncos F Coda Gordon scored his 19th goal and added two assists. . . . The Broncos (29-25-5) have won two in a row. . . . The Raiders (24-33-3) are 1-1-1 in their last three. . . .

In Regina, the Pats scored the games first four goals, three of them via the PP, as they beat the Red Deer Rebels, 4-1. . . . F Jesse Gabrielle got the game’s first goal, at 15:49 of the first period. He’s got 19. . . . Regina then scored three second-period PP goals. F Braden Christoffer got his 19th goal at 6:52. F Adam Brooks added No. 22 at 11:34. D Colby Williams scored his seventh at 13:41. . . . Regina G Tyler Brown, who stopped 23 shots, lost his shutout when D Haydn Fleury scored his fourth goal at 2:02 of the third. . . . Regina was 3-for-9 on the PP; Red Deer was 0-for-4. . . . The Pats (32-19-7) have won two in a row. . . . The Rebels (30-20-9) have lost two straight. . . .

In Saskatoon, F Jayce Hawryluk and F Rihards Bukarts each had two goals and two assists to help the Brandon Wheat Kings to a 7-3 victory over the Blades. . . . F Ryan Graham gave the Blades a 1-0 lead with his 15th goal 23 seconds into the game. . . . Brandon scored four goals before the period ended to take control. . . . Hawryluk, who has 24 goals, has seven points in two games since returning from a 13-game absence. . . . Brandon F Tim McGauley scored twice, giving him 37, and added an assist. He is riding a 16-game point streak. One of his goals came on a second-period penalty shot. . . . Brandon’s Quenneville brothers, John and Peter, each had two assists. . . . D Nikita Soshnin and F Wyatt Sloboshan had two assists each for the Blades. . . . Saskatoon F Brett Stovin played in game No. 250, all with the Blades, while D Brycen Martin, who was acquired from Swift Current in January, played in his 200th regular-season game. . . . Already without D Ivan Provorov, F Nolan Patrick, D Kale Clague and F Reid Duke, Brandon scratched F Braylon Shmyr (ill) after the pre-game warmup. That left it with 16 skaters. . . . Without G Alex Moodie (concussion) and G Logan Thompson (pink eye), Brandon had Justin Holder backing up Jordan Papirny. Holder, a 19-year-old from Brandon, plays for the MJHL’s Waywayseecappo Wolverines. . . . Brandon improved to 44-10-6. . . . The Blades (17-39-3) have lost three straight. . . . Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun has a game story right here. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has a game story right here. . . .

In Kent, Wash., G Taran Kozun stopped 15 shots for the shutout as the Seattle Thunderbirds beat the Everett Silvertips, 7-0. . . . Kozun has four shutouts this season, all in his last 10 appearances, and 10 shutouts in his career. . . . This was the first time this season that Everett was blanked. . . . F Keegan Kolesar’s 18th goal, at 8:23 of the first period, stood up as the winner. . . . F Roberts Lipsbergs scored twice, giving him nine, and added two assists, while F Scott Eansor scored his 11th goal and had two assists, and F Mathew Barzal had three assists. Barzal has seven assists in his last two games. . . . Each team was 0-for-3 on the PP. Seattle had scored at least one PP goal in 12 straight games. . . . The Thunderbirds (31-21-7) have won two in a row. . . . Everett (35-17-7) had been 2-0-3 in its last five but now is on its first three-game losing skid of the season. . . .

In Portland, F Paul Bittner and F Oliver Bjorkstrand each scored two goals and added an assist to lead the Winterhawks to a 5-2 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Bittner has 26 goals. . . . Bjorkstrand has 43 goals. He’s got at least one goal in eight straight games. He has 12 goals in that stretch. . . . The Winterhawks scored the game’s first two goals and were never headed. . . . F Nic Petan drew three assists for Portland. . . . F Giorgio Estephan had Lethbridge’s goal. He’s got 17. . . . Portland G Aden Hill stopped 21 shots, 10 fewer than Lethbridge’s Jayden Sittler. . . . The Hurricanes were without F Mike Winther, who drew a one-game suspension for a spearing major and game misconduct that he took the previous night. . . . The Winterhawks (35-20-4) are 4-0-1 in their last five. . . . The Hurricanes (18-34-7) have lost three in a row (0-2-1). . . .

In Prince George, F Chase Witala scored two goals and added two assists to lead the Cougars to a 4-2 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Witala tied the game 1-1 at 4:09 of the first period and later closed out the scoring with his 30th goal, at 15:35 of the third. . . . After Witala’s first goal, Cougars D Josh Connolly scored twice, at 19:10 of the first and 1:20 of the second. He’s got 11 goals. . . . The Cougars got three assists from F Jansen Harkins and two from F Zach Pochiro. . . . F Brayden Point scored his 27th goal of the season for Moose Jaw. . . . Moose Jaw G Brody Willms stopped F Jari Erricson on a penalty shot with 49 seconds left in the second period. . . . Willms finished with 25 saves, seven fewer than Prince George’s Ty Edmonds. . . . The Warriors were 0-for-5 on the PP; the Cougars were 0-for-1. . . . The Cougars improved to 24-33-4. . . . The Warriors (24-31-5) went 3-3-1 on a seven-game road swing while the Canadian women’s curling championship was being decided in their home arena. . . .

In Vancouver, G Payton Lee stopped 33 shots as the Giants got past the Kamloops Blazers, 1-0. . . . F Dakota Odgers scored the game’s only goal, his fourth, at 4:44 of the second period. . . . Kamloops G Connor Ingram stopped 21 shots. . . . Vancouver was 0-for-1 on the PP; Kamloops never had an opportunity. . . . Lee has three shutouts this season and five for his career. . . . The Giants improved to 26-31-3. . . . The Blazers (22-33-6) have lost four in a row. . . . After the game, Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province tweeted that Giants F “Dalton Sward left in the 2nd with a hand injury and was getting X-rays afterwards, according to coach Claude Noel.” . . .

In Spokane, G Wyatt Hoflin turned aside 29 shots as the Kootenay Ice dumped the Chiefs, 5-0. . . . Hoflin has three shutouts this season. . . . F Jon Martin’s seventh goal, at 8:41 of the first period, stood up as the winner. . . . The Ice got two goals from each of F Luke Philp, who has 26, and F Jaedon Descheneau, who has 27. . . . Philp also had an assist. . . . F Austin Vetterl and F Sam Reinhart each had two assists. . . . The Ice roster now includes four 25-goal men. . . . The Ice (31-27-2), which won four of five from Spokane, is 3-0-1 in its last four. . . . The Chiefs (27-27-4), who have been blanked six times since Jan. 17, have lost three in a row. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., the Calgary Hitmen unleashed a season-high 55-shot attack as they beat the Tri-City Americans, 7-2. . . . The Americans scratched G Eric Comrie, who apparently was injured on Friday night, and G Evan Sarthou, so gave emergency backup Casey Kaiser, a 19-year-old from Richland, Wash., his first WHL start; in fact, it was his first WHL appearance. . . . Calgary had a 19-3 edge in first-period shots but didn’t score until F Jake Virtanen solved Kaiser with 7.2 seconds left. . . . The Hitmen opened the second period with three goals in 5:14. . . . Virtanen, who has 16 goals, also had two assists. . . . D Jake Bean scored his fourth goal and added two assists for Calgary, while D Travis Sanheim had three assists. . . . Calgary F Adam Tambellini scored his 41st goal and had an assist, while F Connor Rankin, who played the first 244 games of his WHL career with Tri-City, got his 28th goal and added an assist. . . . F Elliott Peterson also had a goal, his 10th, and an assist for the Hitmen. . . . The Hitmen (36-18-5) have won four in a row. They are 2-0-0 on an 11-game road trip. . . . The Americans are 27-30-3. . . .

In Victoria, F Taylor Crunk scored twice and F Logan Fisher had four assists to help the Royals to a 5-2 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . One night earlier, the Rockets had beaten the host Royals 3-2, with F Leon Draisaitl breaking a 2-2 tie in the last minute of the third period. . . . Last night, the teams were 1-1 going into the third period. . . . F Brandon Magee broke the tie with his 17th goal at 6:39 and F Jack Walker got his 16th goal at 8:04. . . . Crunk provided more insurance with his second of the game and eighth of the season at 14:07. . . . Draisaitl scored his 11th goal, on a PP, at 17:00 to get the Rockets to within two, but Royals D Travis Brown got an empty-netter at 17:37. He’s got 17 goals. . . . Victoria G Justin Paulic stopped 31 shots, three fewer than Kelowna’s Michael Herringer. . . . The Royals (33-23-4) had lost their previous two games. . . . The Rockets (46-10-4) had a four-game winning streak snapped. . . . These teams will meet again Wednesday, this time in Kelowna.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES

(all times local)
Medicine Hat at Edmonton, 1 p.m.
Lethbridge at Everett, 4:05 p.m.

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Saturday, February 7, 2015

More on Mr. Hockey . . . DeBrusk on fire . . . 'Canes sweep Tigers . . . Soy fills his hat


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Scott Burnside of ESPN.com was in Saskatoon on Friday night when the folks there honoured Gordie Howe. Burnside’s story is right here.
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Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.com also was in Saskatoon for the Gordie Howe testimonial. LeBrun spoke with Wayne Gretzky about his relationship with Mr. Hockey. That piece is right here.
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Here’s one more story from Gordie Howe’s night. This one is from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, and it’s right here.
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The OHL has approved the sale of the Plymouth Whalers to a group that will relocate the franchise to Flint before another season gets here. . . . The team will be renamed and, as Aaron McMann of mlive.com reports right here, the new owners have registered Tropics, Pride, Phoenix, Sparks and Vikings with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. . . . The franchise also is running a name-the-team contest. I'm still partial to Flint Flontbombers. . . .
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Maureen Dowd of The New York Times has weighed in on the controversy that is in the process of swallowing Brian Williams of NBC-TV. Dowd’s piece is right here.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:

WHL team logoIn Swift Current, F Jake DeBrusk scored two goals and added an assist to lead the Broncos to a 4-2 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . DeBrusk, who has 33 goals, and D Brett Lernout scored PP goals in the first period as the home side took a 2-1 lead. . . . DeBrusk, who has eight goals and two assists in his last six games, upped that to 3-1 at 11:38 of the second. . . . D Max Lajoie and F Coda Gordon each had two assists for the Broncos. . . . DeBrusk has 20 goals in his last 23 games. . . . D Brycen Martin had two assists for Saskatoon. . . . D Jake Kustra, 15, made his WHL debut with the Blades and piked up an assist. A second-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft, he has nine points, three of them goals, in 30 games with the midget AAA Notre Dame Argos. His brother Matt, a goaltender, has signed with the Prince George Cougars, who selected him in the eighth round of the 2012 bantam draft. They are the sons of G Damon Kustra (Spokane, Saskatoon, 1987-88, 1989-90). The Kustras are from Yorkton, Sask. . . . Broncos G Landon Bow stopped 35 shots, as did Brock Hamm of the Blades. . . . The Broncos (25-23-5) have won two in a row. They are third in the East Division, nine points ahead of Moose Jaw. . . . The Blades (15-33-3), who are at home to Calgary tonight, have lost two straight. . . .

In Regina, F Jesse Gabrielle scored twice to help the Pats to a 4-2 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . F Riley Whittingham gave the Chiefs a 1-0 lead at 1:12 of the first period. He’s got 10 goals. . . . Gabrielle then scored twice, at 10:37 of the first on a PP and at 9:42 of the second, to give his guys the lead. . . . He’s got 17 goals. . . . Regina F Sam Steel added his 14th at 9:17 of the third. . . . Spokane F Adam Helewka got his 28th, shorthanded, at 14:14. . . . Regina had F Jake Elmer, a 16-year-old from Calgary, in their lineup and he picked up an assist. It was his first WHL point and came in his third game. . . . Pats G Daniel Wapple stopped 29 shots, seven more than Spokane’s Garret Hughson. . . . Regina (30-17-6) has points in five straight (4-0-1). . . . The Chiefs (25-23-4) are 1-1-0 on a six-game East Division swing. They are fourth in the U.S. Division, six points behind Seattle. But the Chiefs hold down the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . .

In Prince Albert, F Pavel Karnaukhov scored twice as his Calgary Hitmen got past the Raiders, 3-2. . . . F Simon Stransky gave the Raiders a 1-0 lead with his ninth goal, at 13:56 of the first period, on a PP. . . . The Hitmen scored the next three goals, with Karnaukhov, who has 19 goals, getting the first two of those, both via the PP. . . . F Chase Lang, with his 22nd, upped the lead to 3-1 at 16:24 of the third. He also had two assists. . . . Raiders F Craig Leverton got his 16th just 14 seconds later. . . . Calgary G Brendan Burke stopped 26 shots, four fewer than Nick McBride of the Raiders. . . . The Hitmen (30-17-5) have won seven in a row and now are eight points behind Central Division-leading Medicine Hat. Calgary visits Saskatoon tonight. . . . The Raiders (21-31-2) have lost four in a row (0-3-1). They are 11 points out of a playoff spot with 18 games remaining. . . . Jeff D’Andrea of panow.com has a game story right here. . . .

In Cranbrook, G Jordan Papirny stopped 31 shots to lead the Brandon Wheat Kings to a 4-1 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Wheat Kings lost D Ivan Provorov to an undisclosed injury early in the third period. . . . Brandon scored the game’s first three goals. . . . F Tim McGauley had a goal, his 34th, and an assist for Brandon, as did F Nolan Patrick, who has 25 goals. . . . Brandon F Morgan Klimchuk scored his 21s goal and F Rya Duke got his 18th, both striking on the PP. . . . Brandon was 2-for-4 on the PP; the Ice was 0-for-4. . . . The Wheat Kings had beaten the Ice 5-3 on Friday. . . . Brandon (40-9-5) is 11-0-1 in its last 12 games. It leads the Eastern Conference by 12 points over Medicine Hat. . . . The Ice (27-26-1) has lost three straight and holds down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card berth, one point behind Edmonton. . . . The Ice and Wheat Kings will complete their four-game season series in Brandon, Feb. 27 and 28. . . . The Wheat Kings play their fourth game in five days in Lethbridge today. . . . Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman has a game story from Saturday’s game right here. . . .

In Medicine Hat, the Lethbridge Hurricanes completed a weekend sweep of the Tigers by winning, 4-1. . . . On Friday night, the host Hurricanes got past the Tigers, 4-3. . . . Last night, the Hurricanes took a 3-0 lead into the third period. . . . F Ryley Lindgren got Lethbridge started with his fifth goal, at 16:32 of the first period. . . . D Kade Jensen, with his fourth, and F Jamal Watson, with his 18th, had second-period goals for Lethbridge. Watson, playing his 250th game, scored shorthanded at 16:01. . . . Tigers F Cole Sanford scored his 43rd goal at 1:49 of the third, giving him the WHL goal-scoring lead by one over Kelowna F Rourke Chartier. Later, in Kamloops, Chartier scored to move back into a tie. . . . At one point in the second period, the Hurricanes were leading 1-0 despite being outshot 19-1. . . . Lethbridge G Stuart Skinner stopped 39 shots, 23 more than Medicine Hat’s Nick Schneider. . . . This was the Hurricanes’ last visit to The Arena. Medicine Hat’s new building is due to open in time for next season. . . . The Hurricanes (15-31-6), who entertain Brandon today, have won three in a row. . . . The Tigers (35-15-3) have lost four straight (0-3-1) for the first time this season. Their lead atop the Central Division has shrunk to eight points over Calgary. . . .

In Kamloops, the Kelowna Rockets scored three PP goals en route to a 5-2 victory over the Blazers. . . . It was Kelowna’s 17th straight regular-season victory over Kamloops. The Blazers last beat the Rockets on March 3, 2013. . . . The Rockets lead the season series, 7-0-0. . . . F Justin Kirkland scored twice and added an assist for the Rockets. He’s got 21 goals, the third Rockets skater to get to 20. . . . Kelowna scored four times in the first period to take a 4-1 lead into the second. . . . The Blazers’ second goal came off the stick of F Jake Kryski, on a PP, at 1:26 of the second period. . . . When Kryski scored, Kamloops head coach Don Hay had him on the PP with Jesse Zaharichuk and Joel Hamilton. Consider that Kryski, who now has eight goals, had gone 28 goals without scoring, and that Zaharichuk has two goals this season, and that Hamilton hasn’t scored in 20 games. . . . Kelowna F Tyson Baillie got his 32nd goal, while F Rourke Chartier got his 43rd. That put him back into a tie for the WHL goal-scoring lead, with Medicine Hat F Cole Sanford, who had scored earlier in the evening. . . . Kamloops F Quinn Benjafield took a headshot major and game misconduct for a hit on Baillie at 14:42 of the third period. Baillie got off the ice under his own power but headed to the dressing room. . . . Kelowna was 3-for-8 on the PP; Kamloops was 1-for-3. . . . One night earlier, the host Rockets beat the Blazers, 5-3. . . . The Rockets (41-8-4), who are to entertain Prince George on Monday afternoon, have points in eight straight (7-0-1) and lead the overall standings by one point over Brandon. . . . The Blazers (20-29-6), who are at home to Tri-City on Monday afternoon, have lost three in a row. They are third in the B.C. Division, one point ahead of Vancouver and Prince George. . . .

In Prince George, F Cole Benson scored off his own rebound at 2:12 of OT to give the Edmonton Oil Kings a 2-1 victory over the Cougars. . . . Cougars F David Soltes scored his 10th goal, on the PP, at 2:31 of the first period. . . . The home side nursed that lead into the third period when Edmonton D Ashton Sautner scored his 12th goal, on the PP, at 5:58. . . . On Friday night, the Cougars had ended a 12-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the Oil Kings. . . . Last night, Edmonton G Patrick Dea stopped 15 shots, while Prince George’s Ty Edmonds turned aside 37. . . . Among Prince George's scratches were D Josh Connolly and F Aaron Macklin, both out with concussions. . . . Edmonton (25-24-6) had lost is previous three games. It now holds down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. The Oil Kings will play in Victoria on Monday afternoon. . . . The Cougars (21-31-3) are tied for fourth with Vancouver in the B.C. Division, one point behind Kamloops. It is looking more and more as though only one of those three teams will make the playoffs. . . . The Cougars play in Kelowna on Monday afternoon. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., the Tri-City Americans erased a 1-0 deficit with four straight goals and beat the Everett Silvertips, 4-3. . . . F Nikita Scherbak gave Everett a 1-0 lead at 15:44 of the first period. . . . The Americans then scored twice in the second and twice in the third to assume a 4-1 lead. . . . F Beau McCue got two of those goals, giving him 20. F Richard Nejezchleb got his 16th and F Lukas Nickles got No. 19. . . . Everett made it interesting with goals from F Dawson Leedahl, his ninth, at 10:53 of the third and F Remi Laurencelle, his 14th, at 14:00. . . . McCue also had an assist, while Nejezchleb had two of them. . . . Tri-City F Tyler Sandhu also earned two assists. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 31 shots, 10 more than Everett’s Austin Lotz. . . . Tri-City was 2-for-4 on the PP, while the Silvertips were 0-for-5. . . . The Silvertips had beaten the visiting Americans 4-1 on Friday night. . . . The Americans (25-25-3), who play in Kamloops on Monday afternoon, had lost their previous four games (0-3-1). They are fifth in the U.S. Division, but have possession of the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot. It would appear that all five U.S. Division teams will make the playoffs. . . . Everett (33-16-4) had won its previous two outings. The Silvertips are at home to Portland today with a five-point lead over the second-place Winterhawks. . . .

In Victoria, F Tyler Soy scored three times and added an assist to lead the Royals to a 6-2 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . It was the first WHL hat trick for Soy, who has 20 goals. . . . He scored the game’s first goal, on a PP, at 6:58 of the first period. Then he got the game’s last two goals, the final one shorthanded into an empty net. . . . The Royals were 2-for-7 on the PP and scored two shorties. . . . Red Deer F Austin Adamson scored his fifth goal at 17:33 of the second period to get the Rebels to within one, at 3-2. . . . Victoria F Brandon Magee scored his 16th goal, shorthanded, at 19:43 to restore the two-goal lead. . . . The Rebels were without F Conner Bleackley, their captain, who suffered an undisclosed injury on Friday in Vancouver. . . . D Alexey Slepstov made his debut with the Royals. He was acquired from Moose Jaw at the trade deadline but was injured at the time. . . . The Royals (29-20-4), who are at home to Edmonton on Monday afternoon, have won three in a row and are a comfortable second in the B.C. Division. . . . The Rebels (28-17-8) have lost two straight. They went 1-2-0 in a three-game trip into B.C., and now are third in the Central Division, one point behind Calgary. . . .

In Kent, Wash., G Taran Kozun stopped 38 shots to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 3-0 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . Kozun has three shutouts this season — all in his last five starts — and eight in his career. . . . F Corey Millette got Seattle started with his 14th goal, on a PP, at 2:03 of the second period. He’s got six goals in 12 games since being acquired by the Thunderbirds from Saskatoon at the trade deadline. . . . F Mathew Barzal had a goal, his ninth, and an assist. . . . D Evan Wardley had two assists. . . . Vancouver G Cody Porter stopped 39 shots. . . . With Payton Lee (hand) injured, the Giants had Griffin Baillie, an 18-year-old from Merritt, B.C., on the bench in support of Porter. Baillie plays for the junior B Aldergrove, B.C., Kodiaks. . . . Seattle (27-19-6) has won four straight and is third in the U.S. Division five points behind Portland. . . . Vancouver (21-29-3) is tied for fourth with Prince George in the B.C. Division, a point behind Kamloops. . . . Seattle will visit Vancouver on Monday afternoon.
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Monday, February 2, 2015

WHL's playoff picture . . . No one hotter than Bjorkstrand . . . Zamboni driver did what?

The WHL’s regular season is winding down. Two teams, Portland and Prince George, have fewer than 20 games remaining. So let’s take a look at the playoff picture as it is right now . . . Keep in mind that the top three teams from each of the four divisions qualify for the playoffs. Also getting in are two wild-card teams in each conference — the two teams with the most points, regardless of division. . . . Remember, too, that it is awfully tough to gain ground when some games actually are worth three points. So teams that are six or eight points out of the playoffs at this point really have their work cut out to make up that much ground in a 20-game period.
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EASTERN CONFERENCE
EAST DIVISION
            PTS    GR
Brandon        79    21
Regina        60    22
Swift Current    51    21
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CENTRAL DIVISION
Medicine Hat    73    22
Calgary        63    21
Red Deer        62    22
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WILD CARD
Kootenay        55    20
Edmonton        54    20
Moose Jaw        44    22
Prince Albert    43    22
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THE MATCHUPS, if the playoffs opened tonight:
Brandon vs. Edmonton
Medicine Hat vs. Kootenay
Regina vs. Swift Current
Calgary vs. Red Deer
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NOTES: If Moose Jaw and/or Prince Albert are to make the playoffs, it appears they will have to catch Swift Current and get in as the East Division’s third-place team. . . . Moose Jaw is seven points behind third-place Swift Current and Prince Albert is eight points back. Moose Jaw is 10 points out of a wild-card spot. . . . The Warriors are at home to Prince Albert on Wednesday and Spokane on Friday. Moose Jaw then heads out on a seven-game road trip as the Saskatchewan women’s curling championship takes over Mosaic Place. . . . Red Deer, which slid into third in the Central Division while enjoying a six-game homestand, is off to B.C. for a three-game swing that opens Wednesday in Kamloops.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
B.C. Division
            PTS    GR
Kelowna        82    21
Victoria        60    20
Kamloops        46    20
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U.S. DIVISION
Everett        66    22
Portland        65    19
Seattle        56    22
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WILD CARD
Spokane        52    23
Tri-City        51    21
Vancouver        43    21
Prince George    42    19
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THE MATCHUPS, if the playoffs opened tonight:
Kelowna vs. Tri-City
Everett vs. Spokane
Victoria vs. Kamloops
Portland vs. Seattle
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NOTES: Vancouver and Prince George are sliding out of the wild-card race, but are involved in a tight race for third place in the B.C. Division. . . . Prince George, which is 0-10-2 in its last 12 games, is at home to Edmonton on Friday and Saturday, then will play seven of eight on the road. The Canada Winter Games are in Prince George from Feb. 21 to March 1. . . . Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province takes a look at the Vancouver Giants’ playoff chances right here.
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F Juraj Šimek (Brandon, 2006-07) has signed for the rest of this season with Lugano (Switzerland, NL A) after asking for his release from TPS Turku (Finland, Liiga). This season, with Genève-Servette (Switzerland, NL A), he had six goals and seven assists in 33 games. In 15 games with TPS, he had two goals and six assists. . . .
F Malte Strömwall (Tri-City, 2011-13) has been recalled by Luleå (Sweden, SHL) from loan to Asplöven Haparanda (Sweden, Allsvenskan) and loaned to HV71 Jönköping (Sweden, SHL). This season, with the Växjö Lakers (Sweden, SHL), he had two goals in 21 games. In 14 games with Luleå, he had one goal and one assist. He had one goal in four games with Asplöven.
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D Haydn Fleury of the Red Deer Rebels, who suffered a skate cut to one leg on Saturday, may not miss any action. Fleury needed eight stitches after cutting himself with his own skate blade during the first period; he didn’t return. The Rebels play in Kamloops on Wednesday. . . .
F Jackson Houck of the Vancouver Giants is ill and didn’t practise on Monday. He had missed Saturday’s 3-2 shootout loss to the visiting Kamloops Blazers. . . . The Giants also are without F Matt Bellerive, who is ill. . . .
No one was hotter in January than Portland Winterhawks F Oliver Bjorkstrand. Since returning from the WJC, where he played for Denmark, Bjorkstrand has put up 30 points, including 14 goals, in 12 games. He now has 70 points, including 35 goals, in 40 games, leaving him tied for third in the WHL scoring race. . . . F Nic Petan, who plays on a line with Bjorkstrand, has 18 points, 14 of them assists, in nine games after returning from the WJC, where he played for Canada. . . . The Winterhawks visit the Seattle Thunderbirds in Kent, Wash., on Friday and play in Everett on Sunday. . . .
Bjorkstrand is tied with F Nick Merkley of the Kelowna Rockets, each with 70 points. They trail F Trevor Cox of the Medicine Hat Tigers, who has 85 points, and Tigers F Cole Sanford, who has 78. . . . Sanford and F Rourke Chartier of Kelowna lead the WHL in goals (41). Cox is No. 1 in assists (63). . . .
Jordan Papirny of the Brandon Wheat Kings and Jackson Whistle of the Kelowna Rockets lead WHL goaltenders in victories, each with 30. . . . Taran Kozun of the Seattle Thunderbirds has the top GAA (2.34), with Whistle second (2.46). . . . The top save percentage (.927) belongs to Portland’s Adin Hill, with Tri-City’s Eric Comrie next, at .921. . . . Landon Bow of Swift Current and Tri-City’s Evan Sarthou lead in shutouts, each with six. . . . 
The junior B Extreme Hockey Regina Capitals and Traveland RV Storm, who play in the Prairie Junior Hockey League, will play a doubleheader this weekend that is being called the Pankewich-Neumann Memorial Classic. The Saturday-Sunday games are being used as a fund-raiser for the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency. . . . They’ll play Saturday, 7:30 p.m., at the Pilot Butte Recreation Centre and Sunday, 2:15 p.m., at the Al Ritchie Arena in Regina. . . .
Archie Ingersoll of the Grand Forks Herald has more right here on the Zamboni driver from Fargo, N.D., who has been charged with DUI. It turns out he had a blood-alcohol content of 0.30, well over the 0.08 legal limit.
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Sunday, February 1, 2015

Saturday in the WHL: Four shutouts, three shootouts and a six-point game



There was a lot of hockey news during the week, a lot of it involving the AHL and ECHL. Mark Spector of Sportsnet takes a look at what all transpired and also tosses in a few notes. That’s all right here.
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So . . . there were these two high school girls hockey teams playing a game in Fargo, N.D., on Friday. Spectators and school officials noticed the Zamboni wasn’t being operated in the usual smooth way. It wasn’t long before police arrived, arrested the driver for suspicion of DUI. . . . There is more right here.
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If you’re into numbers, here’s a Saturday night NHL note for you. G Antti Niemi of the San Jose Sharks wears No. 31. He stopped 31 shots in a 2-0 victory over the visiting Chicago Blackhawks. It was Niemmi’s 31st career shutout. He is 31 years of age. Saturday was Jan. 31. . . . Seriously.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:

In Calgary, G Mack Shields stopped 26 shots to lead the Hitmen to a 5-0 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Shields has two shutouts this season and five in his career. . . . F Jake Virtanen had a goal, his 14th, and three assists. . . . F Adam Tambellini scored twice, giving him 37, and added an assist. He’s got 14 points, 11 of them goals, in his last seven games. . . . D Jake Bean tied the Calgary franchise record for points in a freshman season. Bean had one assist, giving him 32 points in 40 games. Bean now shares the record with Matt Kinch (1996-97). . . . F Connor Rankin’s 26th goal, at 1:42 of the first period, stood up as the winner. . . . “We were reluctant to get traffic and reluctant to put pucks on net,” Steve Hamilton, the Oil Kings’ head coach, said on the team’s website. “Quite honestly, just didn’t have a ton of time or space today, and it’s a credit to Calgary. They did a good job of executing their game plan, and we didn’t generate much.” . . . The Hitmen (29-17-5) have won a season-high six in a row and now are second in the Central Division, one point ahead of Red Deer. Calgary has put up three shutouts in its past five games. . . . The Oil Kings (24-22-6) had won their previous two games. . . .

In Moose Jaw, D Ivan Provorov earned four assists, all on the PP, as the Brandon Wheat Kings beat the Warriors, 6-0. . . . He’s got 50 points, including 39 assists, in 45 games. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny stopped 21 shots as he picked up his 30th victory of the season and his fourth shutout. In his career, he has five shutouts. He is 30-7-4 this season. . . . Wheat Kings F Tim McGauley drew three assists. He also got into a scrap with Moose Jaw F Brayden Point. . . . Brandon F Steve Patrick scored his 23rd goal. Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun notes: “Patrick has 23 goals in his first WHL season, matching the number scored by his father, Steve, in his rookie season with Brandon in 1978-79.” . . . Brandon was 4-for-6 on the PP; Moose Jaw was 0-for-4. . . . Moose Jaw F Jesse Shynkaruk took an interference major and game misconduct at 10:23 of the third period. Brandon F John Quenneville was the victim on that play. He left the game and didn’t return. . . . The Wheat Kings beat the visiting Warriors 6-4 on Friday. . . . G Alex Moodie was among Brandon’s scratches after suffering an undisclosed injury on Friday. He has an undisclosed injury. . . . Thomas Spence, an 18-year-old from Moose Jaw, served as Brandon’s backup last night. Spence, who plays for the junior B Regina Capitals, spent a night on the Calgary Hitmen bench on Jan. 6. . . . The Wheat Kings (37-9-5) are 8-0-1 in their last nine games. . . . The Warriors (20-27-4) have lost three in a row and are seven points out of a playoff spot. . . .

In Saskatoon, G Nik Amundrud stopped 29 shots to lead the Saskatoon Blades to a 4-0 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . He’s got three shutouts this season. . . . D Brycen Martin, who came to Saskatoon from the Broncos, and F Brett Stovin each had a goal and two assists as the Blades scored three PP goals. . . . Martin has five goals; Stovin has 20. . . . The Blades were 3-for-9 on the PP; the Broncos were 0-for-5. . . . The Broncos remain without D Dillon Heatherington (4-6 weeks), F Coda Gordon (1-3 weeks), D Jordan Harris and F Cole Johnson. The latter two are out indefinitely. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has a game story right here. . . . The Blades improved to 15-31-3 and now are 2-3-0 in the season series. . . . The Broncos (23-23-5) had beaten the visiting Blades 6-2 on Friday and are 3-1-1 in the season series. . . . Swift Current is third in the East Division, seven points ahead of Moose Jaw. . . .

In Cranbrook, F Leon Draisaitl had a goal and an assist to lead the Kelowna Rockets to a 5-1 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . He’s got 17 points, including seven goals, in 11 games since being acquired from the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Draisaitl was selected third overall by the Oilers in the NHL’s 2014 draft. . . . Ice F Sam Reinhart was selected second overall by the Buffalo Sabres. He had his 10-game point streak ended by the Rockets. . . . Kelowna G Rourke Chartier opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal at 5:22 of the first period. He’s got 41 goals, moving him back into a tie with Medicine Hat F Cole Sanford for the WHL lead. . . . Rockets D Riley Stadel and F Tyson Baillie each had two assists. . . . Kelowna G Jackson Whistle stopped 25 shots as he earned his 30th victory of the season. He is 30-7-3. . . . Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman has a game story right here. . . . The Rockets (39-8-4) are 5-0-1 in their last six outings. They continue to lead the overall standings by three points over Brandon. . . . The Ice (27-24-1) holds down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot, one point ahead of Edmonton. . . .

In Red Deer, the Prince Albert Raiders got the shootout’s only two goals to beat the Rebels, 6-5. . . . Red Deer trailed 5-2 early in the third period but staged a three-goal comeback to force OT. . . . F Riley Sheen scored twice, giving him 15, and F Conner Bleackley tied it 5-5 with his 24th goal at 13:13. . . . The Raiders got shootout goals from F Simon Stransky and F Reid Gardiner to win it. . . . Gardiner scored twice in regulation, giving him 24 goals. . . . Raiders D Jesse Lees drew three assists. . . . Sheen also had an assist for a three-point night. . . . D Colton Bobyk had three assists for the Rebels and F Connor Gay had two. . . . The Raiders were 2-for-4 on the PP; the Rebels were 2-for-3. . . . Prince Albert was without D Mackenze Stewart. He got a ‘tbd’ suspension after taking a cross-checking major and game misconduct in Friday’s 10-1 loss in Calgary. . . . The Raiders (21-28-1) are eight points out of a playoff spot. . . . The Rebels (27-15-8) have lost three in a row (0-1-2) and now are third in the Central Division, one point behind Calgary. . . .

In Lethbridge, F Austin Wagner’s two goals helped the Regina Pats to a 6-2 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . F Pavel Skumatov got the Hurricanes on the board first, scoring his fifth goal at 19:56 of the first period. . . . The Pats took control with four goals in 6:01 in the second half of the second period. . . . F Adam Berg got it started with his first goal at 10:24. Wagner, who has 16 goals, gave Regina the lead at 13:30 and F Sam Steel gadded his 12th goal, on the PP, at 15:01. F Patrick D’Amico ended the onslaught with his 15th at 16:25. . . . Regina F Taylor Cooper scored his 20th goal on a third-period penalty shot. . . . Lethbridge was able to dress only 16 skaters. Included in its scratches was F Tyler Wong. . . . The Pats held a 48-30 edge in shots. . . . The Pats (27-17-6) snapped a six-game losing skid (0-3-3) and appear headed to a second-place finish in the East Division. . . . The Hurricanes (12-31-6) have lost two in a row. . . .

In Vancouver, the Kamloops Blazers scored on their first two shootout attempts and took a 3-2 victory over the Giants. . . . F Cole Ully and F Jake Kryski gave the Blazers a 2-0 lead in the shootout and that was that. . . . Ully had scored his 25th goal at 1:38 of the first period. . . . Vancouver F Tyler Benson tied it with his 12th goal at 19:57. . . . Blazers D Marc McNulty got his sixth goal at 13:18 of the second. . . . Vancouver F Zane Jones forced OT with his 24th goal at 14:10 of the third. . . . Kamloops G Connor Ingram stopped 32 shots, two more than Vancouver’s Cody Porter. . . . The Blazers had D Ryan Rehill back after a one-game suspension, but D Michael Fora and D Patrik Maier remain out with undisclosed injuries. . . . The Blazers (20-26-6) are third in the B.C. Division, three points ahead of Vancouver and four up on Prince George. . . . The Giants (20-28-3) have lost four in a row (0-3-1). . . .

In Prince George, G Taran Kozun stopped 20 shots to help the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 3-0 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Kozun has eight shutouts in his career, two this season. . . . F Ryan Gropp scored his 20th goal of the season 15 seconds into the second period. . . . Seattle F Calvin Spencer scored his fifth goal at 10:10 of the first and it proved the winner. . . . Seattle D Shea Theodore had one assist, moving him into a tie with Craig Channell for the franchise record for most career points by a defenceman. . . . The Cougars were without F Josh Anderson and D Josh Connolly, both of whom drew ‘tbd’ suspensions for incidents in Friday’s game that was won, 9-2, by the Thunderbirds. . . . Seattle (25-19-6) has won two in a row and is third in the U.S. Division. . . . The Cougars (20-31-2) have lost 12 straight (0-10-2). . . .

In Portland, F Oliver Bjorkstrand scored three goals and added three assists as the Winterhawks doubled the Everett Silvertips, 6-3. . . . The Silvertips took a 2-1 lead into the second period and nursed it until Bjorkstrand scored his second goal at 19:50. . . . Portland then outscored the visitors 4-1 in the third, with Bjorkstrand getting his 35th goal and drawing assists on the other three goals. . . . Winterhawks F Nic Petan scored once, his 10th, and added three assists, while F Paul Bittner, the third member of that line, had three assists. . . . Portland F Chase De Leo had two goals, giving him 26. . . . Only five Winterhawks earned at least a point. . . . Bjorkstrand has 70 points in 40 games. A truly gifted offensive talent from Herning, Denmark, he has 242 points, including 116 goals, in 174 regular-season games. Including 42 playoff games, he has 296 points, 140 of them goals. . . . The Silvertips got a goal, his sixth, and two assists from D Noah Juulsen. . . . Portland G Adin Hill stopped 22 shots, eight fewer than Everett’s Austin Lotz. . . . Portland was 1-for-2 on the PP; Everett was 2-for-4. . . . The Winterhawks (31-19-3) have won eight in a row and now are one point behind the U.S. Division-leading Silvertips (31-15-4). . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., D Jack Walker had the only goal of a shootout to give the Victoria Royals a 3-2 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . Tri-City F Richard Nejezchleb forced OT when he scored with 52.1 seconds left in the third period and G Eric Comrie on the bench for the extra attacker. . . . Nejezchleb scored twice in this one, giving him 15. . . . Victoria F Greg Chase had given his side a 2-1 lead with his 15th goal at 1:39 of the third period. . . . Victoria G Coleman Vollrath stopped 22 shots, seven fewer than Tri-City’s Eric Comrie. . . . The Royals (28-20-4) are headed to a second-place finish in the B.C. Division. . . . The Americans (24-24-3) have lost three in a row. They are fifth in the U.S. Division but hold down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . .

In Spokane, D Jason Fram came through in a big way for the Chiefs as they got past the Medicine Hat Tigers 4-3 in a shootout. . . . Fram forced OT with his ninth goal of the season on a PP at 11:04 of the third period. He then scored the game-winner in the shootout. . . . F Dryden Hunt scored for the Tigers in the shootout, with F Dominic Zwerger scoring for the Chiefs. . . . The Chiefs had been outscored 18-1 in their previous five games. . . . Chris Derrick of the Spokane Spokesman-Review reported that Spokane forwards “had been scoreless for more than 344 minutes, back to a Jan. 16 game at Everett.” . . . F Liam Stewart ended that dry spell at 17:29 of the first period. . . . That goal ended a team scoreless drought of more than 223 minutes. . . . Talk about high drama! Tigers F Cole Sanford, who is tied for the WHL lead with 41 goals, was presented with a penalty shot with 28 seconds left in the third period and the score 3-3. Spokane G Garret Hughson stopped him. . . . Medicine Hat D Ty Stanton had a goal, his sixth, and two assists. . . . The Chiefs (24-21-4) had been 0-6-1 in their previous seven games. They had been blanked in three straight games. . . . The victory lifted Spokane into sole possession of fourth place in the U.S. Division, four points behind Seattle and one ahead of Tri-City. . . . The Central Division-leading Tigers (35-12-3) had a six-game winning streak snapped.

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