Game Report: Moose Jaw 4 Regina 3

1ST PERIOD M.J B. Point (15) (T. Brown, M. Rielly) 13:39 (PP)
2ND PERIOD M.J S. Fioretti (29) (B. Point, T. Eberle) 3:00
M.J J. Wyton (5) (J. Uhrich, B. Potomak) 8:09
REG B. Christoffer (8) (D. Stevenson) 15:01
3RD PERIOD REG D. Stevenson (15) (T. Ouellette) 1:59
M.J M. Rielly (12) (T. Eberle, B. Point) 6:31
REG M. Klimchuk (31) (C. Stephenson, L. Scheidl) 12:03 Regina Matt Hewitt 24/28 Moose Jaw Justin Paulic 18/21 Regina: 1. Morgan Klimchuk LW - Klimchuk has had a fine NHL Draft eligible season. Continues to pot the goals as he scored his 31st of the season in this one. Klimchuk knows how to score, be it using his quick shot or crashing net and having a puck go off his body like he did in this one. Klimchuk has impressed with his determination. Everyone in the building knows he is most dangerous scorer on the Pats but that doesn't stop him from scoring. Klimchuk has a Patrick Marleau type game about him. There are times he disappears into the play and emerges with the puck and a scoring opportunity. Opportunistic scorer is what he is. I feel he should be a 1st rounder in the upcoming NHL Draft, albeit a back half pick. 2. Matt Hewitt G - Hewitt stole a game from Edmonton on Wednesday night and did everything he could to keep his team in this one but he didn't get the bounces tonight. There were some odd goals that were scored on him tonight, a lot of pucks ping-ponging in his crease. He battled but it wasn't meant to be tonight. The upside to Hewitt's game is his battle level, the downside is his size and ability to cover a lot of the net. Moose Jaw: 1. Brayden Point LW - Everytime I see Point play, he always seems to be the best Warriors forward on the ice, but he only has a mere 15 goals this season, on a team that struggles to score. He is only in his 16 year old season and there is time for him to grow into his frame and game. He has a knack for being able to make a play with the puck everytime its on his stick. Known more for his playmaking, but has the ability to shoot the puck himself. As he grows and the talent around him evolves, he has the potential to become a point scoring machine. 2. Morgan Rielly D - Easily the best player on the ice and looked like he was a notch or two above every other player on the ice. Controlled the puck and pace with ease tonight and was dangerous everytime he touched the puck. The Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick looks very close to NHL ready, could be as soon as next season. It's good for him to formly establish himself at the WHL level and he is doing that right now. Dominated this game through puck possession tonight. Has been playing the right side lately and as a left handed shot, he has the ability to do that due to his mobility. His vision is already at a very high level. Tallied the winner in this one by banking a shot off of a Pats defender.

Game Report: Regina 3 Edmonton 2

1ST PERIOD No Scoring 2ND PERIOD EDM C. Lazar (33) (H. Samuelsson, D. Musil) 2:03
REG L. Scheidl (32) (K. Burroughs, C. Stephenson) 4:38 (PP)
REG L. Scheidl (33) (C. Stephenson, D. Stevenson) 15:43 (PP)
3RD PERIOD EDM T. Foster (25) (C. Corbett, G. Reinhart) 5:31
REG M. Klimchuk (30) (C. Williams, D. Stevenson) 9:06 Regina Matt Hewitt 53/55 Edmonton Tristan Jarry 13/16 Regina 1. Lane Scheidl LW - Like many of the Pats on this night, he was very quiet, but very opportunistic. Tallied twice, once on a sweet one-time bomb from the point and the other from a back door tap in. Showed a nice set of hands on both occasions. The 20 year old is the leading scorer for the Pats this season. A very heady player that has taken on a leadership role on the Pats club this season. Might get a look in the pros because of his cerebral play. He and Klimchuk really carry the offense on this Pats club. 2. Matt Hewitt G - Could very well be the best goaltending performance I see this season. Stopped 53 out of 55 tonight but it was how he was stopping the pucks that made his performance impressive. Hewitt's anticipation and side to side movement was top notch. Really battled out there and didn't show at any point that he was going to break. Took one shot off the coconut half way through the 2nd period that I initially thought would take him out of the game. But he shook it off, got back at it and kept making saves amongst the barrage. Gutsy perfomance but Hewitt tonight that allowed the Pats to walk out of Edmonton with a win. Edmonton 1. T.J. Foster C - Foster tallied the goal that tied the game at 2, only for the Pats to score 3 1/2 minutes later. Foster had a few good looks tonight. It's players like Foster that allows the Oil Kings to win the possession battles. Good in his own zone and can make plays in the offensive zone as well. The Oil Kings are filled with these 3 zone players and its these 3 zone players that allow the Oil Kings game in, game out. Foster has been a fantastic Oil King in his time in Edmonton. I hope he gets his shot in the pros because he deserves the opportunity. 2. Griffin Reinhart D - Reinhart was pretty physical in tonight's game, Very effective in taking his man out of the play. Seems to be caught in between on the offensive side of the puck. Not getting the looks to use his effective shot. Reinhart is a part of a stable of Dmen that are solid in all 3 zones, much like the forwards. When your team is great in all 3 zones, you're going to have the puck a lot and when you have the puck a lot, you will get many chances to score, like the Oil Kings did tonight. The bounces just didn't go their way. As for Reinhart, he has been a fine captain for the Oil Kings this season and an effective defender. Really knows how to use his reach in the defensive zone. He's agile enough to handle speed and strong enough to handle power moves.

Game Report: Edmonton 5 Victoria 2

1ST PERIOD VIC J. Crooks (29) (S. Hodges, B. Magee) 7:09
VIC S. Hodges (25) (B. Magee) 15:21
2ND PERIOD EDM T. Ewanyk (7) (C. Corbett, S. Legault) 8:49 (PP)
EDM M. St. Croix (29) (T. Cheek, C. Corbett) 13:51
EDM D. Musil (8) (M. St. Croix, T. Foster) 14:28
3RD PERIOD EDM C. Lazar (30) (M. Gernat, E. Kulda) 5:35
EDM M. St. Croix (30) 6:38 Victoria Coleman Vollrath 32/37 Michael Herringer 1/1 Edmonton Laurent Brossoit 17/19 Victoria 1. Taylor Crunk LW - The Royals came out hitting in this one and Taylor Crunk was leading the way. Played the agitator role for the Royals. Started the game off with a couple of big hits on the forecheck, then  got into a stick swinging episode with Michael St. Croix that ended in a 2 minute penalty for Crunk when he slashed St. Croix behind the legs during a faceoff. Later had to answer for that by fighting Keegan Lowe in a very spirited scrap. Crunk doesn't have a lot of offense in his game but kept the energy up for the Royals as they were playing their 3rd game in 3 days in 3 different venues. The Royals eventually ran into fatigue and the Oil Kings took over the game. 2. Tyler Stahl D - Hockey pacifists would hate this player but a hockey purist like myself loves the way he plays the game. He plays for keeps out on the ice. Stahl plays with authroity. Punishing hitter on the backend for the Royals who has some offensive dimension. Stahl wears the "C" for the Royals and one can tell he is the pulse of this hockey club. Plays on the edge and sometimes go over that edge. One can call him dirty but he keeps his game pretty honest out there. I wonder if he will get a pro contract, I think he should as a punishing shutdown defender. Edmonton 1. Michael St. Croix RW - St. Croix had a slow start to the game but picked up speed as the game went along. The offensive catalyst for the Oil Kings executed at a high level in this one. Scoring two of the prettier goals on the evening. St. Croix has been known more for his playmaking ability, but is just as gifted a goal scorer with his quick trigger release from in close. His shot accuracy is precise. St. Croix should have continued success at the next level. He has the confidence and ability to thrive at the pro level. St. Croix tallied twice in this game to bring his goal total to 30 for the season. 2. Cody Corbett D - The Oil Kings defense is ridiculously good, but I feel Corbett gets overlooked at times as a legitmate stand alone defender. Corbett had all of his skills on display. A solid first pass, strong positioning, and a knowing what to do in every situation should make him a sought after commodity. Corbett's game continues to get better and better with every outing. Tallied 2 assists in this game. Lots of talk about Reinhart, Lowe, Musil and Gernat in how they are all pro ready. I feel Corbett should be right in the thick of that conversation.

Game Report: Medicine Hat 4 Regina 3

1ST PERIOD REG C. Samoridny (9) (G. Mumby, K. Burroughs) 0:51
M.H E. Pearce (24)  5:01
M.H B. Leier (12) (D. Bredo, H. Shinkaruk) 14:15 (PP) 2ND PERIOD No Scoring 3RD PERIOD
M.H H. Shinkaruk (31) (C. Sanford) 3:15
REG M. McCoy (6) (A. Brooks) 4:16
REG M. Klimchuk (28) (C. Williams, L. Scheidl) 4:56
M.H J. Doty (11) (D. Bredo) 7:50 Medicine Hat Cam Lanigan 26/29 Regina Matt Hewitt 31/35 Medicine Hat 1. Hunter Shinkaruk LW - Shinkaruk is instant offense. Has been doing most of his damage as a playmaker this season but is a qualified sniper in his own right. It's very debatable that he will be the first forward drafted in the 2013 NHL Draft in June to come out of the WHL. If he isn't first he will be second. Shinkaruk has sublime puck skills and a nose for the net. He doesn't have breakaway speed, he isn't blessed with great size, but what he does, is have the ability to find and create open ice and make the most of his opportunities. Shinkaruk will be a point producer even at the NHL level if given the opportunity. 2. Tyler Lewington D -  Lewington is a player that has flown under the radar for most of his tenure in the WHL, but has steadily improved game by game to the point where he has become very reliable on the ice. Finished +2 in this game and had a spirited scrap with Mike McCoy. Lewington doesn't have a lot of offensive dimension to his game but is far from unreliable. He keeps his ice clean and wins his fair share of puck battles. Regina 1. Morgan Klimchuk C - Morgan Klimchuk, Curtis Lazar and Hunter Shinkaruk will likely be the top 3 forwards taken from the WHL in the 2013 NHL Draft, in no particular order. Nic Petan may also be in that conversation. Klimchuk is a lot like Shinkaruk, perhaps more of a sniper, less overall flair to his game, but a more business like approach to it. Had a big hit on Curtis Valk in this game, something I hadn't seen from his game until this game. Klimchuk is about as pure a sniper there is in the entire WHL. Quick release with a lot of velocity. Continues to grow into his game and become more of a leader in Regina. Want to give props to Mike McCoy, first time seeing him a game that I can remember and he stood out. Had a fight with Lewington and scored a nice goal on a one-timer that took excellent skill and timing. Had a "head-turning" type game. 2. Kyle Burroughs D - Kyle Burroughs is the token puckrushing/puckmoving defenseman for the Pats. 2013 NHL Draft eligible has yet to crack my top 30 but is on the cusp of doing so. Burroughs is one of those players that does the little things well but hasn't enhanced any part of his game yet to stand up and be noticed. Burroughs is a player that is becoming more reliable each passing game. The Pats are waiting for him to take that next step and have more of an impact in all 3 zones.

Game Report: Portland 5 Kelowna 3

1ST PERIOD POR T. Leier (21) , 2:21
POR P. Kopeck (9) (A. De Champlain) 14:18
2ND PERIOD POR N. Petan (37) (B. Leipsic, T. Rattie) 5:36
POR T. Leier (22) (O. Bjorkstrand, C. De Leo) 17:31 (PP)
3RD PERIOD KEL J. Barnett (10) (M. Bowey, T. Baillie) 6:19 (PP)
KEL C. Fowlie (14) (T. Baillie, M. Bowey) 14:01
KEL C. Sissons (21) (D. McKinlay) 18:42
POR B. Leipsic (38) (T. Rattie) 19:24 (EN) Portland Mac Carruth 29/32 Kelowna Jordon Cooke 29/33 Portland 1. Brendan Leipsic LW - A goal, an assist and a +3 seems to be the norm for Leipsic this season. The line of Leipsic-Petan-Rattie has been outstanding this season, likely most productive line in the entire WHL. While some would say that line is too small, they do an excellent job of maintaining their own position on the ice while being on the right side of the puck. That is the name of the game, being in the right place at the right time. They are helped by having a bigger defense corps but these three players deserve all the accolades they are getting. All three are equal part playmaker and triggerman which makes them difficult to defend when the opposing defense doesn't know where the shot is coming from. As for Leipsic, he remains as gritty as ever, sticking his nose where it sometimes doesn't belong, but that adds to the aura of his game. 2. Seth Jones D - Held pointless on this night, but everytime I see him play, he ceases to amaze. A total package defenseman in all three zones. Its rare to see a puckrushers and a physical speciman be in the player, but thats what you get with Jones. Combine that with a fantastic surveyor of the ice with excellent puckhadling skills and you get the prototype defenseman that everyone wants to have as a part of their club. Portland is going to be a really tough out when playoff time rolls around. Kelowna 1. Colten Sissons RW - Very little fear in Sissons game. He has a motor that is constantly moving and looking to make a play on the fly. Sissons is an emerging power forward. Finishes checks with authority, takes the puck to net with reckless abandon and has a quick trigger release of a shot. There is a lot to like about Sissons though he is a little raw at times with his decision making. Sissons play a simple, straight ahead game. The captain of the Rockets is full value for wearing the "C". 2. Madison Bowey D - Bowey makes skating look so effortless. His defensive game continues to improve on a game by game basis as does his offensive game. His speed and puckmoving helped the Rockets launch a late stage comeback that ultimately fell short. His sublime skating is one thing, the fact he can keep up that high energy pace for most of the game is a testiment to his conditioning. The teamm drafting Bowey will have a bit of a conundrum. Is Bowey a beneficiary of playing with other outstanding defensemen or is he a big part of enhancing the defense? Either way Bowey has his strengths and weaknesses like every other defensemen, they key in drafting Bowey is to make sure there are solid defenders put around him. He's a bit of a riverboat gambler, but his gambles payoff more often than not.

Game Report: Kamloops 7 Spokane 4

1ST PERIOD KAM T. Bozon (30) (C. Smith, K. Kessy) 13:25 2ND PERIOD
SPO M. Holmberg (28) (M. Aviani, B. Kichton) 0:35 (PP)
KAM J. Lipon (26) (B. Ranford, D. Willick) 5:28
KAM K. Kessy (13) (T. Bozon, C. Smith) 10:45
SPO M. Holmberg (29) (M. Aviani, A. Helewka) 13:45
KAM K. Kessy (14) (J. Thomson, C. Smith) 16:18 (PP)
3RD PERIOD KAM J. Thomson (2) (K. Kessy, D. Willick) 1:30 (PP)
KAM C. Smith (35) (T. Bozon, M. Hrbas) 8:46
SPO M. Holmberg (30) (B. Gal, M. Aviani) 10:19
KAM T. Bozon (31) (C. Smith, K. Kessy) 12:04 (PP)
SPO B. Gal (10) (A. Helewka) 15:54 Spokane Eric Williams 23/28 Garret Hughson 8/10 Kamloops Cole Chevaldave 24/28 Spokane 1. Mitch Holmberg RW - Tallied 3 of the 4 goals for the Chiefs. Great at attacking of the edges on the rush. Not very big, but deceptively strong. Has a strong power move as he attacks the middle of the ice. Nice set of hands in tight with great finish. Has established as one of the go-to goal scorers on the Chiefs this season. Is productive in the greasy areas of the ice despite his frame. It will be interesting to see if Holmberg will be playing in the pros. His size might hold him back but it doesnt stop him from being productive all over the ice. 2. Brendan Kichton D -  Was a quiet night for him on this night by his standards. Kichton is likely the most prolific offensive defensemen patrolling the WHL blueline. Excellent skate with excellent decision making abilities. Has a knack of knowing when to shoot, when to pass, when to join rush, when to stay back. Plays the position with a lot of composure. Will never be known as a physical defenseman, but more of a control the pace type. He likely should have been playing in the AHL this season, but I'm betting the Chiefs are thankful that he is back for his 20 year old season. Kamloops 1. Tim Bozon RW - Big nights all around for many of the Blazers' forwards including Colin Smith and Kale Kessy. Bozon had a solid night in his own right. Tallied two goals and two assists on this night. Tim Bozon reminds me so much of what Alex Burrows does with the Canucks. Takes care of the little things, plays chippy, gets involved, is an excellent bridge between the star players and the role players of the Blazers and he can also make an offensive play when his time with the puck comes. Bozon is a very important cog for the Blazers going forward and the Habs found a gem by drafting him in the third round in the previous NHL Draft. 2. Jordan Thomson D - Thomson is a highly touted 2014 NHL Draft Eligible. Thomson is starting to get more offensive looks with the Blazers as the season is heading on. In this particular game he was featued on many of the Blazers powerplays, tallying a goal and an assist while the Blazers were on the man advantage. He is still a work in progress at the defensive end largely due inexperience and him having to still fill out his frame. Has some really nice offensive instincts as this stage of his hockey career. He will be one two leading up to the 2014 NHL Draft.

Game Report: Edmonton 3 Swift Current 0

1ST PERIOD EDM C. Lazar (25) (D. Wruck, H. Samuelsson) 3:20
EDM C. Lazar (26) (M. St. Croix, D. Wruck) 14:39 (PP)
2ND PERIOD No Scoring 3RD PERIOD EDM D. Musil (6) (H. Samuelsson, E. Kulda) 7:34 Swift Current Eetu Laurikainen 39/42 Edmonton Laurent Brossoit 23/23 Swift Current 1. Adam Lowry C - Lowry was a handful for the Oil Kings defense tonight but he was also working alone a lot of the night as the Broncos offense was styfled. Lowry was using the bull rush of the edges to create offense. Ultimately, no one ended scoring for the Broncos, but Lowry did his part by getting the puck near the Oil Kings, singlehandedly most of the time. Lowry has emerged as the Broncos clear offensive leader and a player that has blossomed into an offensive star. A player that looks ready for the next step in the pros be it at center or on the wing. 2. Eetu Laurikainen G -  Laurikainen was a big reason why this game was even remotely close. The reason why the Broncos had a tough time generating offense was because they were busy defending a lot of the night, which forced Laurikainen to see a lot of shots early and often. Laurikainen is your prototypical European goaltender. Not quite as big as some but athletic and positionally sound. Doesn't seem to get rattled in the cage even if the volume of shots is high. He's a gamer. Edmonton 1. Curtis Lazar C - Lazar has not been getting a lot of love from scouting publications as he widely revered for being a "faller". In my eyes, there is nothing wrong with Lazar's game. Lazar fits in the mold of being a versatile player that does a variety of things at a high level, be it on the penalty kill, powerplay, 5 on 5, protecting a lead, mounting a comeback, Lazar can play in all of these situations. Can also play center or the wing equally effectively at a high level. Not sure of Lazar will be a high scorer at the NHL level, but he will an outstanding complementary piece for whoever chooses him. His high hockey IQ is enchanced on the Oil Kings club. 2. Laurent Brossoit G - Brossoit played a fine game tonight. Wasn't busy at all in the first as the Oil Kings outshot the Broncos 16-3 in the first. The Oil Kings played a little prevent defense in the 2nd period which forced Brossoit to be a bit sharper. Held the net strong on a couple of Lowry's bull rushes. Brossoit has the benefit of playing behind a strong Oil Kings defense, but when he is on his game, he is as tough to beat in the WHL as anyone. When he is on his game, he is tough to beat in the lower half of the net.