———
The streak came to an end on Saturday night as the U of Alberta Golden Bears dropped a 5-4 OT decision to the visiting U of Saskatchewan Huskies. . . . Alberta G Kurtis Mucha went into last night’s game having put up five straight shutouts. He was riding a shutout streak of 324 minutes 20 seconds. . . . It ended at 335:06, when F Andrew Bailey Bailey scored for the Huskies. . . . F Brennan Bosch scored the winner for the Huskies. . . . They’ll play Game 3 in the best-of-three Canada West final today in Edmonton.
Here are some other record shutout streaks . . .
NHL: 332:01, Brian Boucher, Phoenix Coyotes (2003-04)
WHL: 265:13, Chris Worthy, Flin Flon Bombers (1967-68).
NCAA: 375:01, Blaine Lacher, Lake Superior State (1993-94)
———
The matchups, if the WHL playoffs opened today:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Edmonton (1) vs. Kootenay (8)
Saskatoon (2) vs. Swift Current (7)
Calgary (3) vs. Medicine Hat (6)
Red Deer (4) vs Prince Albert (5)
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Portland (1) vs. Everett (8)
Kelowna (2) vs. Seattle (7)
Kamloops (3) vs. Victoria (6)
Spokane (4) vs. Tri-City (5)
———
SATURDAY’S GAMES:
In Moose Jaw, F Morgan Klimchuk celebrated his 18th birthday with his 33rd goal and three assists to lead the Regina Pats to a 7-2 victory over the Warriors. . . . F Chandler Stephenson also had a goal, his 13th, and three assists for Regina. . . . The Pats were 4-for-9 on the PP as Moose Jaw took 124 of the 171 minutes assessed by referees Cole Hamm and Brett Montsion. . . . The Warriors were 1-for-2. . . . Moose Jaw F Jordan Wyton was tossed with a major for goaltender and a game misconduct at 16:06 of the third period. . . . With G Daniel Wapple (concussion) still out, G Justin Paulic made his 19th straight start for the Warriors. . . . G Brett Banda of the midget AA Moose Jaw Warriors backed up Paulic. . . .
In Prince Albert, G Connor Honey stopped 36 shots as the Brandon Wheat Kings doubled the Raiders, 4-2. . . . F Nick Buonassisi scored twice, giving him 13, and F Tim McGauley had a goal and an assist for Brandon, which had lost six in a row. . . . McGauley broke a 2-2 tie with his 16th goal at 6:00 of the third period. . . . The Raiders had taken four straight games from Brandon. . . . The Raiders slid back to fifth in the Eastern Conference, two points behind the Red Deer Rebels. . . .
In Cranbrook, G Mackenzie Skapski stopped 35 shots as the Kootenay Ice dumped the Medicine Hat Tigers, 4-2. . . . The Ice scored two first-period goals, the first from F Sam Reinhart, who has 30, and never trailed. . . . F Miles Koules had a goal, his 18th, and an assist for the Tigers. . . . The Ice victory officially eliminated Moose Jaw and Regina. . . . Kootenay is eighth in the Eastern Conference, six points ahead of Lethbridge, which has seven games left. . . . The Ice also is one point behind Medicine Hat and Swift Current. . . .
In Red Deer, G Patrik Bartosak turned aside 52 shots as the Rebels beat the Swift Current Broncos, 3-0. . . . WHL Facts (@WHLFacts) tweeted that 52 is the most saves by a goaltender in a shutout this season. . . . Bartosak stopped 24 shots in the third period alone. . . . He’s got four shutouts this season and five in his career. . . . F Turner Elson scored two first-period goals for the Rebels. He’s got 23. . . . By night’s end, the Rebels had clinched a playoff spot and moved past Prince Albert into fourth place in the Eastern Conference. . . .
In Kamloops, D Sam Grist had two assists as the Blazers beat the Vancouver Giants, 4-2. . . . Kamloops F Brendan Ranford scored his 19th goal as he set the franchise record for career reglular-season games played. This was No. 342, one more than F C.J. Stretch (2005-10). . . . The Giants had won 5-3 in Kamloops on Wednesday. . . . Vancouver had a season-high three-game winning streak end. . . . F Alex Baer, a 15-year-old out of the Minnesota high school ranks, earned his first WHL point, an assist, in his second game. He played a regular shift and saw some PP time. . . . Kamloops F Colin Smith had one assist to become the third WHLer this season to 100 points. . . . Kamloops is second in the B.C. Division, five points behind the Kelowna Rockets. The two teams will play in Kamloops tonight and Friday, and in Kelowna on Saturday. . . .
In Kelowna, F Tyrell Goulbourne, who had never before scored more than once in a game, scored four times as the Rockets skated past the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 7-1. . . . Goulbourne has 13 goals this season. He now has 20 goals — and 40 fighting majors — in 139 career games. . . . F Cody Fowlie had three assists for Kelowna. . . . The Rockets are third in the overall standings, one point behind the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . .
In Everett, F Kohl Bauml broke a 2-2 tie at 17:57 of the third period as the Silvertips beat the Portland Winterhawks, 4-2. . . . Everett had lost eight straight games to Portland this season. They’ll meet again Tuesday, this time in Portland. . . . Bauml, who has 21 goals, scored twice, both coming via the PP. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie opened the scoring with his 41st goal, on a shorthanded penalty shot at 10:53 of the first period. . . . Rattie’s 42nd goal, on a PP, tied the game 2-2 at 13:09 of the third. . . . Everett G Austin Lotz stopped 29 shots. . . . Everett is eighth in the Western Conference, five points ahead of Prince George, and one point behind Seattle. . . . Portland, which has lost three straight, leads the overall standings by eight points over Edmonton. . . . 
In Victoria, G Eric Williams turned aside 37 shots to lead the Spokane Chiefs to a 3-2 victory over the Royals. . . . F Blake Gal’s 13th goal gave the Chiefs a 3-1 lead at 5:09 of the second period. . . . Victoria got it’s goals from the Walker brothers — Jack has six, Ben has 18. . . . Victoria F Logan Nelson had two assists. . . . F Todd Fiddler got his 41st goal of the season for Spokane. . . . The Chiefs are fourth in the Western Conference, three points ahead of Tri-City. . . . The Royals, who have lost nine straight, are sixth, seven points behind Tri-City. . . . 
In Kent, Wash., F Justin Feser broke a 2-2 tie with his 40th goal and the Tri-City Americans went on to a 5-3 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds (of Kent). . . . Feser also had two assists, giving him 97 points in 64 games. . . . F Luke Lockhart scored twice, giving him 22, for Seattle. . . . Tri-City G Luke Lee-Knight stopped 25 shots. . . . Tri-City F Ryan Chynoweth, playing in his second game since missing 14 with an undisclosed injury, left this one in the first period. He was bleeding from the forehead after being knocked into the boards. Head coach Jim Hiller told Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald that Chynoweth won’t play Monday or Tuesday when the Americans are in Prince George. . . . The Americans, who have won six of seven, trail fourth-place Spokane by three points. . . . Seattle, in seventh, is a point up on Everett.———
CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Trent Ouellette, Regina
D Haydn Fleury, Red Deer
F Mike Aviani, Spokane
CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Mike Aviani, Spokane
———
From Bruce Luebke (@wheatkingsvoice), the veteran radio voice of the Brandon Wheat Kings: “Just 2nd time in 34 road games this season that the #BWK have led after first period. Last time was September 28th. #bdnmb”
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