#WHLPlayoffs Roundup: Addison, special teams delivers as Hurricanes tie up Eastern Conference Championship
Swift Current Broncos (1) at Lethbridge Hurricanes (5)
Series tied 2-2
Game 5: Saturday, April 28 – Innovation Credit Union i-Plex, Swift Current, Sask. – 7:00 p.m. MT
The Lethbridge Hurricanes’ special teams powered them to a Game Four victory and brought back to life their chances in the Eastern Conference Championship.
Four power-play goals and a short-handed goal accounted for all the firepower necessary in a 5-1 victory that helped to tie up their best-of-seven series at two games apiece Wednesday night in southern Alberta.
2018 NHL Draft prospect Calen Addison scored a pair of goals, Taylor Ross added a goal and an assist while the trio of captain Jordy Bellerive (Pittsburgh Penguins), Brad Morrison, and Tate Olson each added a pair of assists in the dominant victory.
Despite the surging power play, the Hurricanes’ first goal of the game came via a short-handed chance. Ross broke in on Broncos’ goaltender Stuart Skinner. While his initial shot was stopped, the rebound came to a trailing Jadon Joseph, who was in the right spot and the right time to fire home the rebound.
Put onto the power play later in the period, Logan Barlage struck against his former team to make it 2-0. The Hurricanes worked the puck across the ice, with Tate Olson eventually finding a seam where Barlage perfectly one-timed it past Skinner.
The Broncos would have a quick response just 51 seconds later though as Tyler Steenbergen (Arizona Coyotes) came down the ice and put one past Logan Flodell to cut the lead back in a single goal, his first goal of the series and 11th of the post-season.
Having been given a taste of the two-goal lead, the Hurricanes went searching for it once again before the first period came to a close. Another Broncos’ penalty set the stage for Ross’ ninth of the post-season. Dylan Cozens had a prime opportunity from the slot that was turned aside, but Ross was right there on the doorstep of Skinner’s crease to tally the goal that made it a two-goal game once again.
The power play of the Hurricanes continued to dominate as it was given chances to flex its muscles late in the second. A nice spin move by Brad Morrison put the puck on the stick of Addison, who shot it through a maze of bodies to increase the home side’s lead to three after 40 minutes.
Like the second, the third period featured a single goal as Addison received a pass from Olson, slipped by a Broncos’ defender and wired the puck into the net from the slot to finish off the game.
For a second straight game, Flodell was strong, making 25 saves on 26 shots to move the Hurricanes’ to 8-0 on home ice in the 2018 WHL Playoffs. Skinner finished with 23 saves in the contest. Colby Sissons (New Jersey Devils) had the lone assist for the Broncos on their only goal.
Cozens and Zane Franklin each picked up a single assist in the victory.
Overall, the Hurricanes’ power play went 4-for-10 while the Broncos went 0-for-7 with the extra man.
The @WHLHurricanes have evened this series! A 5-1 win tonight in Game Four has the Cane Train rolling! #SCvsLET #WHLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/D8kfsvLTbe
— The WHL (@TheWHL) April 26, 2018
Is #TacoWednesday better than #TacoTuesday? Please let us know @WHLHurricanes fans. #SCvsLET #WHLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/hhSeE2vjsQ
— The WHL (@TheWHL) April 26, 2018
It's another power-play goal for the @WHLHurricanes as 2018 #NHLDraft prospect @calenaddison gets in on the action! #SCvsLET #WHLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/IJ410Roasd
— The WHL (@TheWHL) April 26, 2018
Taylor Ross has gone full #beastmode in the #WHLPlayoffs and it continues tonight as he makes it 3-1 late in the first for the @WHLHurricanes! #SCvsLET #WHLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/Oath4A9yEj
— The WHL (@TheWHL) April 26, 2018
"Not so fast" says @ArizonaCoyotes prospect @T_Steener, who scores 51 seconds later to make it a one-goal game again. #SCvsLET #WHLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/X05qVspT66
— The WHL (@TheWHL) April 26, 2018
The @WHLHurricanes go up 2-0 as @loganbarlage gets his first of the series on the power play! #SCvsLET #WHLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/JWnfrtu1x8
— The WHL (@TheWHL) April 26, 2018
This is your nightly reminder that @ssskipy_74 is good at the hockey. A beautiful save from the @EdmontonOilers prospect! #SCvsLET #WHLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/lDYO8GGClW
— The WHL (@TheWHL) April 26, 2018
What a way to start the game! @jadonj9 with the short-handed beauty makes it 1-0 for the @WHLHurricanes! #SCvsLET #WHLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/s2nIijS87s
— The WHL (@TheWHL) April 26, 2018
#WHLPlayoffs schedule for Thursday, April 26
Game 4 – Everett Silvertips at Tri-City Americans – 7:05 p.m. PT (EVT leads 2-1)