WHL Playoffs: Eastern Conference Preview

The WHL playoffs are set to begin tomorrow, and in earnest, it began with a tie-breaker game yesterday that saw the Edmonton Oil Kings defeat the Medicine Hat Tigers 6-4. There's no rest for the Oil Kings, however, as they're in the opening game with the Brandon Wheat Kings tomorrow. With that out of the way, here is the Eastern Conference preview.

Brandon Wheat Kings vs. Edmonton Oil Kings

The Wheat Kings had their struggles during the season, at one point, were behind Lethbridge for top spot in the Conference. However, they've been playing their best hockey lately, and certainly, leading the league in offense will help. Ivan Provorov leads the way defensively while Nolan Patrick and Jayce Hawryluk are offensive stalwarts. Jordan Papirny is good, but not great, something that the Wheaties can live with. The Oil Kings almost blew it in the final weekend, as they couldn't get the critical point to outright claim the last playoff spot. However, they were able to get here thanks to beating Medicine Hat in the tie-breaker game. These are not the Oil Kings of old, as they still have trouble replacing their offense, with Brett Pollock leading the way at a rather paltry 78 points, and goaltending averages over 3.00 GAA total.

Prediction: Wheat Kings in 4

Lethbridge Hurricanes vs. Regina Pats

The Hurricanes are back in the playoffs, and for much of the season, they looked like the team to beat. However, they did tail off a little late in the season, but righted the ship in time to claim the Central Division. Stuart Skinner has been as advertised, as he's held down the fort in goal along with Jayden Sittler while the likes of Brayden Burke, Tyler Wong, and Giorgio Estephan lead the second best offense in the league. The Pats are led by league leading scorer Adam Brooks, whose 120 points were 50 points ahead of the next best scorers on the team. That's kind of disproportionate, but perhaps this is where Sam Steel gets to show what he can do when the lights shine the brightest, as he missed last season's playoffs to injury. Tyler Brown holds the fort in goal for the Pats.

Prediction: Hurricanes in 6

Prince Albert Raiders vs. Moose Jaw Warriors

This is the battle of goaltenders, as Zach Sawchenko and Rylan Parenteau were All-Star selections for the regular season honors, with Sawchenko claiming First All-Star while Parenteau was on the Second All-Star team. Beyond that, the Raiders were led by Reid Gardner while the Warriors were led by MVP nominee Dryden Hunt. This one is too close to call, but the Warriors may have a slight edge if Brayden Point goes off for the Warriors.

Prediction: Warriors in 7

Red Deer Rebels vs. Calgary Hitmen

Another strong defensive match-up, this time, it's Trevor Martin/Rylan Toth for Red Deer and Cody Porter/Nik Amundrud for Calgary. The Rebels will be in the Memorial Cup tournament this year, as they are hosting, but they would love to make a strong showing in the playoffs, and leading the way are Ivan Nikolishin, Adam Helewka, and Haydn Fleury. The Hitmen rely on their strong blue line led by Jake Bean and Travis Sanheim while Radel Fazleev is a good option up front.

Prediction: Rebels in 6

WHL Playoff Picture: Eastern Conference

With the WHL Playoffs just a month away, teams are fighting for position and the weak are getting weeded out with every game. Today, the Eastern Conference will be given a look.

BRANDON WHEAT KINGS: Currently lead the East Division and were the second team to clinch a playoff berth. They've played better lately, although they did lose to Saskatoon yesterday in overtime. Seven points is what separates them from Prince Albert, with Moose Jaw only nine points out.

PRINCE ALBERT RAIDERS: Seven points behind Brandon for the East Division lead, they also have to fend off Moose Jaw, who is just two points behind, and Regina, who are nine points behind and are playing their best hockey right now.

MOOSE JAW WARRIORS: They're in good shape to end a playoff drought that has gone on for three seasons, but they would love to not travel to either Brandon or Lethbridge for their first round match, as they have to fend off Regina.

REGINA PATS: Comfortably in the first wild-card spot, they're playing their best hockey and have a chance to overtake either Moose Jaw or Prince Albert for a division spot.

SWIFT CURRENT BRONCOS: They are eight points behind Edmonton for the final playoff spot and are unlikely to claim a division spot if they do get in. They must play better hockey, which begins with scoring more goals, as only Kootenay has a worse offense.

SASKATOON BLADES: Currently just seven points behind Edmonton for the final playoff spot, they are still in the middle of a rebuild. Making the playoffs would be a bonus, but until they fix a defense that ranks only ahead of Kootenay, they won't get far.

LETHBRIDGE HURRICANES: Currently hold the Central Division lead (six ahead of Red Deer) and the Eastern Conference lead (two ahead of Brandon), but have picked a bad time to play their worst hockey, as they currently ride a three game losing streak.

RED DEER REBELS: Six points behind Lethbridge for the Central Division lead, they just broke a losing streak of their own last game with a victory over Prince George. They will still have a Memorial Cup appearance in hand, but they will need to find their game sooner rather than later if they wish to make a deep WHL run.

CALGARY HITMEN: Nine points behind Lethbridge for the Central Division lead and just three points behind Red Deer for second, the Hitmen haven't been their usual selves, as the own a paltry +13 goal differential and have a pivotal matchup with Portland tonight.

EDMONTON OIL KINGS: Seven points above the red line, they still haven't been able to find the offense that has eluded them since the 2014 Memorial Cup run. They are a woeful -26 in goal differential, and though the duo of Payton Lee and Patrick Dea won't remind anyone of either Tristan Jarry or Laurent Brossoit, they are keeping the Oil Kings in it.

MEDICINE HAT TIGERS: Nine points behind Edmonton for the final wild card spot, they have been snakebit when it comes to their goaltending, as Nick Schneider hasn't played great and Austin Lotz got hurt six games after being claimed in the overage waivers draft. The Tigers would be best to miss the playoffs, as there just isn't anything they can do if they sneak in.

KOOTENAY ICE: The worst team in the WHL, the Ice are pretty much headed to the first overall pick in the Bantam Draft this year. Not even Sam Reinhart could have saved this year's version of the Kootenay Ice.

The Road to the Memorial Cup: Red Deer, AB

This season, the Western Hockey League gets its turn at hosting the Memorial Cup, as it is rotated every three years between the WHL, the OHL, and the QMJHL.  This year, the WHL representative will be Red Deer, AB and their team the Rebels.  Since the Rebels are hosting, they get an automatic entry into the Memorial Cup tournament this season, and as hosts, like every other team that has hosted before them, they would love to put their best foot forward.  So many questions do have to be answered, such as do they mortgage the farm to try and win it all, being both the WHL and Memorial Cup championships, and what moves do they make in preparation for this event?  Throughout the season, this blog will be following the Rebels as they prepare for the Memorial Cup, a journey that began last night against division rival Edmonton Oil Kings. The Rebels would win both games by the scores of 4-1 and 3-2 in overtime. Though the Oil Kings are a team in transition, Rylan Toth looks to be a solid player, particularly in the Rebels defense first system that has helped players such as Patrik Bartosak and Darcy Kuemper win Goalie of the Year awards in the WHL.

It won't take long for the Rebels to find out how good they really are, as they'll be welcoming Swift Current on Friday and the defending Ed Chynoweth champion Kelowna Rockets on Saturday.

WHL Central Division Preview

Today, the 2015-16 WHL season preview takes us to Alberta, and eastern British Columbia, and before I get started, the WHL unveiled their 50th anniversary logo earlier this Summer.

The Calgary Hitmen held off both Medicine Hat and Red Deer en route to winning the Central Division.  They made it to the Conference finals, but were overmatched against Brandon.  Now, there are questions abound, such as who will their starting goaltender be?  Mack Shields struggled last year in his first year as starter, which was why they traded for Brendan Burke at the deadline.  One figures that one of the two will likely return as one of three overage players.  On the blue line, they're in pretty good shape despite likely losing Keegan Kanzig to the pros, as Travis Sanheim will lead the way for the Hitmen.  Offensively, the Hitmen could be in real trouble if Jake Virtanen does stick with Vancouver this season, as there are no proven options that can score.

Year one of the Edmonton Oil Kings post-Derek Laxdal era did not quite get off to the start they wanted, as they had to hold on to the last wild card spot until the end of the regular season.  From there, they were thoroughly outclassed by Brandon in the opening round despite stealing a win in the opening game.  They never did find suitable replacements on offense to replace the likes of Curtis Lazar, Mitch Moroz, and Henrik Samuelsson.  Now, they have to find a replacement for Tristan Jarry, who is going pro, and Patrick Dea figures to be in line to start.

The Kootenay Ice also needed to hold on to a wild card spot to qualify, and though they gave Calgary a run for their money in the opening round, they could not quite duplicate the previous year's feat of knocking Calgary out of the opening round, and were thus eliminated in six games.  Both leading scorers Sam Reinhart and Jaedon Descheneau are likely turning pro, and many more questions remain as to who the three overage players will be.  Wyatt Hoflin proved capable in net, but will he be back, as he is one of many players vying for the overage spots.

The nightmare that was the Brad Robson/Drake Berehowsky era was mercifully put to an end in the middle of last season, and now, it is Peter Anholt who will be handling both the General Manager and head coaching duties, something that he started immediately after the previous regime was let go.  Though the Hurricanes will have both Tyler Wong and Giorgio Estephan returning, many other question marks remain.  Who starts in goal?  Currently, there are five players that ended the year on the roster, yet no one established themselves.  Also, where will the veteran leadeship come from?  Early indications appear that newcomers Cory Millette and Arwin Atwal will provide that, but of the players that ended the season on the Hurricanes, that question looms.

The Medicine Hat TIgers put together a respectable run, but were beaten by Calgary in the conference semi-finals.  Questions from the blue line on back loom large, as Marek Langhammer moves on due to graduation, as does Tyler Lewington.  Tommy Vannelli and Kyle Burroughs are also both likely gone, as they could seek the test in the pros.  If any success on the blue line is to be had, it now has to start with David Quennville.  Up front, the questions are just as large, though it is possible that the Tigers could keep either or both Cole Sanford and Trevor Cox, who were the team's leading scorers.

The Red Deer Rebels will be hosting the Memorial Cup this season, and though they just traded away Taz Burman, it likely opens the door to Rylan Toth to become the starter in goal.  Defensively, they will likely be led by Haydn Fleury and Nelson Nogier while Connor Bleackley and Adam Musil are likely leading the team up front.

WHL Eastern Conference Playoffs Preview

The WHL Playoffs field is set and the games begin on Thursday.  There's not much time to breathe, so without further ado, here is the Eastern Conference preview, which begins Thursday with Brandon and Edmonton.

(1) Brandon Wheat Kings vs. (4) Edmonton Oil Kings

The Wheat Kings are the Scotty Munro Trophy winners this season for best regular season record, and despite having been eliminated by the Edmonton Oil Kings in the last two times they've made the playoffs, they've never been favored in either match-up.  The shoe is on the other foot this time around, as the Wheat Kings are heavily favored with an all-around solid team that will look to prove predictions of being the Eastern Conference representative correct.  The Oil Kings are minus some key players from the last few years, and it showed this year, as they needed almost the entire season to secure a playoff berth.  The Oil Kings' hopes for a repeat don't appear likely.

Prediction: Wheat Kings in five

(2) Regina Pats vs. (3) Swift Current Broncos

The Pats ended up a solid second place in the East Division despite trading away players such as Morgan Klimchuk and Kyle Burroughs at the trade deadline.  The Pats will be facing another obstacle this year, as they are going to be without rising star Sam Steel for the duration of the playoffs due to injury.  The Broncos needed all of the season to claim the last spot in the playoffs, and they appear to be in good form with back-to-back victories to close out the season.  An upset could be in the cards, but do the Broncos have enough to do it?

Prediction: Pats in seven

(1) Calgary Hitmen vs. (4) Kootenay Ice

The Hitmen needed the entire season to fend off the Medicine Hat Tigers to win the Central Division.  However, they're also facing the same Kootenay Ice team that eliminated them last season, and there is no reason to think the Ice won't be able to do it again.  If there was a team that is under the most pressure to win, it's the Hitmen.  The Ice are basically the same team as they were last season, only Wyatt Hoflin is in goal instead of Mackenzie Skapski, and the Ice do stand a chance with Sam Reinhart and Jaedon Descheneau on the team.  However, the motivation is there for the Hitmen to avenge last year's defeat.

Prediction: Hitmen in six

(2) Medicine Hat Tigers vs. (3) Red Deer Rebels

This match-up promises to be the best of the Eastern Conference.  Not much separates these two, with the Tigers being a better offensive team while the Rebels are a better defensive team.  You could flip a coin to determine a winner, and you would probably be correct here.  However, the Rebels do want to have some momentum heading into next year, when they will be hosting the Memorial Cup tournament.

Prediction: Rebels in seven

WHL Playoff Picture: Eastern Conference

This year, the WHL is following the NHL's lead in the playoff format, going with three automatic qualifiers from each division plus the next two teams in each conference, and yes, the pairings are the same as it is in the NHL.  With the playoffs a month away, it's time to see where each team is in the race.  The Eastern Conference is first, so here goes (the teams will be listed in accordance to where they are in the playoff standings, as listed on the WHL site):

EASTERN CONFERENCE

East Division

1. Brandon Wheat Kings: Lead the conference in points and is the first team in the playoffs for the conference.  They currently hold a 19 point lead on the nearest division rival in Regina and are almost certainly going to be the top seed in the conference.

2. Regina Pats: Despite trading away some of their top stars this season, the Pats are comfortably in second place in the division, and appear to be headed for a home ice advantage against the third ranked team in the division, which appears to be...

3. Swift Current Broncos: Nine points clear of Moose Jaw for the last spot in the division playoff race, the Broncos are not out of the woods yet, as they still have some division games to play, and that could be big if they don't fare well there.

Central Division

1. Medicine Hat Tigers: They lead the division by six points ahead of Calgary, but their hold on the division lead is fairly tenuous.  The Tigers also didn't make many moves at the trade deadline, which could come back to haunt them.

2. Calgary Hitmen: Just six points back of Medicine Hat, they are also in a fight to maintain home ice advantage for the first round, as they are just three points ahead of Red Deer.  Picking up Brendan Burke helps their goaltending, but by how much remains to be seen.

3. Red Deer Rebels: Eight points clear of Edmonton for the last automatic division spot, the Rebels are also gearing up for next year, when they will be hosting the Memorial Cup tournament.

The Rest

1. Edmonton Oil Kings: The defending league and Memorial Cup champions find themselves fighting for their playoff lives.  Fortunately, they have a 10 point lead on Moose Jaw, but don't appear to be in position to move into the division qualifiers at this point.

2. Kootenay Ice: Dead in the water before Sam Reinhart came back from his NHL audition, the Ice suddenly find themselves occupying the last wild card spot.  Like Swift Current, they are nine points above the cut-off line.

3. Moose Jaw Warriors: The Warriors need to pick up their game if they want to qualify for the first time since 2012.  This will be easier said than done because they don't score enough to offset the sometimes porous defense.

4. Prince Albert Raiders: Back by 11 points, the Raiders are pretty much thinking of next year, as the trades of both Josh Morrisey and Leon Draisaitl have left the Raiders bereft of any difference makers.

5. Lethbridge Hurricanes: The Brad Robson/Drake Berehowsky experiment was an abject failure, and both were shown the door mid-season.  However, they don't occupy the cellar at the moment, thanks to a strong week. Oh, and they're not making the playoffs, a feat that will mean the Hurricanes will see playoff-free hockey for the sixth straight season.

6. Saskatoon Blades: Already eliminated from playoff contention, the Blades were already in rebuilding mode, thanks to the trade of Nikita Scherbak early in the season.  Currently, the Blades find themselves in the cellar.

Winterhawks Weekly: Now, That's More Like It

The Portland Winterhawks are finding themselves a little more with each passing game, and it helped that they managed to get four out of six points this past week. Thursday didn't start out so well, as they were blanked 5-0 to the visiting Kelowna Rockets. However, the Winterhawks didn't have to wait long for retribution, as the Rockets would be back for a Saturday game. Paul Bittner would score the game winner in overtime to avenge their earlier loss by a 3-2 score. Sunday, the Edmonton Oil Kings came calling, and despite some of the name changing, the Winterhawks were up to the task for this game, as they would give goaltender Michael Bullion enough support in a 3-1 win.

The Winterhawks finish their home stand this week, as they welcome Red Deer on Friday and Kamloops on Saturday.

WHL Preview

The WHL season kicks off Friday, and nearly half the teams will be entering the season with a new bench boss. The Edmonton Oil Kings raise the banners for both the Ed Chynoweth and the Memorial Cup championships on Saturday against the Kootenay Ice. The East Division is looking to get a team to the Finals for the first time since 2006, and the Brandon Wheat Kings are prohibitive favorites to claim the division. In the Central Division, the Oil Kings will feel the pressure from the Calgary Hitmen, who have depth in most places, though they will be without Jake Virtanen for a month or two while he recovers from off season surgery.

Kelowna is expected to contend in the BC Division while looking to end Portland's reign atop the Western Conference. Speaking of the Winterhawks, they will have a new bench boss in Jamie Kompon as they look to reach the Finals for the fifth straight season. The Seattle Thunderbirds look to dethrone the Winterhawks in the US Division.

New Leaders of Champions

In one of the wilder off-seasons for WHL coaches, the Edmonton Oil Kings and Portland Winterhawks both were looking for new head coaches thanks to job openings in both the AHL and the NHL.  Derek Laxdal left the Oil Kings to take a job as the head coach of the AHL champion Texas Stars, which became open when Willie Desjardins was named to replace John Tortorella as the coach of the Vancouver Canucks.  Meanwhile, Mike Johnston left both the head coach and General Manager positions in Portland to accept the head coaching job in Pittsburgh.

How both teams filled those vacancies was different, as the Oil Kings hired from within, as Steve Hamilton was promoted from associate coach to be the new bench boss of the Oil Kings.  He helped oversee an Oil Kings unit that made the WHL Finals three years (currently) in a row and claim two WHL championships and a Memorial Cup.  His familiarity will help an Oil Kings squad that may very well experience a major turnover in its roster.

The Winterhawks looked to Chicago to name their guy, as Jamie Kompon was named to both the head coach and General Manager roles.  His resume includes six years as an Assistant coach for the Los Angeles Kings (with two of those seasons intersecting Johnston's time with the Kings) and two seasons as an Assistant coach of the Chicago Blackhawks.  He has two Stanley Cup championships from 2012 and 2013 in that time.  Kompon has some sizable shoes to fill, but he appears to have the tools to lead Portland in their quest for a fifth straight WHL Finals appearance.

The Memorial Cup is Coming Home

Photo by Aaron Bell/CHL Images

The story of the 2013-14 Edmonton Oil Kings will have a far happier ending than either the 2011-12 or the 2012-13 seasons, as the Oil Kings won the Memorial Cup today, beating Guelph 6-3.  If you remember, the 2011-12 season saw the Oil Kings win the WHL championship, but were defeated by host team and eventual winner Shawinigan in the tie-breaker game that year.  2012-13 saw the Oil Kings lose in the WHL Finals to Portland, a team that they would see in all three WHL championship years.  This year, they not only took the Ed Chynoweth Trophy back from Portland, but they overcame a rough start to the Memorial Cup tournament, a 6-2 loss to Guelph and a double-OT loss to Val D'Or sandwiched a win against host team London to beat Val D'Or in triple-OT in what is now the longest game in the tournament before avenging the earlier defeat to Guelph in a 6-3 win.

With the win, the Oil Kings will be bringing back the Memorial Cup to the WHL for the first time since Spokane did it in 2008.

Winterhawks Weekly: See You In the Fall

The Portland Winterhawks will not be heading to London for the Memorial Cup Tournament, as they fell one win short in a 4-3 series loss to the Edmonton Oil Kings.  The series played out exactly how the previous two finals went, as the two teams went back and forth.  Portland gained the upper hand in the first two games and appeared to be on their way to a 3-0 series lead after the first period of game 3.  However, the Oil Kings would come back and with it, had the momentum going into game 6 and were 20 minutes away from claiming the title then.  However, three goals and 20+ minutes later, the Winterhawks forced a game 7 thanks to a furious comeback.  In the end, the Oil Kings would win the title thanks to a four goal outburst in the second period to take back the title they won in 2012 and represent the WHL in the Memorial Cup Tournament that begins Friday.  The Oil Kings will join Guelph and London, as well as the winner of the Val D'Or/Baie-Comeau game tonight.  As for the Winterhawks, it was a disappointing end to another magnificent season, but making the Finals four straight years is nothing to dismiss.  Next year, they hope to make it into rarefied air, as they will shoot for five straight appearances.

WHL Finals Predictions

This is it.  For the third straight year, the Portland Winterhawks and the Edmonton Oil Kings will play for the right to hoist the Ed Chynoweth Trophy and punch their ticket to the Memorial Cup Tournament, which will be in London, ON this year.  The best offense in the league versus the best defense in the league, and there will be history on the line this year.  The Winterhawks aim to become the first team to repeat as WHL Champions since the Kamloops did in in 1994 and 1995 while the Oil Kings want to take back what they won in 2012.

Prediction: Winterhawks in 6

WHL Finals Breakdown

So, it's come to this...for the third straight year.  The Edmonton Oil Kings and the Portland Winterhawks will be squaring off for the right to represent the WHL in the Memorial Cup tournament again.  Each team has taken a series, with the Oil Kings winning in seven in 2012 while the Winterhawks took last year's series in six games.  Some of the names have changed, but the stakes and the hatred are the same.

In goal, Laurent Brossoit and Mac Carruth have moved on, and in has come Tristan Jarry for Edmonton and the two-headed goaltending monster of Brendan Burke and Corbin Boes.  Jarry has established himself as the number one goaltender for Edmonton after serving as a backup to Brossoit the previous two years.  He is the Eastern Conference finalist for the Del Wilson Trophy as best goaltender.  Burke has been the starter for most of the season, but injuries and the stellar play of mid-season acquisition Boes have made the Winterhawks a two-goalie team that can feel comfortable playing the hot hand.  It will be interesting to see whether the Winterhawks stick with Boes, who was the goaltender of record when the Winterhawks took out the Kelowna Rockets in five games.

On the blue line, the Oil Kings make their hay here, as they were once again a force in the league leading defense.  Led by Griffin Reinhart, the Oil Kings are a unit in every sense of the word.  The Winterhawks are not to be counted out, however, as they have players capable of winning it for them.  They are more offensive oriented, with Derrick Pouliot leading the way and Matthew Dumba providing a presence that the team had been missing since Seth Jones left for the NHL.

Offensively, the Oil Kings are as balanced as can be, with Brett Pollock and Curtis Lazar leading the team in playoff scoring with 17 points.  Five Winterhawks have more than that total, which is more indicative of the Winterhawks' high-scoring offense, which led the league in the regular season once again.  Brendan Leipsic is the disrupter of the group, and having him on the ice gives the Winterhawks a greater chance of winning, as he can get under the opponents' skin and allow the likes of Oliver Bjorkstrand and Nic Petan to do what they do best.

Later this week, I will make my predictions for the series.

WHL Conference Finals Preview

The Medicine Hat Tigers made a riveting comeback from a 3-1 series deficit to claim the final spot in the WHL Conference Finals, as they will head to Edmonton while the two best teams in the league square off as the Portland Winterhawks and Kelowna Rockets meet.  Both games begin their series Friday.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Edmonton Oil Kings vs. (4) Medicine Hat Tigers

The Oil Kings appear to be the odds-on favorite to represent the Eastern Conference in the finals for the third straight year.  Of the remaining teams, the Oil Kings have given up the fewest goals in the playoffs, with Tristan Jarry proving that he is indeed ready for the spotlight in goal.  Unlike the previous two seasons, there hasn't been a true scorer that could take over the game.  However, balanced scoring up and down the lineup has more than offset that issue.

The Tigers needed to make a comeback from being down 3-1 to the Kootenay Ice to make it here.  Led by Trevor Cox, the Tigers found some offense to go with clutch goaltending from Marek Langhammer to give the Tigers a chance at making the WHL Finals for the first time since they won it all in 2007.  The Tigers can match the Oil Kings defensively, but the question here is whether they can do it consistently.

Prediction: Oil Kings in 6

WESTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Kelowna Rockets vs. (2) Portland Winterhawks

The Rockets were the best team in the league, but needed to fend off a historically hot Winterhawks team to claim the Scotty Munro Trophy as the best team in the regular season.  The Rockets have shown no signs of slowing down this post-season, as they disposed of Tri-City and Seattle in only nine games.  Like the Oil Kings, the Rockets rely on a balanced scoring threat.  However, the health of Myles Bell is something to watch.  Jordon Cooke has played well, but he also has the highest GAA of the remaining four goaltenders.

The Winterhawks are the best offensive team in the league, and are proving it once again in the playoffs.  However, their defense is rounding into form at the right time, and unlike the previous meetings, the Winterhawks will be a lot closer to full strength (Nic Petan's health pending) and they will even have Matt Dumba for the games, something that the Winterhawks didn't have for the regular season series.  Brendan Burke's game is getting better, and that will really help the Winterhawks here.

Prediction: Winterhawks in 7

WHL Eastern Conference Semi-finals Preview

The remaining eight teams in the WHL playoffs will start play in the next round on Thursday.  There were a few surprises in the East while the West went almost according to seed.

EASTER CONFERENCE

(1) Edmonton Oil Kings vs. (7) Brandon Wheat Kings

The Oil Kings dispatched the Prince Albert Raiders in a sweep, which was hardly surprising, but the Raiders did play the Oil Kings closer than expected.  Curtis Lazar, Mitch Moroz, and Cody Corbett are players to watch, as they ignited the team's offense.  Tristan Jarry has proven to be the team's last line of defense, as he continued his stellar play into the series.  The Wheat Kings pulled off a mild upset (mild because the Wheat Kings were only eight points back of the Pats) of the East Division champion Regina Pats, and did so convincingly in a sweep.  Jordan Papirny has been solid in net in his rookie year, and certainly, having a strong blue line in front of him has helped.  However, it has been an offensive attack led by Jayce Hawryluk and Richard Nezejchleb that put the Wheat Kings over the Pats.  Edmonton has the decided playoff experience edge, but the Wheat Kings are playing with greater momentum at the moment.

Prediction: Oil Kings in 5

(4) Medicine Hat Tigers vs. (6) Kootenay Ice

The Tigers won a hard fought series against the Swift Current Broncos in six games.  As much credit goes to the offense, it was really the defense that stepped up their game.  Tyler Lewington, Dylan Bredo, and Tommy Vannelli are very good in their own end, and it helps that Marek Langhammer has been the goaltender the Tigers wanted.  Kootenay was the real surprise, as they dispatched heavily favorited Calgary in six games to advance.  Tim Bozon's release from the hospital the day before their series-clinching victory and his appearance in the ceremonial opening face-off make Kootenay this year's feel good story.  However, it would be a mistake to think Kootenay got here on luck alone, as Jaedon Deschenau and Sam Reinhart are tied in the playoff scoring lead.  Defense could be tightened up a little, as Mackenzie Skapski has been pulled in a couple of contests, and Wyatt Hoflin finished the series.

Prediction: Medicine Hat in 7

WHL Eastern Conference Playoff Preview

With the Prince Albert Raiders' 5-3 win against Red Deer in the tie-breaker game last night, the Eastern Conference is now set.

(1) EDMONTON OIL KINGS vs. (8) PRINCE ALBERT RAIDERS

The Oil Kings were once again the best defensive team in the league, and thanks to four players that scored 30 goals or more this season, were the best offensive team in the conference.  Led by Henrik Samuelsson and Curtis Lazar, the Oil Kings claimed the Central Division crown once again, and Tristan Jarry proved that he was ready for the starting job this season after previously backing up Laurent Brossoit in the last two seasons.  The Raiders needed the tie-breaker game just to get to this point, and while they certainly haven't lived up to pre-season expectations, it is a new season.  Leon Draisaitl and Josh Morrissey lead the way for the Raiders, who were buoyed by the mid-season acquisition of Collin Valcourt.  Goaltending is still a concern, as Cole Cheveldae posted a GAA of near-4.00, and he was not in goal when the Raiders won the tie-breaker game.

Prediction: Oil Kings in 5

(2) REGINA PATS vs. (7) BRANDON WHEAT KINGS

Don't let the seedings fool you, these teams were separated by a mere eight points, so this is a more even match-up than you think.  The Pats were led by Chandler Stephenson and Dyson Stevenson, but received significant contributions from both Morgan Klimchuk and Boston Leier.  Dmitry Sinitsyn and Kyle Burroughs provided more than capable defense from the blue line while the tandem of Daniel Wapple and Dawson MacAuley were solid in net for the Pats.  The Wheat Kings score a lot, but that is often because they gave up nearly the same number of goals as they scored.  Seven players scored at least 20 goals, with Richard Nejezchleb being the only one to score more than 30.  Jordan Papirny was a very good goaltender given how much under siege he was for the Wheat Kings.

Prediction: Wheat Kings in 7

(3) CALGARY HITMEN vs. (6) KOOTENAY ICE

The Hitmen are on a mission to make the finals after narrowly missing out last year.  Though Brady Brassart and Greg Chase led the team in scoring, it is Jake Virtanen that is the team's best player, as he is becoming one of the best two-way players in the WHL.  It also helps that he scored 45 goals, good for sixth in the league.  Chris Driedger was solid in goal once again, as he led the third best defensive team in the conference.  Kootenay will be motivated to win it for Tim Bozon, who is still in a Saskatoon hospital due to a severe case of meningitis.  However, the loss of Bozon takes away a scoring threat that will take the pressure off of Sam Reinhart and Jaedon Deschenau.  That duty now falls on Luke Philip.  Defensively, the Ice can match the Hitmen, as Mackenzie Skapski is no slouch in goal.

Prediction: Hitmen in 5

(4) MEDICINE HAT TIGERS vs. (5) SWIFT CURRENT BRONCOS

The Tigers were the second best defensive team in the conference, and a fair portion of their success can be attributed to Marek Langhammer stepping up his game this year.  The addition of Tommy Vannelli helped, as well as the the contributions from both Tyler Lewington (+40) and Dylan Bredo (+33).  However, their offense was as good as ever despite not having Hunter Shinkaruk for most of the season.  Curtis Valk stepped up his game once Shinkaruk went down due to injury in both his offense and in a leadership role.  The Broncos showed that they could build upon last year's playoff appearance with another solid season.  Eetu Laurikainen provided peace of mind in goal while newcomer Julius Honka provided a spark from the blue line.  Three players topped the 30 goal mark, proving that once again, the Broncos play a complete team game.

Prediction: Tigers in 6

WHL Eastern Conference Playoff Picture

The Eastern Conference has a slightly clearer idea of who's getting in, but where everyone will be remains to be solved.  So, here goes (standings accurate as of this morning and verified on the WHL website):

1. Edmonton Oil Kings: Riding an 11-game winning streak, and looking a lot like their former selves, the Oil Kings are riding Tristan Jarry's goaltending into a playoff run.  They are currently five points clear of Calgary in the Central Division and are the best defensive team in the league.  They are also the third best offensive team in the league, trailing only Portland and Kelowna.

2. Swift Current Broncos: At 64 points, they aren't too impressive, but someone has to be the East Division leader, and they are it after beating Brandon last night.  They aren't too impressive on either end, but they do have players to watch in Julius Honka and Brycen Martin.

3. Calgary Hitmen: Five points behind the Oil Kings, there is no question the Hitmen would love to surpass their provincial rival of the north.  Their momentary slip led to Edmonton taking the division lead from Calgary, but the Hitmen do have players that can give them another deep run, and it begins with goaltender Chris Driedger.  Jake Virtanen will need to step up if the Hitmen hope to make it to the finals.

4. Medicine Hat Tigers: Surprisingly the second best defensive team in the Conference, they've made a lot of their hay without Hunter Shinkaruk, who is currently out with an injury.  Marek Langhammer will need to continue his great play and players such as Curtis Valk and Trevor Cox will need to continue their great play if the Tigers hope for more than just a cup of coffee in the playoffs.

5. Kootenay Ice: The Ice is mostly Sam Reinhart, Jaedon Deschenau, and a bunch of question marks.  Tim Bozon and Zach Franko are nice secondary options, but after that, it's anyone's guess.  This is almost certainly going to have to be Reinhart's team to carry, and if he can't, the Ice won't be long for the playoffs.

6. Brandon Wheat Kings: No such hard luck on the injury front, and while it hasn't translated to a dominating performance, they do have a shot at the East Division title.  Jordan Papirny is the man in goal, and Jayce Hawryluk is the team's leading scorer.

7. Regina Pats: The trade for Boston Leier has energized the Pats and as a result, they are in playoff contention.  They still have questions to answer, such as whether Dawson McAuley can be the team's rock in goal and whether Leier and Morgan Klimchuk will get help on offense.

8. Red Deer Rebels: Widely thought to have been a seller at the trade deadline, they are currently five points ahead of Prince Albert for the last playoff spot.  They still don't score enough, and it is once again Patrik Bartosak that has to step up for the Rebels.

9. Prince Albert Raiders: Thought to have been a favorite to run away with the East Division, the Raiders are on the outside looking in and the only team in that category with any chance of making the playoffs.  Leon Draisaitl alone is not going to solve this team's offensive woes, and Cole Cheveldae is good, but not great in goal.

10-12. Moose Jaw Warriors, Saskatoon Blades, Lethbridge Hurricanes: Moose Jaw can't score, Saskatoon can't stop anyone, and Lethbridge is just flat out terrible.

Winterhawks Weekly: The Light, the Dark, and the Endless Knot

The life of a WHL team is one of cycles: for every good run of years they have, there is bound to be at least a few off years where rebuilding is the name of the game.  Sometimes, there are even instances where a team knows its window is closing and they go all in.  That last instance is where the Portland Winterhawks are in a sense, as you will find out later.

First, the week that was, and the Winterhawks had their first chance to take back the U.S. Division lead from Everett on Tuesday, as they took on the Silvertips.  The teams exchanged goals in the first period, as Josh Winquist and Garrett Haar opened the scoring for their respective teams.  Taylor Leier would put the Winterhawks up 2-1 to end the second period, and that's when things opened up for the Winterhawks.  Alex Schoenborn, Chase De Leo, and Oliver Bjorkstrand made it 5-1 Winterhawks before the halfway point of the third period, which caused the Silvertips to switch goalies, as Austin Lotz was benched for Daniel Cotton.  Everett would get within two on goals from Ivan Nikolishin and Winquist, but a Derrick Pouliot goal would end the Silvertips' chances and ensure that Portland would be entering the Alberta road trip with the U.S. Division lead in a 6-3 win for Brendan Burke and company.

Friday was the rematch of the last two WHL championship series, as the Winterhawks and the Edmonton Oil Kings met in the latest chapter of a budding rivalry.  Nic Petan would open the scoring for the Winterhawks, but Dysin Mayo would tie things up at one after one period.  Cody Corbett would score the lone goal in the second period to put the Oil Kings up 2-1, and like the last game the Winterhawks played, things erupted in the third period.  Curtis Lazar would put the Oil Kings up 3-1 to open the third period, but Derrick Pouliot would put the Winterhawks within one soon thereafter.  An Edgars Kulda goal would put the Oil Kings up two again, but Leier would score the next two goals, including a goal with under a minute to go in the game to force overtime.  The game would need a shootout, where Reid Petryk would score the winner for the Oil Kings and send the Winterhawks to a 5-4 loss.  Because the Silvertips also lost that evening, that assured the Winterhawks of ending the week with at least a share of first in the division, as they earned a point in the shootout loss.

The Winterhawks went to Red Deer on Saturday to take on the Rebels, who would be a key figure in the Winterhawks' immediate future plans (more on that later).  The Winterhawks started out hot, as De Leo and Paul Bittner would put the Winterhawks up 2-0 to start the game.  Adam Musil would put Red Deer on the board to close the gap at one, but Brendan Leipsic would give the Winterhawks a two goal lead once again heading into the second period.  Schoenborn would put Portland up 4-1 to begin the second period, but a Vukie Mpofu goal would make it 4-2.  Connor Bleackley would put the Rebels within one, but a Leipsic goal would make it 5-3 heading into the third period.  Dominik Volek would score the only goal of the third period, but it wasn't enough, as Portland escaped Red Deer with a 5-4 win and Jarrod Schamerhorn got the victory.

Sunday was a day the Winterhawks would like to forget, as their third game in as many days wasn't kind to them.  They concluded the Alberta road trip with a game at Calgary, and for the first period, things didn't look so bad, as Bjorkstrand would put the Winterhawks up 1-0 after one period.  However, the fatigue of the road trip caught up to them, as the Hitmen would put up four unanswered goals, with Greg Chase and Kenton Helgesen scoring in the second period and Pavel Padakin scoring twice in the third period to give the Winterhawks a 4-1 loss.

The Winterhawks will have a home and home this weekend with Seattle, with a road game Friday and a home game Saturday.  And now, for the news of the week: the Winterhawks made a trade with the Rebels yesterday, acquiring the rights to Matthew Dumba and a conditional pick in exchange for Presten Kopeck and a couple of conditional picks.  Currently, Dumba is still with the Minnesota Wild and his entry level contract started this year, as he has played 13 games this season.  However, he has not played since November 23 and was released to try out with the Canadian national team in the World Junior Championships.  The Wild can still send Dumba down to juniors, but now instead of a Red Deer team that is trying to reload, it will be a Portland team that is looking to repeat as WHL champions.  Dumba's addition, if he does get sent back to juniors, would shore up a Winterhawks defense that hasn't played as well as in recent years.

WHL Odds and Ends

The WHL season is two months in, and it's fairly safe to say that some trends stick out more than others.

• Portland leads the league in goals scored, which isn't exactly a surprise despite the Winterhawks losing Ty Rattie, Tyler Wotherspoon, and Seth Jones to the pros.  However, the second leading team in goals scored?  Swift Current, who was actually the second worst offensive team in the Eastern Conference to qualify for the playoffs last year.
• On the other end of the spectrum, the three worst teams on offense (from worst on up) are Lethbridge, Kamloops, and Red Deer.  None of those teams are a real surprise, since Lethbridge just traded away two of their top three scorers from last season recently, Kamloops lost a lot of scoring in the off-season and traded away Tim Bozon a few weeks ago, and Red Deer just simply doesn't score a lot of goals.
• Defensively, Kelowna leads the league in goals against, but they are also the only team to have not played 20 games, though that changes tonight.  The next best defensive team?  Edmonton, who is now getting hot, as they have won eight of their last 10 games.
• Conversely, Lethbridge is the worst team at keeping the puck out of the net, and now, they are turning to Teagan Sacher to try and turn things around.  Corbin Boes and Christopher Tai have had little success to this point.  Saskatoon and Prince George are the next worst teams on defense.  Not coincidentally, all three have given up triple digits in goals to this point in the season.
• Speaking of Lethbridge, they finally cracked the double digit mark in points for the season, as they earned a point in the overtime loss to Red Deer on Saturday.  Things do not figure to get any easier, as they traded away Ryan Pilon to Brandon, making it three important players traded away this season alone.
• Until this weekend, Seattle had not won since trading for both Jaimen Yakubowski and Sam McKechnie.  They earned a win and an overtime loss this weekend in games at Victoria.
• Exactly one team as the same amount of goals for as they do goals against (Kootenay).
• The most penalized team in the WHL is Lethbridge, with 474 minutes.  Some discipline should be instilled here, as it may explain the alarming number of goals against.
• The leading scorer in the league is Mitch Holmberg of Spokane.  The next two leading scorers are both Winterhawks in Nic Petan and Oliver Bjorkstrand.  Last year's co-leader Brendan Leipsic is fifth on the team in scoring, behind Petan (the other co-leader from last year), Bjorkstrand, Taylor Leier, and Chase De Leo.

Should these trends speak of what's to come for the following months of the season?  For the most part, yes, as Portland will score, and they have the firepower to do so while Lethbridge is still in search of a solution in goal, as well as players that want to stay in Lethbridge.  However, one expects Spokane to level off soon, as Portland has had their number, and they can be streaky, both good and bad.  Though Edmonton trails Medicine Hat in the standings, one expects them to take the top spot in the Central Division soon.

Third Jersey News: WHL Edition

I haven't done a jersey update in some time, and given that the Regina Pats will be wearing new threads during home games on Fridays, now's the time to catch up on the other big third jersey news.  First, the Pats' third jersey, and as you can see in the picture, the Pats decided to keep a sense of tradition, with the crest in front that features the team name in the bars and the alternate logo from the team's previous third jersey in one of the areas divided by the PATS.  The striping isn't anything special, which works well in keeping things clean.

The Edmonton Oil Kings debuted their third jerseys on their opening night game against Calgary, and their template is taken from the Anaheim Ducks' third jersey.  Obviously, the Oil Kings decided to go in a different direction, as they broke out neon green and black, colors that are not part of the Oil Kings' usual scheme.  The logo is also radically different, as it shows a stylized variation of a king with the shoulder patch having the EOK on them.  It's not the greatest, but given the Oil Kings' recent history, something completely different is what the Oil Kings needed to keep things interesting, and their third jersey does that.