SATURDAY’S WHL ROUND-UP
TIGERS POUNCE ON RAIDERS – Tyler Pitlick scored three goals to lead the Medicine Hat Tigers to a 7-3 win over the visiting Prince Albert Raiders in Western Hockey League action on Saturday night.
Emerson Etem scored twice and Curtis Valk and Kellan Tochkin added singles for the Tigers (39-17-4-3), who move past the Kootenay Ice into second place in the Central Division standings, while Linden Vey chipped in three assists. Deven Dubyk made 32 saves to claim his ninth win of the season.
Brandon Herrod scored twice and Jonathan Parker notched his 39th goal of the season for the Raiders (25-33-2-3), who suffer their second straight defeat and remain tied with the Hurricanes for eighth place in the Eastern Conference. Eric Williams made 27 saves in the defeat.
GIANTS 5, BRUINS 1
Brendan Gallagher scored his 40th and 41st goals of the season and set up another to lead the visiting Vancouver Giants to a 5-1 triumph over the Chilliwack Bruins on Saturday.
Spencer Bennett – with his 30th of the season – Nathan Burns and Michael Burns also scored for the Giants (32-24-1-4), who earn the split from their weekend home-and-home set versus the Bruins and remain four points behind Kelowna for the B.C. Division lead. Brendan Jensen made 16 saves in the victory.
Brandon Manning scored the only goal for the Bruins (25-30-2-3), who suffer their fifth defeat over their last six games and remain in ninth place in the Western Conference. Lucas Gore and Braden Gamble combined for 32 saves in a losing cause.
CHIEFS 3, AMERICANS 1
Dominik Uher scored a pair of goals to lead the Spokane Chiefs to a 3-1 victory over the visiting Tri-City Americans on Saturday.
Matt Marantz – with his 18th of the season – also scored while Levko Koper and Tyler Johnson each chipped in two assists for the Chiefs (40-17-4-2), who have won three straight games versus the Ams and currently sit one point back of Portland for the Western Conference lead. Mac Engel made 26 saves to record his 11th win of the season.
David Conrad scored the only goal for the Americans (37-19-2-2), who were scoreless on three power play chances in the loss and now trail the Chiefs by eight points for second place in the U.S. Division. Chris Driedger made 37 saves in the loss.
COUGARS 3, SILVERTIPS 1
Sena Acolatse scored two goals to pace the Prince George Cougars to a 3-1 win over the visiting Everett Silvertips on Saturday.
Brett Connolly – with a shorthanded marker – also scored for the Cougars (29-31-2-1), who snap a five-game losing skid and move six points ahead of Chilliwack for eighth place in the Western Conference. Ty Rimmer made 34 saves in the win.
Rookie blue liner Evan Morden scored his first WHL goal for the Silvertips (27-26-5-4), who see a four-game winning streak come to an end and now sit just one point up on Kamloops for sixth place in the Western Conference. Kent Simpson made 29 saves in the defeat.
BLADES 2, WARRIORS 1 S/O
Curtis Hamilton scored the only goal in a shootout to lift the visiting Saskatoon Blades to a 2-1 win over the Moose Jaw Warriors on Saturday.
Stefan Elliott scored the only goal in regulation for the Blades (48-13-0-2), who pad their lead to seven points over Red Deer for first place in the Eastern Conference. Adam Morrison turned in a 33-save effort through regulation and overtime, and wasn’t beaten in the shootout to claim the victory.
Spencer Edwards scored the only goal for the Warriors (34-23-2-3), who earn a point from the shootout loss to clinch at least a tiebreaker for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Thomas Heemskerk made 31 saves in regulation play, but was beaten once in the shootout to take the loss.
WHEAT KINGS 9, PATS 3
Shayne Wiebe scored twice while Scott Glennie and Rene Hunter each tallied a goal and two assists to lead the Brandon Wheat Kings to a 9-3 win over the visiting Regina Pats on Saturday.
Jason Swyripa, Michael Ferland, Brodie Melnychuk, Paul Ciarelli and Jens Meillieur also scored for the Wheat Kings (27-29-1-7), who have won two straight games and have scored 16 goals in that span. Corbin Boes made 15 saves in the victory.
Jordan Weal – with two goals – and Dyson Stevenson scored for the Pats (22-33-6-2), who remain three points behind the Raiders and Hurricanes for a share of eighth place in the Eastern Conference. Matt Hewitt made 23 saves in the loss.
ROCEKTS 4, HITMEN 3 O/T
Geordie Wudrick scored his second goal of the game 59 seconds into overtime to lift the visiting Kelowna Rockets to a 4-3 win over the Calgary Hitmen on Saturday.
Colton Scissons – with a goal and two assists – and Shane McColgan also counted for the Rockets (36-25-0-1), who earn their third straight win to wrap up their Central Division road trip and remain in first place in the B.C. Division. Adam Brown made 24 saves to record his 30th win of the season.
Trevor Cheek, Misha Fisenko and Alex Roach scored for the Hitmen (19-38-3-2), who suffer their third straight defeat and remain in 12th place in the Eastern Conference. Mike Snider made 17 saves in a losing cause.
OIL KINGS 5, HURRICANES 2
Adrian Van de Mosselaer scored twice and chipped in an assist to lead the Edmonton Oil Kings to a 5-2 win over the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes on Saturday.
Kristians Pelss notched a goal and three assists and Michael St. Croix added a goal and two helpers for the Oil Kings (28-28-2-5), who split their home-and-home series versus the ‘Canes and remain one point up on Brandon for sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Laurent Brossoit made 19 saves to post the win.
Cam Braes – with his 30th of the season – and Mike Reddington scored for the Hurricanes (21-29-5-8), who drop their sixth straight game on the road but remain tied for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Brandon Anderson turned in a 46-save effort in the loss.
BLAZERS 8, ICE 5
Dylan Willick scored twice and Jordan DePape notched a goal and two assists to lead the visiting Kamloops Blazers to an 8-5 win over the Kootenay Ice on Saturday.
Logan McVeigh, Ryan Hanes and Dalibor Bortnak all tallied a goal and an assist while Chase Souto and JT Barnett also scored for the Blazers (29-31-3-1), who have won three straight and four of five games on their Central Division road trip. Jeff Bosch made 41 saves to earn the win.
Cody Eakin – with a goal and two assists – Kevin King, Hayden Rintoul, Steele Boomer and Joe Antilla scored for the Ice (40-19-1-3), who have dropped three of their last five games and now sit in fourth place in the Eastern Conference. Brett Teskey and Nathan Lieuwen combined for 17 saves in a losing effort.
WINTERHAWKS 4, THUNDERBIRDS 3
Nino Niederreiter scored twice, including the game-winner with just 34 second to play in the third period, to lead the visiting Portland Winterhawks to a 4-3 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds on Saturday.
Sven Baertschi and Ryan Johansen also scored for the Winterhawks (42-17-0-3), who remain one point ahead of the Spokane Chiefs for first place in the U.S. Division and Western Conference. Keith Hamilton made 28 saves in the win.
Brendan Rouse, Chance Lund and Travis Toomey scored for the Thunderbirds (22-31-4-5), who suffer their second straight setback and now sit eight points back of Prince George for eighth place in the Western Conference. Calvin Pickard turned in a valiant 52-save effort in a losing cause.
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