Playoff Matchups Round #1 2013

Eastern Conference

(1) Edmonton Oil Kings vs. (8) Kootenay Ice
Oil Kings:
- Strengths - Very deep. Balanced scoring. Formidable defense.
- Weaknesses - Complacency. Shaky goaltending at times.
Ice:
- Strengths - High octane top line. Enthusiastic club.
- Weaknesses - Not very deep, lack of offense from blueline.
Prediction: Oil Kings in 4

(2) Saskatoon Blades vs (7) Medicine Hat Tigers
Blades:
- Strengths - High end top line. Defense is stout, goaltending strong.
- Weaknesses - Underachieved a lot of the year. Bottom end scoring.
Tigers:
- Strengths - High energy offense. Goaltending can steal a game.
- Weaknesses - Defensively suspect. Club not deep.
Prediction: Blades in 5

(3) Calgary Hitmen vs. (6) Swift Current Broncos
Hitmen:
- Strengths - Great blend of skill and grit. Solid defense.
- Weaknesses - Immobile defense. Scoring comes and goes.
Broncos:
- Strengths - Solid defensively, Great goaltending.
- Weaknesses - Lack of scoring depth. Overall team speed.
Prediction: Hitmen in 7

(4) Red Deer Rebels vs. (5) Prince Albert Raiders
Rebels:
- Strengths - Balanced scoring. Strong goaltending. High energy club.
- Weaknesses - Lack of high end scoring. Smallish club.
Raiders:
- Strengths - Very balanced team. Methodical. Solid goaltending.
- Weaknesses - Lack of high end scoring. Inconsistent club.
Prediction: Rebels in 7

Western Conference:

(1) Portland Winter Hawks vs. (8) Everett Silvertips
Winter Hawks:
- Strengths - Top end scoring. Great team defense. Solid goaltending.
- Weaknesses - Smaller team. Battling complacency.
Silvertips:
- Strengths - Decent defensively. Gritty, hard working club.
- Weaknesses - Lack of scoring. Lack of depth.
Prediction: Winter Hawks in 4

(2) Kelowna Rockets vs. (7) Seattle Thunderbirds
Rockets:
- Strengths - Great team depth. Solid goaltending. Solid defense group.
- Weaknesses - Team size is average. May have already peaked.
Thunderbirds:
- Strength - Solid goaltending. Run & gun club.
- Weaknesses - No high end scoring talent. Defensively weak.
Prediction: Rockets in 5

(3) Kamloops Blazers vs. (6) Victoria Royals
Blazers:
- Strengths - High end offense. Defensively sound. Solid goaltending
- Weaknesses - Lack of offense from defense. Smaller forwards.
Royals:
- Strengths - Excellent blend of skill & grit. Goaltending can steal a game.
- Weaknesses - Defensively weak. Easily give up on games.
Prediction: Blazers in 5

(4) Spokane Chiefs vs. (5) Tri-City Americans
Chiefs:
- Strengths - High team hockey IQ. Solid top line. Strong team defense.
- Weaknesses - Inconsistant goaltending. Lack of scoring depth.
Americans:
- Strengths - Balanced club. High gamesmanship.
- Weaknesses - Inconsistant goaltending. Smallish club.
Prediction: Chiefs in 7

Game Report: Saskatoon 3 Edmonton 2 (SO)

1ST PERIOD EDM K. Lowe (15) (D. Wruck, D. Musil) 11:02 2ND PERIOD
EDM D. Wruck (22) (C. Lazar, D. Musil) 10:44
3RD PERIOD SAS B. Walker (32) (M. Stransky) 4:13
SAS S. McColgan (19) (J. Nicholls, D. Siemens) 8:31 OT No Scoring Shootout Saskatoon S. McColgan Goal M. Stransky Miss Edmonton H. Samuelsson Miss S. Legault Miss T. Cheek Miss Saskatoon Andrey Makarov 39/41 Edmonton Laurent Brossoit 35/37 Saskatoon 1. Brenden Walker C - Walker played a hard nosed game for the Blades on this night. Constantly finishing his checks on the forecheck and in the face of Oil Kings defenders all night. His hard work was rewarded as he scored the opening tally for the Blades that started the comeback. Walker plays a griity style but has a n offensive dimension to his game as shown by the 32 tallies this season. Comparable to a Brad Marchand type. An agitator who can manufacture offense. Walker is a key piece on a deep Blades forward unit. 2. Andrey Makarov G - Makarov started slowly but got much stronger as the game went on. The more shots he faced, the more into the game he was. Gave up a softy to Keegan Lowe, had no chance on Dylan Wruck's spectacular goal, but didn't give the Oil Kings a sniff after that, including the shootout where he kept all three shots out of the net. Makarov is a cool customer that doesn't get rattled in the net too often. Has a short memory and just keeps making saves regardless of the score. It's a good trait for a goaltender to have. Short memory but solid structure. Edmonton 1. Dylan Wruck LW - Most dangerous Oil Kings forward on this night, including scoring a highlight reel goal that gave the Oil Kings a 2-0 lead. The Oil Kings are blessed with skilled offensive forward, but Wruck is as important as any of them. Player with a high motor that senses when its time to make a play. A great blend of determination, hustle and skill wrapped in the stout frame of Wruck. It will be interesting to see how the rest of Wruck's hockey career goes once his time with the Oil Kings is done. 2. Keegan Lowe D - Lowe may have the quietest 15 goals from a defenseman I have ever seen. For a player that is known for battle level and "in your face" type hockey, Lowe has developed an offensive facet to his game this season. Not sure how his offense will translate at the pro level but his 15 goals are needed on a defensive unit that is known more for its defense than offense. Lowe has grown exponentially in his time with the Oil Kings. He came into the WHL as a greenhorn, but will be walking out as an all around, dependable defenseman.

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.