CHL Coast to Coast: 12 teams continue MasterCard Memorial Cup pursuit

(Photo Credit: Red Deer – Rob Wallator / Saint John – David Connell / Kelowna – Jon Howe)

Wednesday April 20, 2016

After a trio of Game 7 matchups across the country on Tuesday, the field of Canadian Hockey League teams chasing MasterCard Memorial Cup supremacy has been narrowed to twelve.

Nathan Noel scored twice and Boston Bruins first round pick Jakub Zboril had a goal and two assists as the Saint John Sea Dogs defeated the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles 6-2 on home ice.

The Sea Dogs advance to face the Shawinigan Cataractes in the QMJHL Semi-Finals while the top seeded Rouyn-Noranda Huskies come off a 4-1 second round series win over the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada to take on the Moncton Wildcats.

Saint John features two of the QMJHL’s top four playoff scorers in overage forward Sam Povorozniouk (11-7–18)  and Ottawa Senators first round pick Thomas Chabot (2-15–17) who leads all defencemen in points. They face-off with a Shawinigan team that has been led offensively by Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Dmytro Timashov (7-10–17).

The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies continue their march through the QMJHL Playoffs after surrendering just six goals in nine games. Goaltender Chase Marchand has been a two-time Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week over the course of the playoffs, compiling a goals-against average of just 0.41 with five shutouts along the way. An offensively capable Wildcats club led by back-to-back QMJHL scoring leader Conor Garland (3-9–12) and German pivot Manuel Wiederer (11-4–15) will have the considerable task of taking four wins against a dominant Huskies team.

The reigning WHL Champion Kelowna Rockets made a comeback for the memory books in Victoria, stunning the Royals when Justin Kirkland tied the score at two with 0.2 seconds left in the third period to send the game to overtime. Calvin Thurkauf scored 5:56 into overtime to send the Rockets to the Western Conference Finals for a third straight year.

Kelowna will face the U.S. Division Champion Seattle Thunderbirds who ousted the cross-state rival Everett Silvertips in five games. The Thunderbirds have been stingy defensively throughout the playoffs, with goaltender Landon Bow recording a 1.42 goals-against average, .936 save percentgage and two shutouts to go with his 8-1 record.

In other Game 7 action, the MasterCard Memorial Cup host Red Deer Rebels prevailed in a closely contested one-goal victory over the Regina Pats. Despite being outshot 33-26, the Rebels got a 32-save performance from goaltender Rylan Toth in the 3-2 win while St. Louis Blues prospect Adam Musil scored the winning goal with 7:14 to go in the third period.

The Rebels, who also eliminated the Calgary Hitmen to begin their playoff quest, advance to face the East Division champion Brandon Wheat Kings in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Brandon is fighting to get back to the WHL Finals after being swept in four straight by the Kelowna Rockets last spring. The Wheat Kings dropped their first two games of the postseason but have been strong since, eliminating the Edmonton Oil Kings and Moose Jaw Warriors on their path to the third round.

The conference finals in the Ontario Hockey League get underway on Wednesday with the Midwest Division champion Erie Otters playing host to the rival London Knights.

The Otters return to their third straight Western Conference Final after eliminating the Saginaw Spirit and Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in short order while the Knights continue their hunt for a third OHL title in five years after ousting the Owen Sound Attack and the Kitchener Rangers.

Highly touted NHL prospects in Erie’s Dylan Strome, selected third overall by the Arizona Coyotes and Mitch Marner, taken fourth overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs, will go head-to-head in a highly anticipated matchup.

The Central Division champion Barrie Colts square off with the Niagara IceDogs, who shocked the Kingston Frontenacs with a four game sweep to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. Barrie and Niagara both feature standout netminders, with New Jersey Devils secound round pick and Canadian World Junior Team member Mackenzie Blackwood taking the crease for Barrie against Niagara’s Alex Nedeljkovic who is a Carolina Hurricanes prospect and United States World Junior Team competitor.

The third round of CHL Playoff action gets underway on Wednesday.

Here’s a complete look at third round playoff matchups across the CHL:

 

WHL:

Eastern Conference
(1) Brandon Wheat Kings (48-18-4-2) vs.  (CD 2) Red Deer Rebels (45-24-1-2)

Western Conference
(US 1) Seattle Thunderbirds (45-23-4-0) vs. (BC 2) Kelowna Rockets (48-20-4-0)

 

OHL:

Eastern Conference
(2) Barrie Colts (43-22-0-3) vs. (4) Niagara IceDogs (35-26-4-3)

Western Conference

(1) Erie Otters (52-15-1-0) vs. (3) London Knights (51-14-2-1)

 

QMJHL:

(1) Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (54-9-3-2) vs. (6) Moncton Wildcats (36-21-9-2)

(2) Shawinigan Cataractes (44-19-4-1) vs. (3) Saint John Sea Dogs (42-20-6-0)