PHOTO COURTESY NATHAN REITER PRINCE ALBERT DAILY HERALD
Prince Albert Raiders goaltender Max Hildebrand peaks through a crowd, looking for the puck, in Game 2, held Saturday at the Art Hauser Centre, in Prince Albert's first-round series with the Edmonton Oil Kings. After a 3-1 loss in Game 1 Friday, the Raiders bounced back for a 6-1 win Saturday, tying the series up at 1-1.
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The Edmonton Oil Kings opened the WHL Playoffs with a Friday-night upset.
The seventh-seed Oil Kings beat the second-seed Prince Albert Raiders 3-1 in Game 1 Friday at the Art Hauser Centre. They scored two answered goals in the second and third period to grab a brief lead in the series. Gracyn Sawchyn scored twice in the win for Edmonton, Alex Worthington made 31 saves.
Prince Albert responded with a 6-1 win in Game 2 Saturday, tying up the series. Niall Crocker scored twice, Lukas Dragicevic had a goal and three assists and rookie defenceman Daxon Rudolph had three helpers. Max Hildebrand made 42 saves for the win.
Through the first two games of the series, both teams have seen struggles with special teams. Neither team scored on the man advantage in Game 1, with Edmonton 0-3 and Prince Albert 0-7. Edmonton had one goal on nine power plays in Game 2, P.A. was 2-4.
The series heads to Alberta with Game 3 tonight in Edmonton at Rogers Place. Game 4 is Wednesday in Edmonton before the series turns back to Hockeytown North for Game 5 in Prince Albert on Friday.
Calgary (3) vs. Saskatoon (6)
Game 1: CGY 4, SAS 2
Game 2: CGY 5, SAS 1
The Calgary Hitmen’s offence is flying high to kickoff the WHL Playoffs.
The Hitmen fired a combined 92 shots across Game 1 and 2 at the Saddledome, beating the visiting Saskatoon Blades 4-2 on Friday and 5-1 on Sunday for a 2-0 series lead.
Ethan Moore scored twice in the Game 1 win Friday, with Pittsburgh Penguins’ prospect Tanner Howe and Vancouver Canucks prospect Sawyer Mynio each tallying two assists.
Calgary scored four unanswered goals Sunday en route to the Game 2 win, all three of Brandon Gorzynski, More and Howe had a goal and an assist. Anders Miller picked up both wins for Calgary, making 15 saves Friday and stops Sunday.
Blades’ net minder Evan Gardner stopped 40 shots in Game 1 and was lifted after 40 minutes in Game 2, making 33 saves. Former Medicine Hat Tiger Ethan McCallum made 10 saves in the third period.
Calgary’s power play is running at 50 per cent with three goals on six chances. Saskatoon has been held scoreless on three man advantages.
The first-round series turns to Saskatoon for Game 3 tonight and Game 4 Wednesday.
Lethbridge (4) vs. Brandon (5)
Game 1: LET 6, BDN 3
Game 2: LET 4, BDN 3
Like Scorpion, Lethbridge rocked the Brandon Wheat Kings like a Hurricane.
The Lethbridge Hurricanes grabbed a quick 2-0 series lead with a 6-3 Game 1 win Friday and a 4-3 Game 2 victory Saturday. Lethbridge has had five different multi-point efforts, led by Leo Braillard tallying two goals with two assists and both Kooper Gizowski and former Tiger Shane Smith notching a goal and an assist.
Former Moose Jaw Warrior Brayden Yager scored twice in Saturday’s win. Also a former Warrior, Jackson Unger, picked up both wins in the Lethbridge net. Carson Bjarnason started both games for the Wheat Kings, making 37 saves before being lifted Friday.
Both teams have found success on the power play, with Lethbridge’s man advantage running at 2-5 and Brandon’s 2-6.
The first-round series turns to Manitoba with Games 3 and 4 to be held in Virnin, Na due to arena availability. They play tonight and Wednesday.
Western Conference
Everett (1) vs. Seattle (8)
Game 1: SEA 3, EVT 2
Game 2: EVT 3, SEA 2 OT
The Western conference’s one vs. eight matchup has been the tightest series yet of the first round.
The Seattle Thunderbirds took down the regular season champion Everett Silvertips 3-2 in Game 1 Friday, falling in a close Game 2 with Everett winning 3-2 in overtime to force a series tie.
Seattle net minder Scott Ratzlaff made 45 saves in the Game 1 win, stopping 33 shots in the OT loss Saturday. Thunderbirds’ overage forward Hayden Pakkala had a goal and an assist in Game 1, recording the helper on the game winner.
Everett rookie blue liner Landon DuPont has recorded three assists across his first two playoff games. Overage forward Austin Roest, who returned from injury to play just seven regular season games, had a goal and an assist in Saturday’s OT win.
The Thunderbirds’ special teams have been a point of success, with the power play running at 2-4, holding Everett’s power play to 1-6.
Both teams will face-off in Seattle tonight for Game 3 with Game 4 not slated until Friday.
Victoria (2) vs.
Tri-City (7)
Game 1: VIC 3, TC 0
Game 2: VIC 6, TC 2
The Johnny Hicks show was on full-blast over the weekend.
The 19-year-old Victoria Royals net minder was named the WHL’s goalie of the week for good reason, making 22 saves in a 3-0 Game 1 win Friday before stopping shots in the Royals 6-2 Game 2 win over the Tri-City Americans.
Former Saskatoon Blade Brandon Lisowsky scored twice Friday, Royals’ Cole Reschny, a projected first round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, had a goal and an assist Friday before tallying two goals and a helper Saturday. Treydon Trembecky had a goal and four assists in the Royals Game 2 win.
After being held scoreless in Game 1, Tri-City found success on the power play in Game 2 with a pair of goals on the man advantage from captain Jake Sloan and forward Brandon Whynott.
They sit 2-10 on the man advantage through the first two games of the series, Victoria went 2-7 on the power play.
The best-of-seven series heads to Kennewick, Wash. for Games 3 tonight and Game 4 on Wednesday. If needed, Game 5 would also be a home game for Tri-City, held Friday.
Spokane (3) vs.
Vancouver (6)
Game 1: SPO 4, VAN 1
Game 2: SPO 7, VAN 5
The Spokane Chiefs weren’t shook by starting their first-round series on the road.
The third-seed Chiefs were unable to host Games 1 and 2 at home and headed to Vancouver, beating the Giants 4-1 in Game 1 Friday and 7-5 in Game 2 on Sunday.
Washington Capitals prospect Andrew Cristall scored twice in Friday’s win, Shea Van Olm had two assists. Burke Hood made 40 saves in the Vancouver net.
Spokane led 6-0 43 seconds into the third period before the Giants led a comeback bid, scoring five-straight goals over 15 minutes to bring themselves within one before an empty net goal from captain Berkly Catton who scored earlier in the game. Rookie forward Mathis Preston recorded his first WHL playoff goal, scoring twice more for the hat trick.
Dawson Cowan picked up both wins for the Chiefs.
The Chiefs return to Spokane with a 2-0 series lead with the next three games at the Spokane Arena. Game 3 is Wednesday, Game 4 Thursday and if needed, Game 5 is Saturday.
Spokane will be without Cristall for Game 3 after the 19-year-old was suspended one game due to a late-game, cross check to the face of Vancouver’s Jaden Lipinski in Sunday’s win. He was assessed a five-minute major and game misconduct on the play.
Prince George (4) vs. Portland (5)
Game 1: PG 7, POR 6 OT
Game 2: POR 5, PG 2
A wild start to the series provided early entertainment for the rest of the WHL.
The Cougars took Game 1 7-6 with a wacky overtime goal as Tarik Parascak scored on Portland’s Ondrej Stebetak after the net minder knocked off the post during the shot.
Parascak and Danis Matteo each scored twice in that win for Prince George, Josh Zakreski had two goals for Portland.
Portland rebounded Saturday with a 5-2 Game 2 win, on the back of a one goal, three assist effort from Tyson Jugnauth. Diego Buttazzoni scored twice with an assist.
Joshua Ravensbergen started both games for Prince George, lifted after 22 minutes Friday with 15 saves, making 28 stops Saturday.
Prince George has been held scoreless on five power plays, Portland converting on three of their nine power plays.
The series turns State-side with Game 3 tonight in Portland and Game 4 Wednesday also in the home of the Winterhawks. Game 5 will also be in Portland, set for Friday.
