PREVIEW: HITMEN VS REBELS GAME TWO

HITMEN HEADLINES: Tonight the Calgary Hitmen return to the Scotiabank Saddledome for Game 2 of the Husky WHL Eastern Conference semi-final against the Red Deer Rebels.  The Hitmen will look to build upon last night’s 4-2 victory.  Brady Brassart recorded his second career WHL hat trick in the win.  Captain Cody Sylvester (3a) and assistant captain Spencer Humphries (2a) each registered multi-point efforts for Calgary, while Alex Roach notched his second goal of the post-season to complete the home team’s scoring tally.  Calgary Flames’ prospect Turner Elson and Dominik Volek each scored for the Rebels in the losing cause.  Chris Driedger made 28 saves to record the win as Calgary outshot Red Deer 33-30.  The Hitmen lead the best-of-seven series 1-0.

 HUSKY WHL EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINAL SERIES

PLAYOFF TRICK:  With three goals in the semi-final series opener last night versus Red Deer, Brady Brassart recorded his second playoff hat trick.  He registered his first career WHL hat trick in the quarter-final series opener against Swift Current.  Brassart becomes the second player in franchise history to record two hat tricks in a single playoff year, joining Pavel Brendl from the 1999 WHL championship team.  Besides Brassart and Brendl, only four other Hitmen players have scored a playoff hat trick: Trevor Cheek (2012), Brock Nixon (2008), Robin Gomez (2001) and Jordan Krestanovich (2000).

STREAKIN’: Victor Rask has recorded at least one point in each game this post-season.  The Carolina Hurricanes’ prospect has three goals and five assists for eight points in six consecutive playoff contests.  Cody Sylvester (4a) and Jake Virtanen (1g, 1a) have points in back-to-back games.  Chris Driedger has three wins in as many starts.

POINT PRODUCERS: Six Hitmen players have registered at least one multi-point game in the playoffs.  Brady Brassart has recorded two three-goal performances, while Cody Sylvester added three assists last night and recorded a two-goal game in Round 1 versus Swift Current.  The record for most points in a single playoff game is six, set by Pavel Brendl in 1999 when he tallied three goals and three assists against Prince Albert.

PUCKS TO THE NET:  The Hitmen had 33 shots from 12 different players in Game 1 of the semi-final series.  Brady Brassart and Cody Sylvester led the Hitmen each with five shots on goal, followed by Alex Roach, Pavlo Padakin and Calder Brooks who each fired four.  Cory Millette (4 SOG) and Mathew Dumba (4 SOG) combined for eight of the visitor’s 30 shots last night.

SECURING THE WIN:  The Hitmen hold a record of 4-0 when leading after two periods this post-season.  When leading through 40 minutes in the regular season, Calgary was 35-0-1-1.

POST-SEASON EXPERIENCE: The Hitmen have 16 players that head into the 2013 WHL playoffs with at least one post-season game played. Cody Sylvester, Jaynen Rissling and Peter Kosterman each have a WHL championship on their resume from Calgary’s 2010 WHL title. Brooks Macek and Spencer Humphries also appeared in the 2010 WHL final, but were on the losing end as members of the Tri-City Americans. 

ALBERTA BOUND: Dating back to the 1996 playoffs, when the WHL first featured four teams from Alberta, this is the first Eastern Conference semi-finals that is comprised of all Alberta-based clubs (Calgary, Red Deer, Edmonton and Medicine Hat).

MILESTONE WATCH: Brooks Macek is three points shy of recording his 30th career playoff point.  The 20-year-old forward has tallied 11 goals and 16 assists for 27 points in 43 playoff games.

HITMEN PLAYOFF LEADERS:        
Goals (6) Brady Brassart      
Assists (5) C. Sylvester, V. Rask          
Points (8) C. Sylvester, V. Rask                     
Power Play Goals (1) Four Players – Tied                 
PIM (12) Brady Brassart  
Plus/Minus (+6) Cody Sylvester  
Wins (5) Chris Driedger