SATURDAY’S WHL ROUND-UP
CHIEFS ELIMINATE BRUINS – Blake Gal scored three goals to lead the Spokane Chiefs to a 6-4 win over the visiting Chilliwack Bruins in Game 5 of their Kal Tire WHL Western Conference quarter-final in WHL playoff action on Saturday.
The win gives the Chiefs a 4-1 best-of-seven series win over the Bruins, and moves them on to the second round of the 2011 WHL playoffs.
Mitch Holmberg scored twice and LevkoKoper tallied a goal and two assists for the Chiefs, who win their third straight game of the series and will move on to face U.S. Division rival Tri-Cities in the Kal Tire WHL Western Conference semi-final. James Reid made 21 saves in the victory.
Dylan McKinley scored twice and Kevin Sundher added a goal and two assists for the Bruins, who have been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for a fourth time in their five-year existence. Lucas Gore made 37 saves in the loss.
Spokane wins best-of-seven series 4-1
TIGERS 9, WHEAT KINGS 5
Emerson Etem scored twice and set up another as the Medicine Hat Tigers managed a 9-5 win over the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings in Game 5 of their Husky WHL Eastern Conference quarter-final series on Saturday.
Linden Vey and Wacey Hamilton each tallied a goal and two assists for the Tigers, who led 1-0 and 6-3 after the first and second periods, respectively, while Curtis Valk, Cole Grbavac, Kale Kessy, Hunter Shinkaruk and Scott McKay also scored for the Tigers. Deven Dubyk made 29 saves to record his third win of the series.
Michael Ferland, Matt MacKay, Shayne Wiebe, Scott Glennie and Brodie Melnychuk scored and Mark Stone chipped in three assists for the Wheat Kings, who suffer their second straight loss in the series and now trail 3-2. Corbin Boes made 30 saves in the loss.
Medicine Hat leads best-of-seven series 3-2
BLADES 8, RAIDERS 0
Curtis Hamilton scored twice while Brayden Schenn and Brent Benson each notched a goal and three assists as the Saskatoon Blades shut out the visiting Prince Albert Raiders 8-0 in Game 5 of their Husky WHL Eastern Conference quarter-final series on Saturday.
Jake Trask – with a goal and two assists – Marek Viedensky, Darian Dziurzynski and Stefan Elliott also scored for the Blades, who scored five times on eight power play opportunities in the Game 5 win. Steven Stanford made 30 saves to claim the shutout.
Jamie Tucker and Eric Williams combined for 46 saves in a losing cause for the Raiders, who now trail the best-of-seven series 3-2.
Saskatoon leads best-of-seven series 3-2
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