FRIDAY’S WHL ROUND-UP
JOHNSON HITS 50 AS CHIEFS TAKE DOWN AMS – Tyler Johnson scored twice, including his 50th goal of the season, to lead the Spokane Chiefs to a 5-1 win over the visiting tri-City Americans in Western Hockey League action on Friday night.
Johnson becomes the first player to reach the 50-goal mark this season, and the second Chiefs player in the last two seasons to accomplish the feat. Kyle Beach led the WHL in goals last season with 52.
Blake Gale – with two goals – and Anthony Bardaro each reached the 20-goal mark for the Chiefs (44-17-4-2), who stretch their winning streak to six games and remain one point back of Portland for the U.S. Division lead. James Reid made 19 saves to record his 32nd win of the season.
Tyler Schmidt scored the only goal for the Americans (40-23-2-2), who suffer their second loss in a row and now sit 10 points back of Spokane for third place in the Western Conference. Drew Owsley and Chris Driedger combined for 29 saves in the loss.
ROCKETS 5, BLAZERS 1
Tyson Barrie notched a goal and two assists to lead the visiting Kelowna Rockets to a 5-1 victory over the Kamloops Blazers on Friday.
With the win, the Rockets clinch first place in the B.C. Division for the first time since the 2003-04 season.
Geordie Wudrick – with his 40th goal of the season – Zach Franko, Mitchell Callahan and Gal Koren also scored for the Rockets (40-26-0-1), who could technically finish tied on points with the Vancouver Giants but hold the tiebreaker with more victories. Adam Brown made 33 saves to record his 34th win of the season.
Bernhard Keil scored the only goal for the Blazers (29-36-3-1), who see their losing skid hit five games and fall two points behind the Cougars for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Jeff Bosch made 29 saves in the loss.
COUGARS 8, GIANTS 0
Charles Inglis scored three goals and set up another to lead the visiting Prince George Cougars to an 8-0 win over the Vancouver Giants on Friday.
Brett Connolly, Taylor Stefishen, Troy Bourke, James Dobrowolski and Taylor Makin each tallied a goal and an assist for the Cougars (30-34-2-2), who move two points up on Kamloops for eighth place in the Western Conference. Ty Rimmer made 16 saves to claim his fourth shutout of the season.
Mark Segal and Brendan Jensen combined for 22 saves in a losing effort for the Giants (33-29-1-4), who suffer their fifth straight loss and are resigned to finishing no higher than second place in the B.C. Division, meaning their streak of five consecutive division titles comes to an end.
WINTERHAWKS 6, SILVERTIPS 3
Sven Baertschi and Ryan Johansen each scored twice to lead the visiting Portland Winterhawks to a 6-3 win over the Everett Silvertips on Friday.
Ty Rattie tallied a goal and two assists while Nino Niederreiter added a goal and an assist for the Winterhawks (46-18-0-3), who can now finish no lower than third place in the Western Conference. Keith Hamilton made 30 saves in the win.
Tyler Maxwell and Tyler Giebel scored for the Silvertips (27-29-7-4), who led 2-0 early in the first period but gave up the game’s next six goals en route to their sixth straight defeat. Luke Siemens made 30 saves in the loss.
THUNDERBIRDS 3, BRUINS 2 O/T
Burke Gallimore scored his 32nd goal of the season on a power play 1:31 into overtime to lift the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 3-2 victory over the visiting Chilliwack Bruins on Friday.
Tyler Alos and Colin Jacobs also counted for the Thunderbirds (26-32-4-5), who win their second straight contest and remain three points back of Prince George for eighth place in the Western Conference. Calvin Pickard made 23 saves to claim the victory.
Robin Soudek and Dylen McKinley scored for the Bruins (30-31-3-3), who see their six-game winning streak come to an end but move three points up on Everett for sixth place in the Conference thanks to the point from the O/T loss. Lucas Gore turned in a 55-save performance in a losing cause.
RAIDERS 5, OIL KINGS 2
Austin Connor and Brandon Herrod each notched a goal and an assist to lead the Prince Albert Raiders to a 5-2 win over the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings on Friday.
Mark McNeill, Mike Winther and Justin Maylan also scored for the Raiders (28-35-2-3), who win their second straight game and remain two points up on Lethbridge for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Jamie tucker made 23 saves to earn the victory in his return to the Raiders’ lineup.
Travis Ewanyk and Michael St. Croix scored for the Oil Kings (30-31-2-5), who drop their second straight decision and fall one point back of Brandon for sixth spot in the Eastern Conference. Jon Groenheyde made 26 saves in the defeat.
WARRIORS 4, PATS 3
Sebastian Svendsen scored the go-ahead goal with under three minutes remaining in the third period to lift the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors to a 4-3 victory over the Regina Pats on Friday.
Spencer Edwards, Andrew Johnson and Morgan Rielly also scored for the Warriors (38-25-2-3), who trailed 3-2 heading into the third period but scored twice in the final frame en route to their second win in a row. Thomas Heemskerk made 20 saves to pick up his 34th win of the campaign.
Jordan Weal scored twice – his 39th and 40th goals of the season – and Lane Scheidl also counted for the Pats (23-37-6-2), who drop their second straight contest and now sit seven points back of eighth place in the Eastern Conference with only four games remaining on their schedule. Damien Ketlo made 30 saves in the loss.
WHEAT KINGS 4, BLADES 3 O/T
Michael Ferland scored 2:01 into extra time to lift the Brandon Wheat Kings to a 4-3 win over the visiting Saskatoon Blades on Friday night.
The win clinches the Wheat Kings a post-season berth in the Eastern Conference.
Shayne Wiebe, Brenden Walker and Hampus Gustafsson also scored for the Wheat Kings (30-31-1-7), who were 1-for-4 on the power play in the contest as they move past the Oil Kings into sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Liam Liston made 32 saves in the victory.
Brayden Schenn, Curtis Hamilton and Marek Viedensky tallied for the Blades (52-13-1-2), who see a five-game winning streak come to an end but have already locked up first place in the Eastern Conference and the overall WHL standings. Adam Morrison made 31 saves in the defeat.
HURRICANES 3, HITMEN 2
Brody Sutter scored the go-ahead goal midway through the third period to lift the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes to a 3-2 victory over the Calgary Hitmen on Friday.
Jacob Berglund and Derek Ryckman also found the net for the Hurricanes (23-32-5-8), who rallied from a 2-1 deficit after two periods of play to remain two points back of the Raiders for eighth place in the Eastern Conference. Brandon Anderson made 21 saves in the win.
Brooks Macek – with a goal and an assist – and Kris Foucault scored for the Hitmen (20-43-3-2), who suffer their eighth defeat in 10 games and have already been eliminated from the post-season picture. Brandon Glover made 16 saves in the loss.
ICE 5, BRONCOS 4 S/O
Max Reinhart scored the winner in a shootout to lift the Kootenay Ice to a 5-4 win over the visiting Swift Current Broncos on Friday.
Adam Rossignol, Cody Eakin, Joe Antilla and Steele Boomer scored in regulation for the Ice (43-21-4-3), who claim their third consecutive victory and remain four points back of Medicine Hat for third place in the Eastern Conference. Mackenzie Skapski made 18 saves in regulation play and denied three of four Broncos’ shootout attempts to earn his second career WHL win.
Brad Hoban, Adam Lowry, Stepan Novotny and Graham Black – with his first WHL goal – scored in regulation for the Broncos (25-41-0-2), who rallied from a 4-1 deficit in the third period to force overtime and the eventual shootout but are officially eliminated from playoff contention in the Eastern Conference with the loss. Mark Friesen made 42 saves in the loss.
TIGERS 3, REBELS 2 O/T
Linden Vey scored his second goal of the game and 46th of the season with just 12 seconds remaining in overtime to lift the Medicine Hat Tigers to a 3-2 win over the visiting Red Deer Rebels on Friday.
Reid Petryk – with his third goal in five games – also scored for the Tigers (43-17-4-4), who improve to 7-0-0-3 over their last 10 games and move to within two points of the Rebels for first place in the Central Division. Tyler Bunz made 30 saves in the win.
Andrej Kudrna and John Persson scored while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins chipped in two assists for the Rebels (44-16-4-4), who see a two-game win streak come to an end but remain atop the Central Division standings. Darcy Kuemper made 29 saves in the defeat.
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