Brandon Wheat Kings (50-18-1-3 regular season, 9-5 in playoffs)
at
Calgary Hitmen (52-17-1-2 regular season, 11-6 in playoffs)
(Calgary leads Best-of-Seven Eastern Conference Final 3-1)
Friday, April 23, 2010 8:08 p.m. Pengrowth Saddledome
Brandon Game Notes: The Brandon Wheat Kings face elimination for the 2010 WHL Playoffs for the first time Friday night when they visit the Calgary Hitmen in Game #5 of the Eastern Conference Final (7:38 p.m., CKLQ). The Wheat Kings find themselves down 3-1 in the series after back-to-back home-ice losses on Tuesday and Wednesday by scores for 6-3 and 4-3. A Brandon victory Friday would send the series back to Westman Communications Group Place for Game #6 on Sunday.
Series Schedule:
(1-3 12 GF, 15 GA Brd PP: 2-18 (11.1%) Brd PK: 11-14 (78.6%)
Friday, April 16 – Brandon 4 at Calgary 2 –De Serres made 33 saves.
Saturday, April 17 – Brandon 2 at Calgary 3 (OT) – Ciarelli, Hamonic w/goals; De Serres 28 Svs.
Tuesday, April 20 – Calgary 6 at Brandon 3 – Calvert scored 3 SHG’s in 2nd period.
Wednesday, April 21 – Calgary 4 at Brandon 3 – Urbom, Rajala & Walker with goals.
Friday, April 23 – Brandon at Calgary, 8:08 p.m.
*Sunday, April 25 – Calgary at Brandon, 6:08 p.m.
*Tuesday, April 27 – Brandon at Calgary, 8:08 p.m.
- All times are CDT. * - If necessary.
Playoff History: This year marks the fourth time in the last six years the Wheat Kings and Hitmen will meet in the Western Hockey League post-season and the fifth time overall. Last year, Calgary swept Brandon in the Eastern Conference Final. The Wheat Kings and Hitmen had met three previous times in the history of the two franchises before last season.
2007 – Calgary def Brandon 4-2 (Eastern Conference Semifinal)
2005 – Brandon def Calgary 4-3 (Eastern Conference Semifinal)
1998 – Brandon def Calgary 4-1 (Eastern Conference Final)
Vs. Calgary: Brandon won three of four head-to-head meetings between the two teams during the 2009-2010 regular season, including both meetings at the Saddledome. Four players led Brandon with six points apiece versus the Hitmen this season with Matt Calvert notching five goals and an assist. Scott Glennie (2 G, 4 A), Jay Fehr (1 G, 5 A) and Brayden Schenn (1 G, 5 A) also had six points in four games versus Calgary while G Jacob De Serres was 2-and-0 with a 2.50 GAA and .912 SPCT in two starts against the Hitmen.
2009-2010 Regular Season Meetings:
(3-0-0-1 18 GF, 12 GA Brd PP: 4-18 (22.2%) Brd PK: 11-14 (78.6%))
Feb.15 – Brandon 4 at Calgary 2 – Urbom scored two goals.
Jan.29 – Brandon 6 at Calgary 4 – Glennie had 2 G, 1 A; Brd scored five goals in 3rd period
Nov.20 – Calgary 2 at Brandon 5 – Rajala scored two goals; Hayes made 28 saves.
Oct. 7 – Calgary 4 at Brandon 3 (Shootout) – Calvert scored two goals.
Roster: Brandon’s roster includes 24 players (3 goaltenders, 7 defensemen and 14 forwards) on their roster. Brandon’s roster including 13 players from Manitoba, six from Alberta, three from Saskatchewan and two imports.
Drafted Players: F Brayden Schenn (Los Angeles, 1st Round, 5th overall in 2009, SIGNED); F Scott Glennie (Dallas, 1st Round, 8th overall in 2009); F Toni Rajala (Edmonton, 4th Round, 101st overall in 2009, SIGNED); D Alexander Urbom (New Jersey, 3rd Round, 73rd overall in 2009, SIGNED); D Colby Robak (Florida, 2nd Round, 46th overall in 2008); F Matt Calvert (Columbus, 5th round, 127th overall in 2008, SIGNED); G Jacob De Serres (Philadelphia, 3rd Round, 84th overall in 2008); Brent Raedeke (Detroit, signed as free agent in September of 2008); Travis Hamonic (NY Islanders, 2nd Round, 58th overall in 2008)
Special Teams: The Wheat Kings are 0-for-9 on the power-play in the last two games and have misfired on 11 straight power-play chances in the series. Overall, Brandon is 14-for-58 (24.1%) in the playoffs after ranking ninth in the WHL in the regular season with a 21.9% success rate. On the penalty-kill, Brandon is 40-for-49 (81.8%) in the playoffs so far after ranking 17th in the regular season with a 76.8% success rate.
Who’s Hot: F Toni Rajala has points in three of the last four games (2 G, 1 A)…F Matt Calvert has seven points (5 G, 2 A) in the last five games…D Travis Hamonic has seven points (2 G, 5 A) in the last seven games.
Stats’n’That: F Matt Calvert is tied for fourth in the WHL in playoff goals (9), leads the league with three shorthanded goals, is tied for fourth in game-winning goals (2) and tied for sixth in points (16)…F Brayden Schenn is fourth in the WHL in playoff points (19), is tied for seventh in goals (8) and tied for fifth in assist (11)…D Colby Robak is tied for second in the WHL in defenceman scoring with 12 points…D Travis Hamonic is tied for fifth in defenceman scoring with 11 points.
Did You Know: The Wheat Kings are hoping history repeats itself. In 2005, Brandon trailed Calgary 3-1 in the Eastern Conference Semifinal only to storm back and win three consecutive games and take the series in seven…Matt Calvert’s three shorthanded goals in the second period in Game #3 on Tuesday is an unofficial WHL playoff record. The League doesn’t list the playoff record for shorthanded goals in a game or a period. However, the WHL playoff record for goals in a period is three, accomplished 24 times, and the WHL regular season record for shorthanded goals in a game is three, accomplished four times including once by Brandon’s Peter Schaefer in March of 1997…D Brodie Melnychuk has played in 158 consecutive games…Paul Ciarelli’s goal in Game #2 was his first career WHL playoff goal…Brandon has 538 games of playoff experience, led by Jay Fehr with 40 games and Colby Robak with 33 contests…F Mark Stone was ranked 119th and F Michael Ferland 146th among North American skaters in the final rankings by the NHL Central Scouting Service.