Inside the CHL
This round of the playoffs has been like going home again for Matt Lowry.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings’ overage forward has helped his team jump out to a 3-0 series lead over his former team the Medicine Hat Tigers in the second round of the WHL playoffs.
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Lowry picked up an assists in a 6-3 win in Game 1 over Medicine Hat and then scored a powerplay goal and added an assist in an 8-6 win in Game 2.
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Lowry, who started his WHL career with the Tigers in 2006 and helped them win the WHL championship in 2007, was dealt to Brandon the following off-season. The Neepawa, MB native said that playing against Medicine Hat has brought back some fond memories.
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“This is where it all started for me being drafted here and playing here when we won the championship,” Lowry said. “I’ve still got a lot of friends here and a lot of memories. It’s really exciting to get back here and play.”
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The Wheat Kings finished third in the Eastern Conference with 48 wins and 101 points. They swept past the Ice in the first round and claimed wins in the first two games of this series. Those wins were especially important with the Tigers hosting the first two games of the series. If it went the distance, the Wheat Kings would host four of the final five games, including Wednesday night at Westman Place.
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Despite their series lead and the opportunity for more wins at home in the next few days, Lowry said that his team isn’t taking the Tigers lightly.
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“They’ve got a lot of firepower up front and their transition – just like it was when I was here – is pretty deadly,” Lowry said. “We just have to make sure that we’re taking care of the puck on the rush and make sure that we are getting it deep and putting it in the right spots. They have a lot of threats out there so we have to make sure that we are playing our game and working hard.”
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The Wheat Kings, who will host the MasterCard Memorial Cup next spring, are enjoying a balanced attack in the post-season. Brayden Schenn has five goals and 11 points and Scott Glennie has a goal and 11 points while Matt Calvert and Andrew Clark have both pitched in with six goals and nine points so far in the playoffs.
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“That’s been one of our strengths all year,” Lowry said. “We’ve had a lot of guys contribute. It hasn’t just been one or two guys all year, it’s been everyone chipping away and I think that is the strength of our team. It kind of takes the pressure off of you. Every once in a while, if you’re not going one game then one of the other guys will step up and help you out. It’s been a lot of guys working hard all year and some good chemistry out there.”
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One of the keys to success for the Wheat Kings this season has been their powerplay. They were third in the WHL in the regular season with a 23.9 per cent effectiveness rating on the powerplay and are seven-for-27 with the man advantage in the playoffs. Lowry said that it’s harder to maintain a good powerplay when you face the same team in quick succession in the playoffs.
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“They kind of catch on to some things and that makes it a little harder,” Lowry said. “I think that’s definitely something we have to work on. It’s our bread and butter and we don’t want to get too casual out there on the powerplay.”
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Meanwhile the Calgary Hitmen defeted the Lethbridge Hurricanes in four games to advance to the Eastern Conference finals. In the Western Conference, the Vancouver Giants and the Spokane Chiefs are tied 2-2 and the Tri-City Americans lead are also tied 2-2 with the Kelowna Rockets.
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In the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, the Drummondville Voltigeurs won their series 4-0 over the Montreal Juniors and the Rimouski Oceanic lead the Moncton Wildcats 3-1. In the other quarter finals, the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles are tied 2-2 with the Quebec Remparts and the Shawinigan Cataractes lead the Gatineau Olympiques 3-1.
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In the Ontario Hockey League, the Windsor Spitfires and Plymouth Whalers are tied 2-2 and the London Knights knocked off the Saginaw Spirit in four straight games. In the Eastern Conference, the Belleville Bulls have a 3-1 lead on the Niagara IceDogs and the Brampton Battalion and Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors are tied 2-2.