Blazers force Game 6 with third period surge

Thunderbirds still lead Western Conference final 3-2

Will Blazers HC/GM Shaun Clouston guide a team to a 3-1 series rally?

The Kamloops Blazers pre-empted any celebration plans the Seattle Thunderbirds and their fans may have had.

On Saturday at the Accesso ShoWare Center in Kent, Wash., the host Thunderbirds went into Game 5 of the WHL’s Western Conference Championship Series looking to close out the best-of-seven set. The visitors played the role of spoiler.

The two sides were locked in a 1-1 draw after 40 minutes, and the Blazers opened the third scoring three times in the first 5:31 of the frame to jump ahead 4-1. The Thunderbirds answered back scoring once 18 seconds after that surge, but the hosts wouldn’t score any more to the disappointment to most of the 5,063 spectators in attendance.

The Blazers made the 4-2 score hold up as the final outcome of the contest to cut the Thunderbirds lead in the series to 3-2. With the win, the Blazers force the series to go to a Game 6 that will be held on Monday at the Sandman Centre in Kamloops at 7 p.m. local time.

If the Blazer are able to win Game 6, that will force a series deciding Game 7 to be held on Tuesday back at the Accesso ShoWare Center at 7 p.m. local time. Last year, these two clubs went to a series deciding Game 7 in the Western Conference final that was won 3-2 by the Thunderbirds in Kamloops. The Thunderbirds trailed that series 3-2 before rallying to take the set in Game 7.

Of course, the Blazers are trying to rally back from a 3-1 series deficit to take the Western Conference final, and Shaun Clouston, who is the team’s head coach and general manager has experience with making a 3-1 series comeback.

Back in the 2014 WHL Playoffs, Clouston was the head coach and general manager of the Medicine Hat Tigers when they fell behind the Cranbrook, B.C., based Kootenay Ice 3-1 in a best-of-seven WHL Eastern Conference semifinal series. The Tigers roared back for three straight wins to take the set 4-3 for the only 3-1 series comeback to date in team history.

Medicine Hat would proceed to bow out in the Eastern Conference final in five games to the eventual WHL and Memorial Cup champion Edmonton Oil Kings. Clouston joined the Blazers organization on June 17, 2019. The Ice moved from Cranbrook to Winnipeg, Man., before the start of the 2019-20 campaign.

Jared Davidson is Seattle’s career leader in post-season goals.

As for Saturday’s encounter between the Blazers and Thunderbirds, Blazers left-winger Matthew Seminoff scored his second of the contest 43 seconds into the third to give the visitors a 2-1 edge with a shot from the front of the net on a delayed penalty call. Seminoff converted a nice backhand pass that came from the left side of the Seattle goal from left-winger Caedan Bankier.

Just 23 seconds later, the Blazers pushed their lead out to 3-1 thanks in part to an error by Thunderbirds star goaltender Thomas Milic. Blazers import centre Jakub Demek was cruising around behind the Seattle net, and Milic was expecting a wraparound and shuffled from the left post to hug the right post of his goal.

Demek centred the puck just before passing the left post to Blazers star 20-year-old centre Ryan Hofer, who was about three feet out front of the left post. Hofer fired one shot off the post before putting his own rebound into an empty cage to give the visitors their two-goal advantage.

At the 5:31 mark of the third, the Thunderbirds were working on the power play, but the Blazers were able to break into the Seattle zone on a two-on-one break. Hofer jetted down the right wing, deked around Thunderbirds star defenceman Kevin Korchinski and snapped home a shot for his second tally of the contest that put the Blazers up 4-1.

Just 17 seconds later, Thunderbirds star left-winger Reid Schaefer scored on that same power play to cut the Blazers lead to 4-2. Seattle wasn’t able to get any closer even with having the benefit of being on the power play for the final 1:54 of the third including being down two men for a short span of 16 seconds.

The teams played through a scoreless opening frame with the Blazers holding a 12-7 edge in shots on goal.

At the 3:06 mark of the third, Thunderbirds star left-winger Kyle Crnkovic, who turned 21-years-old in January, appeared to have scored the first goal of the contest. The goal went to a video review, and it was disallowed after video determined there was a hand pass made by Thunderbirds captain Lucas Ciona in the puck possession sequence that led to Crnkovic’s tally.

Matthew Seminoff

The Thunderbirds did get the first goal of the contest as 20-year-old star centre Jared Davidson scored his ninth of the post-season to give the hosts a 1-0 lead. The tally was Davidson’s 22^nd career post-season goal with the Thunderbirds, which set a new team record. The old mark of 21 goals was held by centre Scott Eansor, who played for the Thunderbirds from 2013 to 2017 helping them win a WHL title in 2017.

Davidson has 22 goals and 26 assists in 41 career post-season games with the Thunderbirds.

With four minutes remaining in the second, Seminoff sniped home his first goal of the contest from inside the right faceoff circle to even the score at 1-1. That set the stage for the dramatics in the third.

Dylan Ernst stopped 36 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Blazers. Milic turned away 26 shots to take the setback in net for the Thunderbirds.

Offensive-defenceman Jeremy Hanzel had a pair of assists for the Thunderbirds.

The series between the Thunderbirds and Blazers was expected to be a heavyweight battle.

The Thunderbirds topped the Western Conference and finished second overall in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 54-11-1-2 record. The U.S. Division champions were rated fourth in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings. Seattle’s 54 wins and standings points total of 111 points are new regular season club records.

The Blazers finished second overall in the Western Conference and third overall in the WHL regular season with a 48-13-4-3 mark. The B.C. Division champions were rated ninth in the final CHL Top 10 rankings.

Seattle’s roster contains 10 players who have been drafted by NHL teams, while Kamloops has nine NHL drafted players on its roster. The Thunderbirds have seven players who participated in the last world juniors, and the Blazers have three players who took part in this past world juniors.

Reid Schaefer scored for the Thunderbirds on Saturday.

The Thunderbirds were without standout centre Jordan Gustafson for a third straight game. It is suspected Gustafson was injured as part of the celebration for Hanzel’s overtime winner in Game 2 of the series claimed by the Thunderbirds 4-3. The Blazers were without defenceman Ryan Michael.

Kamloops rearguard Logan Bairos returned to action after missing three games due to injury, and blue-liner Ryan Nolan was healthy scratched to allow Bairos to return to the Blazers lineup.

The winner of the series between the Thunderbirds and Blazers advances to face the Winnipeg Ice in the best-of-seven WHL Championship Series. The Ice swept the Saskatoon Blades 4-0 in a best-of-seven Eastern Conference Championship Series.

Winnipeg topped the WHL regular season standings with a 57-10-1 mark and was rated third in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings. The 57 wins and 115 standings points are new franchise records for the Ice.

The Ice are likely watching the Western Conference final intently and have to enjoy the fact the Blazers and Thunderbirds are going to a Game 6. The winner if the Western Conference title series will have reduced rest before playing the WHL final.

The Ice will host Game 1 of the WHL final on Friday at 7 p.m. local time at the Wayne Fleming Arena.

Winnipeg would gain a further bonus of the Blazers do in fact rally to win the Western Conference final. The Blazers host the Memorial Cup tournament that determines a CHL champion from May 26 to June 4 at the Sandman Centre in Kamloops, so the WHL’s Eastern Conference Champion would make that event, if Kamloops makes the WHL final. In that scenario, the Ice would earn a berth to the Memorial Cup.

Ryan Hofer

For now, the Blazers are hoping to play in the third series in these WHL Playoffs that goes to seven games, and the Thunderbirds will do what they can to avoid a winner takes all contest.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Silvertips or Ams might prove U.S. Division is still WHL’s best

Carter Hart in action for the Silvertips in February of 2017.

    The Everett Silvertips or the Tri-City Americans might prove you should never go to sleep on the WHL’s U.S. Division.

    During the 2017-18 campaign, a lot of talk among those that follow the WHL noted that the league’s East Division might be the toughest the circuit has seen in some time. That distinction might belong to the circuit’s U.S. Division.

    While all the clubs in the six-team East Division had winning records under the WHL’s current standings format, all the squads in the five-team U.S. Division have accomplished that feat twice in the last three years.

    This season four teams from the U.S. Division finished in the top nine of the circuit’s overall standings. All five clubs in the U.S. Division finished in the top 13 of the overall standings.

    By comparison, four clubs from the East Division finished in the top eight in the overall league standings, and all six East Division teams finished in the top 15 overall in the league.

    Due to the fact teams in one conference only play teams in the other conference once per regular season, WHL followers that live in centres that are part of the league’s Eastern Conference sometimes forget what is happening with clubs from the Western Conference.

    Teams from the U.S. Division have won the Western Conference championship eight out of the last 10 years. With the Silvertips and Americans going at it in this year’s best-of-seven WHL Western Conference championship series, that run will extend to nine out of the last 11 years.

    The Silvertips and Americans were both elite clubs this season. Everett finished third overall in the regular season standings with a 47-20-2-3 record, while the Americans were ninth overall in the regular season with a 38-25-8-1 mark.

    Everett advanced to conference final downing the Seattle Thunderbirds, who won last year’s WHL title, in five games in the first round and getting past the Portland Winterhawks in five games in the second round.

    Tri-City had the first wildcard spot in the Western Conference and was placed in a bracket with B.C. Division teams. The Americans swept the Kelowna Rockets 4-0 in the first round and took out the Victoria Royals 4-0 in the second round.

    In the first two games of the best-of-seven Western Conference championship series played at the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, the Silvertips claimed Game 1 on Friday 3-2, while the Americans rebounded to take Game 2 on Saturday 5-3.

    In Game 3 on Monday before 3,268 spectators at the Toyota Centre in Kennewick, Wash., the two clubs played a wild one. The Silvertips led 4-2 after two periods, but the Americans rallied to force a 4-4 tie scoring twice in the first 1:45 of the third. Everett closed out the contest scoring four straight times to pull out an 8-4 victory and take a 2-1 lead in the series.

Patrick Bajkov in action for the Silvertips in February of 2017.

    Overage right-winger Patrick Bajkov had a hat trick for the Silvertips, while centre and Saskatoon product Garrett Pilon, who turned 20 earlier this month, had a goal and two assists for the visitors. Martin Fasko-Rudas, Reece Vitelli, Ian Walker and Connor Dewar all netted singles for the Silvertips.

    Star overage captain Michael Rasmussen, who turned 19 earlier this month, had a pair of goals and an assist for the Americans. Juuso Valimaki and Isaac Johnson netted singles for Tri-City.

    Carter Hart turned away 29 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Silvertips. Patrick Dea turned away 18-of-26 shots starting and taking the loss in goal for the Americans. Beck Warm turned away both shots he faced playing the final 8:16 of the third period in relief.

    While the goals came in bunches in Game 3, goaltending has been key for both the Silvertips and Americans.

    Hart gained increased fame after he backstopped Canada to a gold medal win at the world junior tournament, which wrapped up on Jan. 5 in Buffalo, N.Y.

    The 19-year-old from Sherwood Park, Alta., appeared in 41 regular season games with the Silvertips posting a 31-6-4 record, a 1.60 goals against average, a .947 save percentage and seven shutouts.

    In the WHL playoffs, Hart has continued his stellar play appearing in all of Everett’s 13 games posting a 10-3 record, a 2.25 goals against average, a .931 save percentage and two shutouts.

    Dea, who is in his overage season, had a solid regular season with the Americans posting a 22-14-7 record, a 3.17 goals against average, a .913 save percentage and two shutouts. The St. Albert, Alta., product has been steady in the WHL post-season making 11 appearances posting an 8-2 record, a 3.36 goals against average, .890 save percentage and two shutouts.

    When it comes to goaltending, Hart has hit such a high level in his play he gives the Silvertips the edge in that department no matter who they play in the major junior ranks.

    These teams are off until Thursday, when they will meet in Game 4 at 7 p.m. local time in Tri-City. The winner of this series will be well-prepared to potentially claim the best-of-seven WHL Championship series.

“Skin-Ner” call amuses veteran goalie

Stuart Skinner has heard one common heckle call in every road venue.

    Stuart Skinner expects to hear “it” any time he plays in an opposing team’s building.

    When the veteran Swift Current Broncos star netminder gets set to play goal on the road, he will eventually hear a fan in the building call out the heckle “Skin-Ner” in the voice of Simpsons character superintendent Gary Chalmers. Skinner, who is a 19-year-old NHL Entry Draft selection of the Edmonton Oilers, heard that call in his first three-and-a-half seasons in the WHL playing for the Lethbridge Hurricanes and still kept hearing it after he was acquired by the Broncos in a blockbuster trade on Jan. 9.

    “I’ve been around it for four years now,” said Skinner, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 200 pounds. “I hear it every place I go.

    “I like it. I think it gives me more energy and kind of gets me pumped up.”

    The Edmonton product said the “Skin-Ner” call never gets old.

    It hasn’t had an effect on his consistency.

    In 207 career regular season games, Skinner has posted a 104-72-15 record, a 3.22 goals against average, a .908 save percentage and 12 shutouts. During the Broncos current playoff run, Skinner has played in all of the Broncos 16 games posting a 10-6 record, a 2.10 goals against average, a .935 save percentage and four shutouts.

    On Monday, Skinner was named the WHL goaltender of the week for the week ending on April 22. Over the week the award was granted for, Skinner won all three of his starts, posted a 1.58 goals against average, turned away 100 of 105 shots for a .952 save percentage and recorded one shutout.

    During the Broncos 4-3 overtime win on Saturday night over the visiting Hurricanes, the sellout crowd of 2,890 spectators at the Innovation Credit Union i-Plex took a page out of the playbook of the fans that cheer for the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets to support Skinner and to try to get on Lethbridge star goalie Logan Flodell.

    The Broncos’ fans echoed the “Skinner’s better” chant throughout the building at one point in the game. Flodell had been with the Broncos and was dealt to the Hurricanes in that blockbuster trade on Jan. 9.

    With the series set to shift to Lethbridge for Game 3 on Tuesday for a 7 p.m. local time start, it be interesting to hear of the “Skin-Ner” call is heard once again.

Eyes on Broncos’ key injuries

The Broncos hope Glenn Gawdin won’t be sidelined for long.

    Fans of the Swift Current Broncos have to be feeling nervous about a couple of key undisclosed injuries.

    The Broncos lost 19-year-old Russian import defenceman Artyom Minulin in their 3-2 victory in Game 1 of the WHL Eastern Conference championship series with the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Friday night. Broncos overage captain Glenn Gawdin left the ice skating gingerly to the bench after being hit into the boards by a Hurricanes player in the first period of Swift Current’s 4-3 overtime victory in Game 2 on Saturday night. Both of those games were played at the Innovation Credit Union i-Plex in Swift Current.

    The status for either player to take part in Game 3 of the series on Tuesday in Lethbridge is uncertain.

    Minulin, who played for Russia at world juniors, missed three games of the Broncos first round playoff series win over the Regina Pats with an apparent shoulder issue, so there is worry that could be a problem again. He appeared in 64 regular season games recording 13 goals, 30 assists and a plus-37 rating in the plus-minus department. He has one goal, three assists and a plus-two rating in 12 playoff appearances.

    Gawdin, who is a star centre, topped the Broncos in regular season scoring piling up 56 goals and 69 assists in 67 regular season games, while also posting a plus-61 rating. In the Broncos 16 playoff games, Gawdin has posted nine goals, 13 assists and a plus-four rating.

    The Broncos have good depth, but Gawdin and Minulin are two heart and soul career members of the team. Their absence is still going to be felt even with the Broncos strength in depth.

Heponiemi named WHL player of the week

Aleksi Heponiemi was named the WHL’s player of the week.

    Aleksi Heponiemi came through in the clutch for the Swift Current Broncos, which resulted him being named the WHL’s player of the week.

    The star import right-winger from Finland took the honour for the week ending on April 22. In the week that the award was given for, Heponiemi appeared in three games recording two goals, four assists and a plus-six rating in the plus-minus department.

    On April 16, Heponiemi had a pair of assists in the Broncos 6-0 victory over the host Moose Jaw Warriors in a series deciding Game 7 victory in the best-of-seven second round set between the two clubs. That win allowed the Broncos to advance to the WHL Eastern Conference championship series for the first time since 2001.

    On Friday, Heponiemi scored the winning goal and had an assist as the Broncos claimed Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final over the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes at the Innovation Credit Union i-Plex. On Saturday, Heponiemi had an assist and a goal that forced a 3-3 tie that sent Game 2 of the Eastern Conference final to overtime, which the Broncos claimed 4-3 at the Innovation Credit Union i-Plex.

    Heponiemi, who turned 19 in early January, finished second in Broncos team regular season scoring with 28 goals, 90 assists and a plus-42 rating in 57 games. In the Broncos 16 playoff games, Heponiemi has two goals, 20 assists and a plus-three rating.

    The Broncos face the Hurricanes in Game 3 on Tuesday at 7 p.m. local time at the Enmax Centre in Lethbridge.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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    If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.