The WHL Playoffs started this week and similar to NCAA basketball, the brackets got busted early. Starting in the West, only the Kelowna Rockets have shown their strong way in the first two games with the Tri-City Americans. With a 9-0 goal differential in those first two games, the Rockets lead their series 2-0 heading to Kennewick for games three and four. The Everett Silvertips took game one 5-1, before dropping the next game 6-2 to the Spokane Chiefs with the series shifting to Spokane. Prince George Cougars dropped the first two games 5-3 and 5-4 to Victoria Royals, but now take the 2 hour ferry and 10 hour bus trip north to Prince George where sellout crowds are expected for the Cougars first playoff series in several years. In Portland, the Winterhawks gave up the first two goals in game one, made a comeback, but ultimately lost game one 4-3 to the Seattle Thunderbirds. The next night the game switched to the Moda Center and things turned out very differently. The Hawks came out on fire, scored the only goals of the game and blanked Seattle 3-0 tying the series, but shifting momentum as the teams head to Seattle to play Tuesday and Thursday.
The Central Division saw Calgary drop game one to the Kootenay Ice 4-3 and waited until Sunday to play game two which they squeaked out a 3-2 overtime win tying that series. Medicine Hat Tigers inched by the Red Deer Rebels 2-1 in the first game and then had to go to overtime in game two to get the first and only goal of the game in a 1-0 win and lead their series 2-0.
To the Eastern Division, where the Regina Pats took the first two games versus Swift Current Broncos in the “Queen City” 4-2 and 3-2 and head to Swift Current up by 2 games. The first series to start on Thursday, saw the WHL top team Brandon Wheat Kings lose by upset 4-1 to the eighth place Edmonton Oil Kings in their first game, however the Wheaties came back in power with an 8-1 thumping the following night. Edmonton and Brandon played their third game in four nights in Edmonton with Brandon scoring twice in the third period to take a 3-2 win over Edmonton, putting them up 2-1 in the series. Due to the travel distance, Brandon hosted the first two games and if necessary, hosts games 6 and 7 with Edmonton holding the bridge of three games.
Ice Chips: Back in Portland, twitter feeds exploded from Texas this weekend with news that Caleb Jones, the younger brother of former Winterhawk and now NHL Nashville Predator Seth Jones, has made an announcement that he will join the Portland Winterhawks next season. Caleb will follow the path of his brother from US Developmental team play to the WHL in his draft eligible year. With the Hawks set to lose a number of top players next season to overage and professional ranks, the timing of Jones arrival will help shore up the team. Any future games in the Portland / Seattle series will be played at Veterans Memorial Coliseum when the series shifts to Portland. One game for certain, game five, will be Saturday, April 4 with a 7PM start time.
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