WHL Tonight: Rebels top Pats to keep rolling on Saskatchewan road trip
Western Hockey League Three Stars: Wednesday, February 27, 2019
1. Carson Focht, Calgary Hitmen: Forward Carson Focht of the Calgary Hitmen recorded the first four-goal game of his WHL career Wednesday in a 9-3 win against the Swift Current Broncos. Focht scored the first, third, fourth, and ninth goals of game for the Hitmen.
The Regina, Sask. product now has 52 points (20G-32A) in 60 games this season and 93 points (26G-57A) in 193 WHL regular season games.
2. Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Spokane Chiefs: Los Angeles Kings prospect and Spokane Chiefs co-captain Jaret Anderson-Dolan scored twice and added three assists for the second five-point game of his WHL career Wednesday in a 7-1 win against the Prince George Cougars. Anderson-Dolan scored the fifth and sixth goals of the game for Spokane, adding assists on their first, third, and fourth goals.
The Calgary, Alta. product has posted solid numbers in an injury-shortened season with 31 points (12G-19A) in 24 games. The 19-year-old has 224 points (105G-119A) in 236 WHL regular season games.
3. Kaden Elder, Calgary Hitmen: Calgary Hitmen forward Kaden Elder recorded the first hat trick of his WHL career Wednesday in a 9-3 win against his former team, the Swift Current Broncos. Elder scored the second, fifth, and eighth goals of the game for the Hitmen.
The Saskatoon, Sask. product is enjoying a career year with 56 points (27G-29A) in 61 games this season. In 309 WHL regular season games for his career, Elder has 124 points (65G-59A).
Swift Current Broncos 3 at Calgary Hitmen 9
The Calgary Hitmen erupted for a season-high nine goals Wednesday against the Swift Current Broncos, earning a 9-3 win as part of their BE BRAVE anti-bullying game.
Carson Focht had four goals, Kaden Elder added three, and Josh Prokop recorded four assists in the offensive showcase. The Hitmen scored three goals in the first, four in the second, and two in the third. Their four goals in the second came in a 6:57 span to burst the game wide open.
James Malm scored a highlight-reel goal as part of a three-point night. Luke Coleman had the other goal as part of a two-point game. Vladislav Yeryomenko (Nashville Predators) had three assists in the win and Riley Stotts (Toronto Maple Leafs) added a pair of helpers.
Connor Horning, Matthew Culling, and Carter Chorney had the goals for Swift Current in the loss.
Lethbridge Hurricanes 5 at Prince Albert Raiders 4 (OT)
Jake Elmer scored late to tie the game, then notched the game-winning goal 20 seconds into overtime Wednesday to lead the Lethbridge Hurricanes to a crazy 5-4 overtime win against the Prince Albert Raiders in a back-and-forth battle.
2019 NHL Draft prospect Dylan Cozens added a pair of goals and an assist while fellow draft prospect Logan Barlage had the other goal for the Hurricanes Wednesday.
Goals from Cozens and Barlage came within 13 seconds of each other midway through the first, but Cole Fonstad (Montreal Canadiens) would answer back to keep the deficit at one after 20 minutes. Justin Nachbaur and Cozens traded early goals in the second, which was followed by a Spencer Moe goal midway through the period to tie up the game after 40 minutes.
In the third, the Raiders took their first lead of the night as a beautiful pass from Fonstad was finished off by defenceman Kaiden Guhle, but the Hurricanes were hungry and determined for the two points.
Winning a battle along the boards, Cozens found a wide open Elmer, who made no mistake in beating Ian Scott (Toronto Maple Leafs) with 2:17 to go in regulation.
Early in the overtime, Elmer took advantage of the open ice to break free up ice and notch the game-winning goal.
Carl Tetachuk earned the victory. Fonstad added a pair of helpers for the three-point night while Moe and Guhle each had a goal and an assist. 2019 NHL Draft prospect Brett Leason had a pair of helpers in the narrow loss.
Red Deer Rebels 5 at Regina Pats 2
Two goals from defenceman Ethan Sakowich as well as a goal and an assist from Brett Davis (Dallas Stars) paved the way to a 5-2 win for the Red Deer Rebels over the Regina Pats Wednesday night in Saskatchewan’s capital.
Alexander Alexeyev (Washington Capitals) opened the game with his 10th of the season, but Cole Dubinsky would respond to keep the game tied heading into the final minute of the first period. That’s where Sakowich would thrive though as the Athabasca, Alta. product scored with 42 seconds left in the opening period, striking again 55 seconds into the second to make it 3-1.
Davis’ goal would extend the lead to three after 40 minutes. Brady Pouteau would cut the deficit to two late in the third off a power-play goal, but Brandon Hagel (Chicago Blackhawks) would seal off the game with an empty-net goal to keep the distance between the two clubs at three goals.
2019 NHL Draft prospect Ethan Anders stopped 32 of 34 shots for the win. Cameron Hausinger added a pair of helpers in the victory.
Tri-City Americans 1 at Kamloops Blazers 2
The Kamloops Blazers inched closer to a playoff spot Wednesday with a 2-1 victory against the Tri-City Americans.
Orrin Centazzo supplied the goals for the Blazers, scoring in the first and second period. 2019 NHL Draft prospect Sasha Mutala got one back for the Americans late in the second, but that’s as close as the visitors would come on this night.
Both goaltenders dazzled in the game. Beck Warm took away a sure goal from Blazers’ captain Jermaine Loewen (Dallas Stars) late in the second period while Dylan Ferguson (Vegas Golden Knights) kept the Blazers ahead by a goal after stopping a two-on-one play in the third. Warm stopped 43 shots in the game while Ferguson turned aside 25 of 26 shots.
Spokane Chiefs 7 at Prince George Cougars 1
The Spokane Chiefs left nothing to chance in their first opportunity to clinch a spot in the 2019 WHL Playoffs Wednesday.
Co-captain Jaret Anderson-Dolan (Los Angeles Kings) had a pair of goals and five points, co-captain Ty Smith (New Jersey Devils) had three assists, and Bailey Brkin stopped 27 of 28 shots in a 7-1 win against the Prince George Cougars.
Four goals in the first period quickly gave the Chiefs control of the game. 2019 NHL Draft prospect Luke Toporowski scored 18 seconds into the game and was followed by goals from Bobby Russell, Connor Garbuch, and Nolan Reid in the frame.
Josh Maser scored 24 seconds into the second to breakup Brkin’s shutout bid, but the Chiefs responded with Anderson-Dolan’s first of the game to keep a four-goal lead heading to the third. Goals from Anderson-Dolan and Luc Smith featured in the final period of play.
Smith added a pair of assists for a three-point game himself. Reid had a multi-point game with a goal and an assist. Riley Woods and Michael King also added a single helper in the win.