Playoff Predictions....

WHL Playoff prediction time

by Jeff Bromley

Half the fun when playoff time rolls around is doing your best imitation of Kreskin, predicting who will move on and how many games it’ll take them. One quick glance down the 16-team invite list to the WHL playoff dance and you’ll see a stark trend. This season, perhaps unlike any other, there is a strict line between the top four and the bottom four in each conference. That said, it should be easy picking who will move on and who will be golfing – or shovelling, depending on how long winter really lasts around these parts – and who will still chasing the Ed Chynoweth Cup. If only my stock picks were this easy....

Western Conference

Vancouver vs Prince George – The perennial David vs Goliath that appears in almost every edition of the spring season except this time David’s sling shot won’t do a lot of damage. The Giants finished a whopping 66 points ahead of the Cougars in the regular season standings and were the class of the Western Conference in almost every category. Jonathon Blum, Evander Kane, WHL scoring-title holder Casey Pierro-Zabotel and goaltender Tyson Sexsmith highlight a Giant club that will barely break a sweat against the Cougars. The Giants out-scored their Northern BC rivals 40-11 during a regular season series that finished 8-0 in favour of the G-men. The Cougars, lead by 16-year-old Brett Connolly, the Western Conference rookie of the year nominee and my pick for WHL rookie of the year, will gain some experience but will be keyed on by the Giants. Oh, and the Giants will get power forward Lance Bouma back from a hand injury. Giants in four.

Tri-Cities vs Everett – For the first time in their short history the Silvertips are playing like a rebuilding club and finished the regular season with a 10-0 loss to the Seattle Thunderbirds. The Americans, who captured their second-straight U.S. Division title, have something to prove after last season’s playoff loss to the eventual Memorial Cup champion Spokane Chiefs. Former Ice goaltender Thomas Heemskerk has brought some stability to the nets of the Silvertips but it won’t be enough. Two wins out of ten regular season meetings with four of the losses a one goal difference won’t make a difference for the Tips this spring. Tri-City all-star Chet Pickard hasn’t started since suffering a concussion February 28 and if he doesn’t the Silvertips could steal a game or two. If Pickard starts the series it’ll be sweep. Ams in four.

Kelowna vs Kamloops – The Rockets mopped the floor with the Blazers all season long, sweeping the season series with nine wins as the Blazers garnered but one point from the match-up – a shoot-out loss December 27 - all season long. The Rockets shored up their goaltending at the deadline dealing for Mark Guggenberger from the Broncos and sending former Ice goaltender Kris Lazaruk packing. That, along with the addition of Swedish sensation Mikael Backlund after the World Junior tournament, adding toughness and experience in forwards Ryley Grantham and Ian Duval, has the Blazers facing the hottest team in the WHL going into the playoffs. The Blazers haven’t made it out of the first round of the playoffs since 1999 and nothing’s going to change this year. The Blazers will steal one but that’ll be it. Rockets in five.

Spokane vs Seattle – The closest series of the Western Conference’s four, the defending Memorial Cup champions have stumbled somewhat to finish the season but are no match for the enigma that is the T-Birds. On paper this should be a better club but on the ice you don’t know what you’ll get. Will it be the team that smoked the Silvertips 10-0? Beat Tri-City 6-0 or lost the Winter Hawks 9-1, all in the last five regular season games. The T-Birds took a beating on the road to start the season as their new digs, the Sho-Ware Centre, was being completed. The defending champs are the stingiest team in the league with only 145 goals against and that’s the difference in the playoffs. The loss of D Jared Cowen will hurt but not in the first round. Chiefs in six.



Eastern Conference

Calgary vs Edmonton – The WHL finally gets a battle of Alberta with the two big markets duking it out in the first round after the Oil Kings beat the Raiders in the one-game showdown to go to the dance. In the interest of full-disclosure my deadline came just after the Hitmen dumped the Oil Kings in game one 5-0. The other three won’t get any easier for the Oil. Hitmen in four.

Saskatoon vs Lethbridge – One of the most intriguing match-ups this post-season as the Hurricanes edge the T-Birds for the WHL's team mystery award. The Hurricanes are top to bottom one of the best clubs in the league, on paper at least. Boychuk, Beach, Sbisa (three 1st round NHL Draft picks) Mestery (2nd round), King, Sceviour (both 4th rounders); throw in goaltender Juha Metsola; forward Carter Ashton – expected to a 1st rounder this June – and Carter Bancks and why this team is in 7th place in mystery right up there with the Caramilk secret. The Blades are a team that’s built for the playoffs. Big, strong, physical, and should beat the Hurricanes if the same team that glided through the regular season shows up. Metsola, who suffered a neck strain Saturday in Cranbrook against the Ice, won’t play Friday but should be back for game two. I don’t think it’ll help. Blades in Six.

Swift Current vs Medicine Hat – Finally, a first round match-up that is worthy of, well, a first round playoff match-up. The teams don’t like each other; there’s a decent rivalry and they can both score by the bucketful. The Broncos bolstered their line-up by adding the experience of two 19-year-olds in D John Negrin and RW Michael Stickland at the deadline. Keegan Dansereau and Geordie Wudrick are likely both in their final year of junior hockey and have something to prove, though the Broncos will miss the firepower of forward Matt Tassone (shoulder – indefinite). The Tigers are stumbling at the wrong time going 4-6 in their last ten games and the speedy Tiger leaders in Brennan Bosch and Tyler Ennis – both making their final playoff appearances, will have to carry the load against the Broncos. The Tigers will make it a battle but look for the Broncos in seven.