WHL Championship Series Preview

(1) Portland Winterhawks vs. (1) Edmonton Oil Kings
Oil Kings won season series 1-0

The top two teams in the regular season will meet in a rematch of last year's final, which was won by the Oil Kings in 7 games.

Edmonton won the only meeting with Portland in 2012/13, a 4-3 win in Oregon on February 27th. Michael St. Croix scored the game-winning goal with just over a minute remaining in the game to complete a comeback victory after the Winterhawks took a 3-1 lead.

Both teams regularly outshoot their opponents and both have excellent records when leading after the first period (Portland 11-2, Edmonton 9-1). However, neither team has yet to win a 1-goal game in the playoffs.

Edmonton had the top-ranked power play in the WHL during the regular season (87.5), while Portland was #2 overall (23.4). As for the penalty kill, the Winterhawks were #1 in the league (87.9) and the Oil Kings were #2 (87.5).

QMJHL

(1) Halifax Mooseheads vs. (8) Rouyn-Noranda Huskies
Halifax won 2012/13 season series 2-0
The Mooseheads have yet to play a top ranked team in the QMJHL and they will be heavily favoured against the Huskies, a team they easily defeated twice in the regular season. Halifax has yet to lose a game in the playoffs and will be well rested, while Rouyn-Noranda is coming off a 4-1 series win over the 5th-ranked Quebec Remparts.
Both teams are undefeated at home (Halifax 6-0, Rouyn-Noranda 5-0). The Mooseheads have not lost a game in regulation time since February 8th, a streak of 25 games.

Playoff Warriors
Zach Fucale - Goaltender, Halifax (8-0, 1.13 GAA, .938 SV%)
NHL Entry Draft: 2013 Eligible
Zach Fucale didn't face many shots from Saint John and Gatineau in the first two rounds of the playoffs, but he came up big in key moments, including in a 2-1 win against the Sea Dogs in game 2 of round one. The 17-year old has allowed only 9 goals in 8 games and owns the best goals against average and save percentage in the league.
Stefan Fournier - Right Wing, Halifax (8 GP - 11G, 8A)
NHL Entry Draft: Free Agent
Fournier scored 8 goals & 2 assists during the 2nd round sweep of Gatineau and leads the Mooseheads in playoff scoring. He's scored in every game so far, while recording one short-handed goal and two game-winners.
Martin Frk - Right Wing, Halifax (8 GP - 6G, 8A)
NHL Entry Draft: Detroit Red Wings, 2nd Round (49th), 2012
Frk started the post-season by recording 5 goals and 3 assists in the opener against Saint John and setting a new franchise record for goals & points in a playoff game. In two games vs. the Huskies this season, he scored 2 goals and 3 assists.

Jonathan Drouin - Left Wing, Halifax (8 GP - 4G, 11A)
Nathan MacKinnon - Centre, Halifax (8 GP - 3G, 12A)
NHL Entry Draft: 2013 Eligible
The draft-eligible duo have been consistent scorers throughout the season and very little has changed in the post-season. They're averaging almost two points per game after two rounds and it will be interesting to see if they can keep up that pace as the competition gets tougher. MacKinnon has won 63% of his faceoffs in the playoffs (114/181). Drouin recorded 1 goal and 6 assists in 2 games vs. Rouyn-Noranda this season.
Sven Andrighetto - Right Wing, Rouyn-Noranda (10 GP - 6G, 16A)
NHL Entry Draft: Free Agent
Andrighetto leads the league in playoff assists and points. He's scored in every playoff game, including six multi-point games. Since February 1st, Andrighetto has recorded 57 points (15G, 42A) in 26 games.
Nikita Kucherov - Right Wing, Rouyn-Noranda (10 GP - 7G, 11A)
NHL Entry Draft: Tampa Bay Lightning, 2nd Round (58th), 2011
Kucherov is coming off a 6-point effort (3G, 3A) in the series-clinching game against Quebec. He has 7 playoff goals, including the game-winning goal in overtime against Drummondville in game 4 of the opening round.
Jean-Sebastien Dea - Centre, Rouyn-Noranda (10 GP - 10G, 6A)
NHL Entry Draft: Free Agent
Dea has scored 10 goals so far in the playoffs, 2nd most in the QMJHL, including three multi-goal games. He's won 60% (95/157) of his faceoffs in the 2nd round.


QMJHL - (2) Baie-Comeau Drakkar vs. (3) Blainville-Boisbriand Armada
Blainville-Boisbriand won 2012/13 season series 3-1
Baie-Comeau and Blainville-Boisbriand were separated by only three points in standings during the regular season. They're both coming off series sweeps in the 2nd round and they're both 4-0 at home in the post-season. The Armada won the season series and the franchise is 10-2 against the Drakkar in the past three seasons.

Playoff Warriors
Petr Straka - Right Wing, Baie-Comeau (8 GP - 8G, 10A)
NHL Entry Draft: Columbus Blue Jackets, 2nd Round (55th), 2010
Straka leads Baie-Comeau in playoff scoring and has recorded three games of 3+ points. Seven of his 18 points have come via the power play. He scored 1 goal & 3 assists in the season series with Blainville-Boisbriand.

Jeremy Gregoire - Centre, Baie-Comeau (8 GP - 8G, 5A)
NHL Entry Draft: 2013 Eligible
Gregoire is tied for 3rd in QMJHL goals during the post-season. In the 1st round, he recorded a 5-point game (3G, 2A), a short-handed goal & a game-winning goal from a penalty shot. He followed that up with 5 goals in 4 games during the 2nd round sweep of Victoriaville. Gregoire has doubled his point production since joining Baie-Comeau (0.43 PPG to 0.86 PPG - 35 games).

Philippe Cadorette - Goaltender, Baie-Comeau (8-0, 1.63 GAA, .930 SV%)
NHL Entry Draft: 2013 Eligible
Cadorette sits 2nd in goals against average and save percentage in the playoffs. He's only allowed more than two goals once in the post-season and has recorded one shutout.

Christopher Clapperton - Left Wing, Blainville-Boisbriand (9 GP - 5G, 12A)
NHL Entry Draft: Free Agent
Clapperton is 5th in the league in playoff scoring. He scored two game-winning goals in the first round and then recorded 7 assists in 4 games against Val-d'Or.

Marc-Olivier Roy - Right Wing, Blainville-Boisbriand (9 GP - 5G, 11A)
NHL Entry Draft: 2013 Eligible
Roy is the 2nd leading scorer for the Armada in the post-season. He has five multi-point games and two 'first goals'. He scored 2 goals & 2 assists vs. the Drakkar this season.

Etienne Marcoux - Goaltender, Blainville-Boisbriand (8-1, 2.09 GAA, .916 SV%)
NHL Entry Draft: Free Agent
Marcoux has been getting better throughout the playoffs. He's recorded one shutout and his only loss came in overtime in the opening round.

OHL

  Eastern Conference Final
(1) Belleville Bulls vs. (2) Barrie Colts
2012/13 Season Series Tied 1-1
For the first time since 2008/09, the top two seeds in each conference will meet in the OHL semi-finals. The Bulls and Colts are coming off 2nd round sweeps and are undefeated at home in the post-season (Bulls 5-0, Colts 4-0). Both teams are averaging over four goals per game and have allowed less than two per contest. They split their season series, with each team winning at home.

Playoff Warriors
Taylor Graovac - Centre, Belleville (10 GP - 5G, 12A)
NHL Entry Draft: Minnesota Wild, 7th Round (191st), 2011
Graovac has 55 points in 40 games since joining the Belleville Bulls mid-season. He's scored in every playoff game to date and is currently on a 14-game point streak (6G, 16A). Graovac sits 2nd in OHL scoring and has scored three 'first goals' in the post-season.
Mark Scheifele - Centre, Barrie (8 GP - 5G, 11A)
NHL Entry Draft: Barrie Colts, 1st Round (7th), 2011
Scheifele started the post-season by scoring a goal in each of his first 5 games, including three game-winners against Kingston in the opening round. He then recorded 5 points in 4 games in the 4-game sweep of Oshawa. Five of his 10 assists were earned on the power play.

Malcolm Subban - Goaltender, Belleville (8-2, 1.31 GAA, .951 SV%)
NHL Entry Draft: Boston Bruins, 1st Round (24th), 2012
Subban leads the league in goals against average and save percentage in the post-season. He recorded three shutouts in the opening two rounds and has given up more than 3 goals only one time in 10 games. He is currently on a shutout streak of 135 minutes, 2 seconds.


OHL - Western Conference Final
(1) London Knights vs. (2) Plymouth Whalers
Knights won 2012/13 Season Series 3-1

London and Plymouth will meet in a rematch of the 2007 Western Conference final. The Knights won 3 of 4 meetings in the regular season, holding the Whalers to only 6 goals in those games. Matt Rupert has 5 goals in his last 5 games against Plymouth.

The Whalers will face goaltender Anthony Stolarz for the first time. Stolarz owns the league's second-best GAA (1.76) in the playoffs. London has not lost at home in five games, while Plymouth is 4-1 on home ice.

Playoff Warriors
Max Domi - Centre, London (9 GP - 5G, 9A)
NHL Entry Draft: 2013 Eligible
Domi scored 3 goals & 4 assists during the 4-game sweep of Saginaw. He added 7 more points in the 2nd round vs. Kitchener, including the game-winning goal late in the 3rd period in game two. Domi leads the Knights in playoff scoring.
Chris Tierney - Centre, London (8 GP - 3G, 8A)
NHL Entry Draft: San Jose Sharks, 2nd Round (55th), 2012
Tierney seems to come up big when the Knights need him the most. He's scored two game-winning goals so far in the post-season and both of them were netted in overtime. His first of the post-season was in double-overtime in game two against Saginaw. He then scored a key goal in the 3rd period against Kitchener in game one of their 2nd round series. Tierney followed that up with another overtime goal in game four, handing the Rangers their first home loss of the playoffs.
Vincent Trocheck - Centre, Plymouth (10 GP - 9G, 12A)
NHL Entry Draft: Florida Panthers, 3rd Round (64th), 2011
Since joining the Whalers, Trocheck has taken his game to another level, recording 35 goals & 80 points in 38 games. He leads the OHL in playoff scoring and has already recorded two hat tricks in the post-season.


WHL

(1) Edmonton Oil Kings vs. (3) Calgary Hitmen
Calgary won 2012/13 season series 4-2
Edmonton and Calgary will meet in the post-season for the first time since 2009 in what is expected to be a great matchup. The Oil Kings went 26-6-1-3 at home in the regular season, but three of those losses came at the hands of the Hitmen.
Calgary is 6-0 at home in the playoffs, while Edmonton is 4-0 on the road. The Oil Kings own the #1 penalty kill and #3 power play in the post-season. Edmonton has only allowed 9 goals in 9 games. The Hitmen are 14-3 in their last 17 games, while the Oil Kings have not lost a game in regulation since February 23rd.


Playoff Warriors
Laurent Brossoit - Goaltender, Edmonton (8-1, 0.97 GAA, .963 SV%)
NHL Entry Draft: Calgary Flames, 6th Round (164th), 2011
Brossoit leads the WHL in goals against average & save percentage after two rounds. He's recorded three shutouts in the post-season and his only loss came in overtime in game 2 of the opening series vs. Kootenay.
Stephane Legault - Left Wing, Edmonton (9 GP - 5G, 8A)
NHL Entry Draft: Free Agent
Legault has stepped up his offensive game in the playoffs. He opened the post season by recording a 7-point game (3G, 4A), one short of the league record, and he is currently tied for 1st in plus/minus (+14).
Henrik Samuelsson - Centre, Edmonton (9 GP - 6G, 5A)
NHL Entry Draft: Phoenix Coyotes, 1st Round (27th), 2012
Samuelsson has been getting better as the Oil Kings go deeper in the playoffs. He has scored in every situation - even strength, power play & short-handed - and has recorded three 'first goals' and two game-winners. Samuelsson has 5 goals in his last 3 games. He scored 5 goals and 3 assists in 6 games vs. Calgary this season.
Chris Drieger - Goaltender, Calgary (8-2, 1.73 GAA, .946 SV%)
NHL Entry Draft: Ottawa Senators, 3rd Round (76th), 2012
The only goaltender with better stats than Drieger in the playoffs is Brossoit. The Senators prospect has played the 2nd-most minutes (626) and faced the 2nd-most shots (33.3/game) in the WHL through two rounds. He hasn't lost in regulation time and his only losses came when his opponent has fired 42 or more shots on net.
Victor Rask - Centre, Calgary (10 GP - 4G, 9A)
NHL Entry Draft: Carolina Hurricanes, 2nd Round (42nd), 2011
Rask has recorded a point in every playoff game so far and is on a 16-game point streak heading back to the regular season. He leads the league in game-winning goals (3) during the post-season.
Cody Sylvester - Left Wing, Calgary (10 GP - 4G, 5A)
NHL Entry Draft: Free Agent
Sylvester has recorded three multi-point games so far in the playoffs, but his biggest moment so far was an overtime goal in game 4 of the 2nd round against Red Deer.
Calgary tied for the league lead in short-handed goals in regular season (14) and Sylvester was 2nd in the league with 6. He has yet to score one in the playoffs, but the Oil Kings should be wary about his game-breaking potential.

WHL - (1) Portland Winterhawks vs. (3) Kamloops Blazers
Portland won 2012/13 season series 3-1 (Kamloops only scored 9 goals in 4 games)
Portland and Kamloops will meet in the post-season for the second consecutive season. The Winterhawks survived in 2012 with a game 7 win after taking a 3-0 series lead. Both teams are coming off series sweeps in the 2nd round. Portland is 5-0 on the road and owns the #1 power play in the playoffs. Kamloops has identical 4-1 records at home and away. The Winterhawks won the season series, while holding the Blazers to only 9 goals in four games.

Playoff Warriors
Ty Rattie - Right Wing, Portland (10 GP - 11G, 8A)
NHL Entry Draft: St. Louis Blues, 2nd Round (32nd), 2011
Rattie leads the Winterhawks in playoff scoring and is tied for the league lead in goals. During the 2nd round, he moved into 5th place all-time for most playoff points in a WHL career (78). Should Portland moved into the final, he could be within reach of Dale Derkatch's record of 103.
Oliver Bjorkstrand - Right Wing, Portland (10 GP - 5G, 8A)
NHL Entry Draft: 2013 Eligible
Bjorkstrand leads all CHL rookies in playoff scoring. After a slow start, he's scored 4 goals and 5 assists in his last 5 games, including two game-winning goals. Bjorkstrand scored 2 goals and 2 assists in four regular season games against the Blazers.
J.C. Lipon - Right Wing, Kamloops (10 GP - 5G, 16A)
NHL Entry Draft: Free Agent
Lipon leads the WHL in playoff scoring and has scored in every post-season game. He's currently on a 17-game point streak, which includes a hat trick and four game-winning goals. Lipon scored 2 goals & 4 assists in the season series with Portland.
Kale Kessy - Left Wing, Kamloops (10 GP - 11G, 2A)
NHL Entry Draft: Phoenix Coyotes, 4th Round (111th), 2011
Kessey leads the WHL in playoff goals and power play markers (5). In 29 games since February 1st, he's averaged over a point per game while scoring 20 goals and 12 assists.
Brendan Ranford - Left Wing, Kamloops (10 GP - 5G, 14A)
NHL Entry Draft: Philadelphia Flyers, 7th Round (209th), 2010
Ranford leads the league in power play assists during the post-season (8) and sits tied for 2nd in scoring. He is two points away from 400 combined regular season & playoff points in his WHL career.

Eastern Conference

(1) Edmonton Oil Kings vs. (8) Kootenay Ice
Season Series Tied 3-3

Curtis Lazar - Centre, Edmonton
Lazar led Edmonton in goals (38) and game-winning goals (7). He recorded 23 goals & 11 assists in the final 34 games of the season and since January 11th, he hasn't gone more than two games without netting a goal.

Cody Corbett - Defenceman, Edmonton
Corbett was the top offensive defenceman on his team, scoring 7 goals & 35 assists in 71 games. He recorded 1 goal & 2 assists in 6 games in the season series with the Ice.

Tristan Jarry - Goaltender, Edmonton
Jarry only played in 27 games for the Oil Kings, but his impact was undeniable. He finished with an 18-7-0-0 record, including 6 shutouts, and led the WHL in goals against average (1.61). He went 1-1 with a 0.50 GAA & .976 SV% vs. Kootenay this season.

Petan may be a little undersized, but he certainly more than makes up for it with his skill level. He is a threat to score or pick up an assist whenever he is in the offensive zone, and he works hard to create those chances for his teammates and himself. Petan is very quick on his feet, but also understands that the puck moves much faster than he ever could, and utilizes his vision to get a quick transition going. He uses his skating along the boards to try to get away from his opponents and create some time to make a play. It seems that if he has any prolonged time to dissect the situation, he is able to create a scoring chance shortly after. He makes decisions very quickly, and looks confident with the puck on his stick. Petan is not afraid to go to the net to score off of rebounds, and is willing to take the hits and slashes to get the puck.

 HockeyProspect.com's Michelle Sturino recently spoke with the WHL's Portland Winterhawks 2013 NHL Draft Prospect.

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The captain of the Wheat Kings is having another good season in the WHL so far. It is his 3rd full season in the juniors, and has continued to make good progressions to his game. The biggest weapon for Pulock is his slap shot. He recently recorded 102 MPH in a skills competition put on by the team. In game situations, he is able to get them on net whenever he does get his big shot off, but has had less opportunities to do so because opponents have stuck to him like glue whenever he is in the offensive zone. Pulock makes good first passes out of the zone, and is dangerous off the rush whenever he chooses to carry the puck. He is a good skater who quickly picks up speed and has the ability to make subtle direction changes to keep opponents flat footed. Defensively, Pulock has been good on a team that has given up a lot of goals to date.

 HockeyProspect.com's Michelle Sturino recently spoke with the WHL's Brandon Wheat Kings 2013 NHL Draft Prospect.

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Hunter Shinkaruk, Medicine Hat Tigers

Shinkaruk is one of the most dynamically skilled players available in this year’s NHL Entry Draft. He is like a magician with the puck, and does everything at such a high pace that opponents have a difficult time containing him in the offensive zone. Shinkaruk scores highlight reel goals on a regular basis, which are often the results of his hands, speed and aggressive mentality. He is so fast and so agile out on this ice, that his skating abilities really allow him to be the dominant player that he is now. He has also shown the ability to dish the puck effectively and use his teammates to create good scoring chances. As a captain for Medicine Hat, he consistently brings his “A” game and sets an example for his teammates, and has certainly lived up to the hype this season. Shinkaruk just needs to keep developing his strength on his feet and awareness without the puck in his own zone to be a more effective player.

HockeyProspect.com's Michelle Sturino recently spoke with the WHL's Medicine Hat Tigers 2013 NHL Draft Prospect.

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Weekend Warriors

A look at the top performances of the week featuring draft-eligible players
 
 
 
QMJHL

- Halifax forward Jonathan Drouin recorded 5 goals & 5 assists in 4 games, all wins for the Mooseheads. He has 15 goals & 19 assists in 15 games in 2013.

- Halifax goaltender Zach Fucale picked up 3 more wins during the past week, including his 2nd shutout of the season, while posting a 1.33 GAA & .962 SV%. He leads all CHL goaltenders with 37 wins.

- Gatineau forward Emile Poirier scored 3 goals & 2 assists in 3 games, including his 3rd hat trick of the season. He's averaging a point per game this season.

- PEI forward Matej Beran netted 4 goals in 4 games. He has 9 goals & 7 assists in his last 14 games.

- Baie-Comeau forward Jeremy Gregoire scored 2 goals & 2 assists in 3 games. He has 9 goals & 3 assists in 17 games since being traded to the Drakkar. His teammate, Valentin Zykov, netted 2 goals and added 1 assist in 3 games.

- Stephen Anderson (Saint John) scored 1 goal & 2 assists in 3 games, while Jonathan Diaby (Victoriaville) picked up 3 assists in 2 games.

Madison Bowey, D Kelowna Rockets Interview

The emergence of Bowey has been one of the big factors to Kelowna's success in the WHL this year. He has really developed into a solid defenseman at both ends of the ice for the Rockets, and looks to add to their tradition of developing defensemen like Shea Weber, Tyler Myers and Luke Schenn. Bowey is one of the best skaters available in the draft. He has very impressive speed skating both forwards and backwards, and has quick feet to make quick starts and stops and turn on a time with the puck. It allows him to get back into position whenever he takes a gamble in the neutral zone to create turnovers or try to land a big open ice hit.

HockeyProspect.com's Michelle Sturino recently spoke with the WHL's Kelowna Rockets 2013 NHL Draft Prospect.

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