THE MacBETH REPORT:

F Tim Kraus (Vancouver, Regina, 2003-08) was released by the Dundee Stars (Scotland, UK Elite). He had five goals and 12 assists in 23 games with the Stars this season.


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Brian Dueck is an actor from Swift Current who would love to be in the movie based on the book Sudden Death: The Incredible Saga of the 1986 Swift Current Broncos. But that may not happen because, at this point, it is unlikely that filming will be done in Saskatchewan.
Matthew Liebenberg of the Prairie Post has that story right here.
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The matchups if the playoffs opened today:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Edmonton vs. Medicine Hat
Prince Albert vs. Lethbridge
Calgary vs. Swift Current
Saskatoon vs Red Deer

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Portland vs. Seattle
Kelowna vs. Everett
Kamloops vs. Tri-City
Victoria vs. Spokane
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:
In Medicine Hat, F Trevor Cox scored twice as the Tigers got past the Kootenay Ice, 3-2. . . . F Curtis Valk forged a 1-1 tie with his 33rd goal, via the PP, at 5:19 of the second. . . . Cheek scored twice, at 6:48 and 9:52 of the third, giving him 16. . . . F Jaedon Descheneau had a goal and an assist for the Ice. . . . The Tigers hold down the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot; they now are three points ahead of the Ice. . . .

In Swift Current, G Eetu Laurikainen stopped 38 shots and F Adam Lowry scored twice as the Broncos dumped the Edmonton Oil Kings, 3-1. . . . Edmonton had won its previous 11 games. . . . Lowry opened the scoring at 4:54 of the first period and closed it, on the PP, 55 seconds into the third. He’s got 36 goals. . . . D Reece Scarlett had three assists for the Broncos. . . . Swift Current was 2-for-9 on the PP. . . . Swift Current was playing its third game in as many nights; Edmonton was playing its third road game in four nights. . . .

In Everett, the Kelowna Rockets built up an early 3-0 lead and hung on for a 3-2 victory over the Silvertips. . . . The Rockets scored PP goals at 10:26 and 11:18 of the first period and then went up 3-0 at 14:04 as the home side took the game’s first five penalties, four of them coming in a two-minute span. . . . Kelowna had lost its last three games. . . . G Jackson Whistle stopped 27 shots for the Rockets. . . . Everett F Ryan Harrison came up empty on a penalty shot attempt with his club trailing 3-2 late in the second period. . . . F Ryan Olsen got his 28th goal for the Rockets, while F Myle Bell had two assists. . . . The Rockets were playing their third game in three nights and their fourth in five. . . .

In Spokane, F Jamie Crooks scored twice to help the Victoria Royals to a 5-3 victory over the Chiefs. . . . The Walker brothers, Jack and Ben, each scored for Victoria. . . . Crooks, whose second goal was shorthanded, has 28 goals. . . . Jack Walker has four snipes; Ben has 16. . . . Ben’s goal, via the PP, gave the visitors a 4-1 lead at 13:50 of the second. . . . Victoria F Austin Carroll scored his 13th goal and drew two assists. . . . The victory lifted the Royals, who have won five in a row, out of a tie with the Chiefs for fifth in the Western Conference and into sole possession of fourth place.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Tyler Lewington, Medicine Hat

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
D Keegan Lowe, Edmonton
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From Calgary Hitmen D Jaynen Rissling (@riznasty09): “Please put Katy Perry back on the stage. pronto. that is all. #GrammyAwards”
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From Everett Silvertips D Ben Betker (@Betker5): “Taylor Swift looks as gorgeous as ever in the front row. #Grammys”


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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Tim Kraus (Vancouver, Regina, 2003-08) signed a one-year contract with the Dundee Stars (Scotland, UK Elite). He had one goal and one assist in four games with the Wichita Thunder (CHL) and no points in one game with the Dayton Gems (CHL) last season. Kraus was in camp with the Denver Cutthroats (CHL) on a try-out basis earlier this month but did not make the Cutthroats' season-opening roster.
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The CHL’s weekly rankings came out Wednesday, as they always seem to, and the Kamloops Blazers are No. 1 for a second straight poll.
At 12-0-1, they remain the only one of the CHL’s 60 teams not have tasted defeat in regulation time. Combine that with last week’s 5-0-0 trip into the Central Division and it’s only right that the Blazers are No. 1.
Now I normally don’t pay a whole lot of attention to these polls, as they are public relations vehicles that aren’t worth much if only because there isn’t any inter-league play within the CHL’s three leagues.
But I am here today to question the lack of respect shown to the Tri-City Americans.
No, the Americans aren’t in the top 10. Yes, they are given an honourable mention. That’s not good enough. They should be in the top 10, maybe even in the top five.
Why?
Because they are 9-3-2.
Because they are 8-0-2 in their last 10 games.
Because included in their last 10 games was a 6-0-1 road swing.
Because included in that road swing was a 5-0-1 record in the East Division.
Because they are 7-1-1 on the road.
Because they are doing all of this after having lost their big three from last season — Patrick Holland, Adam Hughesman and Brendan Shinnimin.
Because their No. 1 goaltender, Eric Comrie, is the real deal.
For some reason, however, the Americans of GM Bob Tory and head coach Jim Hiller just don’t garner nearly the respect that is their due.
I mean, the Americans are there year after year. In fact, they now are gunning for their seventh straight 40-victory season. Only the Kamloops Blazers (1989-96) and Regina Pats (1979-86) have won 40 or more games in seven straight seasons.
Honourable mention? Uhh, no.
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F Brendan Persley, 19, of the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers had surgery Tuesday to repair a broken leg. Persley, who was in training camp with the Tri-City Americans prior to this season, played 55 games with the Chilliwack Bruins (2009-11) and nine with the Victoria Royals last season. . . . He is expected to be out of the Vernon lineup for at least six weeks.
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Fighting is down 32.1 per cent in the OHL this season, following the introduction of a rule that calls for suspensions for players as they surpass a 10-fight barrier.
Dave Nayor of TSN reports that “just five weeks into the 2012-13 season, the new measure has had a dramatic influence on the number of fights across the league.”
"I'm surprised, I really am," OHL commissioner David Branch told Naylor. "I didn't think there would be that kind of immediate, shall we say, impact on the number of (fights)."
It’s also interesting to note that about 27 per cent of fights in the OHL have included an instigator penalty.
The OHL, under Branch, once again proves to be one of the most, if not the most, progressive hockey leagues in the world.
Naylor’s piece is right here.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:
G Cam Lanigan stopped 55 shots, including eight in OT, and wasn’t beaten in the circus as the host Medicine Hat Tigers got past the Kelowna Rockets, 4-3. . . . The Tigers had lost their last three games. . . . Kelowna held a 58-28 edge in shots. . . . Kelowna F Zach Franko forced OT with a goal with 24.7 seconds left in the third period and G Jordon Cooke on the bench for the extra attacker. . . . Medicine Hat F Curtis Valk scored twice, running his goal streak to four games. . . . F Hunter Shinkaruk and F Elgin Pearce scored in the circus for the Tigers, while the Pats came up empty. . . .

G Teagan Sacher recorded his first WHL shutout as the Regina Pats went into Cranbrook and beat the Kootenay Ice, 3-0. . . . Sacher stopped 28 shots. He’s a Winnipegger who turns 18 on Dec. 1. . . . F Lane Scheidl scored twice, giving him six. . . .

The host Moose Jaw Warriors erased a 1-0 deficit with three second-period goals and went on to beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 3-2. . . . D Morgan Rielly’s fourth goal stood up as the winner. . . . The Warriors got their three goals in a span of 7:20. . . . F Sam Mckechnie scored his eighth goal of the season for the Hurricanes, who had points in each of their last four games. . . . Mckechnie had 13 goals in 72 games as a freshman last season. . . . Warriors D Reid Jackson left early with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Warriors continue to play without F Miles Warkentine and F Jordan Messier, both of whom are injured. . . .

The visiting Brandon Wheat Kings broke a 1-1 tie with PP goals 1:18 apart in the third period and went on to beat the Vancouver Giants, 3-2. . . . The Giants had Payton Lee, 16, in goal. Lee, who was in camp with the Giants but has been playing for the junior B Richmond Sockeyes, stopped 25 shots. . . . F Nick Buonassisi, who is from Coquitlam, B.C., scored twice for Brandon. He’s got six goals. . . . Brandon D Tyler Yaworski may be looking at a suspension after taking a major at 19:34 of the third period. The WHL’s online scoresheet records it as a checking-to-the-head penalty; however, Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun is reporting that it was a charging major. . . . The game was 1-1 until Buonassisi and F Tim McGauley scored PP goals 1:18 apart early in the third. . . . The Giants’ record slipped to 2-9-0; they have lost five in a row. . . .

The host Prince George Cougars snapped a six-game losing streak with a 4-2 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Chiefs had won the first two games in what was a three-game series between the teams. . . . Attendance was announced as 1,371 and that’s 11 fewer than Tuesday night. . . . The Chiefs got the game’s first goal, then the Cougars got the next four.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None.

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
D Tyler Yaworski, Brandon (major)
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
From Tyler King (@tyler_king), the play-by-play voice of the AJHL’s Fort McMurray Oil Barons: “Am told Dauphin Kings (#MJHL) leading scorer Brendan Hurley has left the team to join the Calgary Hitmen (#WHL).”

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