NEAL’S NOTES: CHIEFS BACK IN THE SERIES, THREE TEAMS ON THE BRINK OF ELIMINATION

With defencemen Joe Hicketts and Ryan Gagnon out of the line-up, the Victoria Royals saw their series lead cut in half by the Spokane Chiefs Tuesday. The Chiefs scored the first five goals of the game and cruised to a 5-2 win in game 3 of their Western Conference Quarter-Final series.

The loss was the first in regulation in a month and a half for the Royals, who had won 15 games in a row. Their last regulation loss came February 14 at Seattle. Matt Phillips and Scott Walford notched the two Royals’ goals in the third period. The Chiefs got goals from five different scorers and Keanu Yamamoto had three assists to lead the Chiefs to victory. For the second straight game the Chiefs had a healthy upper-hand in shots by a 37-24 count. Coleman Vollrath took the loss while Lasse Petersen earned his first career WHL win.

While the status of Hicketts is day-to-day and being re-evaluated, the Royals will get Gagnon back in the line-up Wednesday after he served the second game of a two game suspension in game 3. Gagnon was penalized for the charging major he took in game 1 Friday night.

The Royals will look to bounce back and put the Chiefs on the brink Wednesday in game 4 of the series, with a game 5 coming up in Victoria Friday night. That game is slated for a 7:05pm puck drop.
______________________________________________
Here in Moose Jaw, the Prince Albert Raiders followed their best performance in the series with easily their worst and were pounded 7-0 Tuesday night. The Warriors have taken a 3-1 series lead with game 5 Friday night back in PA. The Warriors top line of Brayden Point, Dryden Hunt and Noah Gregor combined to go -9 in game 3. Tuesday, however, they were dominant with Hunt collecting a hat-trick and four points and Gregor and Point each had three assists. Brett Howden had a goal and an assist to lead the playoffs in scoring with nine points.

There is bad blood in this series and it wasn’t helped by the fact the Warriors put out their top power play unit in the third period with the score already 6-0. Oh, it was also a 5-on-3 power play, too. One of the biggest statements of the night belonged to Warriors’ Head Coach Tim Hunter when mid-way through the first period and leading 3-0, he told Shaw rinkside host Darren Dupont that the Raiders had bullied his team around the rink for three games and they weren’t going to take it in game 4. They were full value for the win. Raiders’ Defenceman Hunter Warner sat out game 4 because of a suspension levied after a checking to the head major in the third period of game 3. Tanner Jeannot, who had two assists Wednesday, was hit by Warner and then scored on the ensuing power play Tuesday night.
______________________________________________
Regina held on for a 3-2 win over Lethbridge and have a 2-1 series lead over the Hurricanes. Lethbridge out-shot the Pats 32-22 in the game. Rykr Cole’s first of the series in the third period stood up as the winner for the Pats, who were 2-for-7 on the power play. The Canes were 1-for-6. Nice to see a big crowd in Regina as well at 6,049.

Former Royals’ goalie Michael Herringer turned away 40 shots in a 1-0 victory for the Kelowna Rockets in Kamloops over the Blazers in game 3. The Rockets take home-ice advantage back in the series with the win. Justin Kirkland’s goal early in the second period was the only shot that got by Connor Ingram in the Blazers’ goal. Ingram had a busy night with 36 saves of his own. The teams played in the Blazers’ old home, the Kamloops Memorial Arena, where 3400 fans packed the place. Over 4400 were at Sandman Centre to watch Canada’s women’s national team win 8-1 over Russia, so 7800 fans watched hockey in Kamloops Tuesday night. Kelowna is 0-for-15 on the power play in the series.

Seattle seems to be getting better and better, steamrolling the Prince George Cougars in a 5-0 win in game 3. The Thunderbirds have a chance to advance to round two with game 4 Wednesday in Prince George. Former Swift Current Broncos are making big impacts for Seattle. Landon Bow made 27 saves for the shut-out, Cavin Leth scored twice and Andreas Schumacher had an assist.

The Portland Winterhawks are also on the brink of elimination after a 5-3 loss on home-ice. To make matters worse for the Winterhawks, leading scorer Dominic Turgeon is done for the playoffs after having shoulder surgery Tuesday. Turgeon had 36 goals and 70 points on the season. WHL Goalie of the Week Mario Petit made 28 saves for another win in the Silvertips’ goal in place of starter Carter Hart. Game 4 is Wednesday in Portland.