WHL Morning Skate: April 12

NEED TO KNOW

– Prince George scored shorthanded goals 12 seconds apart to cruise to a 6-2 win over Penticton

– Draft-eligible Michal Orsulak iced a 15-save shutout to lift Prince Albert to a 2-0 series lead at home

– Detroit Red Wings first-rounder Carter Bear scored his first career playoff goal to stave off a Rockets comeback attempt in Everett

– Defenceman of the Year candidate Jonas Woo scored in his 64th career playoff game to help the Tigers edge the Hitmen

TOP PERFORMER

A pair of goals for Parascak! The 2024 Washington Capitals 17th-overall pick has launched himself to a new level in Round Two with six points (4G-2A) in two games against the Vees. The 19-year-old capped off a slick pass from Brock Souch for a shorthanded icebreaker at the South Okanagan Events Centre. Just 12 seconds later, Parascak teed up Tyrone Soby for another shorthanded strike. The 6-foot, 187-pound winger capped off a monster first period by one-timing a back-board rebound past Andrew Reyelts to put the game out of reach for Penticton. Parasack has strung together four consecutive multi-goal games to bring his playoff total to 14 points (7G-7A) in eight games. He’s tied for the league lead in playoff goals and ranks second in points and first in powerplay goals (4). Parascak has already set new personal highs in playoff scoring, while bringing important experience from the 2024 WHL Western Conference Championship to the ice.

RESULTS

Kelowna 2, Everett 4

EVT leads 2-0

The regular-season champion Silvertips have yet to trail in this series, despite some stellar comeback efforts from the Rockets. After Zackary Shantz opened the scoring, Montreal Canadiens prospect Hayden Paupanekis levelled things up by shoveling away at a loose puck in the crease. Jaxsin Vaughan and Owen Folstrom traded goals in the second before alternate captain Carter Bear blasted a powerplay goal home with a one-timer off a lively bounce off the back boards. Seattle Kraken prospect Julius Miettinen notched his team-best sixth goal of the postseason with a powerplay marker in the third period for some added insurance. Silvertips star Anders Miller’s 37-save night marks the third-busiest game of his WHL career, nabbing him first-star honours.

THREE STARS

1- Anders Miller, EVT

– 37 saves, .974 save percentage

2- Carter Bear, EVT

– 1G-1A

3- Jaxsin Vaughan, EVT

– 1G

Saskatoon 0, Prince Albert 3

PA leads 2-0

Life comes at you fast. So do the Prince Albert Raiders. The East Division champs capitalized on key chances to muscle out a 3-0 win over the Blades at the Art Hauser Centre. Owen Corkish corralled a trickling rebound to take the lead in the second period before draft-eligible Jonah Sivertson (NHL CSS: 88) went high-blocker side on a two-on-one rush. Six-foot-6 defender Matyas Man (NHL CSS: 180) joined in on the action with a blast from the blueline, while his fellow Czech product Michal Orsulak (NHL CSS: 2) stopped all 15 shots he faced for his second shutout of the postseason.

THREE STARS

1- Jonah Sivertson, PA

– 1G-1A

2- Matyas Man, PA

– 1G

3- Owen Corkish, PA

– 1A

Prince George 6, Penticton 2

PG leads 2-0

Prince George snagged two shorthanded goals, two powerplay goals and two even-strength goals as they rolled the Vees in Game 2. Terik Parascak and Tyrone Sobry hit pay dirt seconds apart before Parascak nabbed his second goal of the period. Jett Lajoe racked up a pair of tallies of his own, starting with a solo net drive late in the opening frame and capping off the Cats’ scoring with a powerplay one-timer. Louis Wehmann and Brady Birnie scored for Penticton in the third period, but the Vees were unable to muster further offence. WHL Goaltender of the Year finalist Joshua Ravensbergen, a first-round pick of the San Jose Sharks, denied 40 of 42 shots for an impressive .952 save percentage.

THREE STARS

1- Terik Parascak, PG

– 2G-1A

2- Jett Lajoie, PG

– 2G

3- Louis Wehmann, PEN

– 1G-1A

Calgary 3, Medicine Hat 4

MH leads 2-0

It took a three-goal comeback for the defending WHL Champions to snag a second consecutive win against their Central Division rivals. With the Hitmen leading 2-1 in the first period, Hitmen alternate captain Ethan Moore continued his astonishing playoff run with his seventh goal of the postseason. But Calgary saw its lead slip away as Kade Stengrim snagged a snapshot from the slot. Defenceman of the Year candidate Jonas Woo served up a highlight-reel goal as he turned on the jets to burn past a Calgary defender and bury a backhand goal to tie the game before alternate captain and hometown boy Josh Van Mulligen bagged the game-winner with a sweeping wrister from above the left faceoff dot.

THREE STARS

1- Jordan Switzer, MH

– 27 saves, .900 save percentage

2- Ethan Moore, CGY

– 1G-1A

3- Kade Stengrim, MH

– 1G-1A

ON TAP

The 2026 WHL Playoffs resume on Monday with Game 3 between the Medicine Hat Tigers and Calgary Hitmen.