WHL playoffs: Western Conference Final – Kelowna Rockets vs Seattle Thunderbirds

                

We will be previewing the conference final match-ups in an on-going series.

 

 

While any best-of-seven series that ends in five games may, on the surface, appear to have been a cakewalk of sorts for the winning team, the Kelowna Rockets indeed had their hands full with the upstart Portland Winterhawks.

The Rockets dispatched the upstart ‘Hawks in five games, yet there was plenty of entertainment throughout the series. There was feistiness, which became nasty at times between two organizations that have seen plenty of each other during the playoffs in recent years. There was roster juggling due to injuries and suspensions that certainly had an impact on the final outcome.

Kelowna has earned another western conference final appearance, its fourth in a row. The rematch is set, a cross-border battle with the Seattle Thunderbirds, the team that swept the Rockets from the post-season a year ago.

And speaking of sweeps, it would seem Seattle has yet to really break a sweat during these current playoffs, eliminating both the Tri-City Americans and Everett Silvertips in the minimum number of games. The T-Birds are 8-0 in the post-season; the only undefeated team among those still in the hunt for WHL supremacy.

The Rockets and Thunderbirds are not post-season strangers. The organizations have met seven times since the 2000-01 campaign, twice in the conference final. Kelowna won in 2003 then defeated Red Deer to win the league championship. Seattle won last season, then missed out on a Memorial Cup appearance after losing in the final series to the Brandon Wheat Kings.

During the regular season, Kelowna won the first three of four games from Seattle. The Rockets were the third highest scoring team in the WHL with 283 goals. Seattle scored 263. Both teams gave up 206 goals.

Each team took some time to finally ice a full, veteran lineup as injuries had an enormous impact among key players. Both teams also saw key players miss significant time due to National Hockey League and international hockey commitments. By the time each team was able to put its best possible players on the ice, the regular season was more than half over with.

Reid Gardiner

So far in the post season, Reid Gardiner has been the offensive catalyst in Kelowna and leads all playoff scorers with 22 points in 11 games. (Tyler Wong of the Lethbridge Hurricanes also has 22 points, in 14 playoff games.). Gardiner plays alongside Nick Merkley and Calvin Thurkauf, the Rockets top trio.

Dillon Dube has also emerged during the post-season as a skilled and energetic offensive talent. Skating with Carsen Twarynski and Tomas Soustal, Dube has also chipped in on the power play. The Rockets depth is readily apparent with regular season leading scorer Kole Lind playing a third-line role now with 20-year-old Rodney Southam and 16-year-old rookie Nolan Foote. In fact the top nine are rather interchangeable, a luxury for rookie bench boss Jason Smith.

Defenceman Cal Foote will miss game one of the series, sitting out the third game of a three-game suspension levied by the league office after taking an elbowing penalty late in game three against Portland. The Rockets are deep on the blueline, with Lucas Johansen and Devante Stephens playing big, hard minutes. With Gordie Ballhorn healthy and James Hilsendager playing the best hockey of his WHL career, Kelowna is solid on the backend.

Overage goaltender Michael Herringer, in short, has been outstanding.

The Thunderbirds enter this series with the most complete roster they’ve had for the entire season. Injuries, World Junior Championships and NHL camps have forced Seattle to find ways to win while short-handed. Seattle has kept winning, despite losing key players like Mathew Barzal and Scott Eansor for stretches of this season.

Barzal missed the team’s first-round match up with Tri-City but the Thunderbirds didn’t miss a beat. They swept the Americans and scored 23 goals while doing so. Just as Barzal returned, they lost Ryan Gropp for the first two games against Everett in the second round. Again, they didn’t get tripped up and swept their rivals in four games.

Carl Stankowski

There is one significant injury still looming for Seattle as they attempt to win their second straight Western Conference title. Goalie Rylan Toth has missed the last two rounds of the playoffs as he continues to nurse a lower-body injury. His status for this series is still an unknown so the Thunderbirds may have to lean on 17-year-old rookie Carl Stankowski.

Stankowski has been a revelation for Seattle so far. The rookie has started more playoff games, eight, than he has regular season games. He’s gone 8-0 while posting a 2.24 goals-against and a .913 save percentage. So far, the Calgary product has displayed a calmness and maturity well beyond his age. Kelowna will be his biggest test so far and Seattle will need their young netminder to come up big for them.

Seattle

vs.

Kelowna

1-3

Record

3-1

10

Goals For

20

20

Goals Against

10

117

Shots For

132

132

Shots Against

117

6 for 18 (33.3%)

PP

1 for 12 (8.4%)

11 of 12 (91.6%)

PK 12 of 18 (66.7%)

2

Fights

2

NHL Drafted / Signed Players

Kelowna: Dillon Dube (CGY, ’16); Nick Merkley (ARI, ’15); Calvin Thurkauf (CBJ, ’16); Reid Gardiner (FA, PIT); Lucas Johansen (WAS, ’16); Devante Stephens (BUF, ’15); Carsen Twarynski (PHI, ’16); Braydyn Chizen (MIN, ’16)

Seattle: Mathew Barzal (NYI,15); Keegan Kolesar (CBJ, ’15); Ryan Gropp (NYR, ’15); Ethan Bear (EDM, ’16)

Keys to Win

As always, expect special teams to play a role in the outcome. Kelowna did not give up a shorthanded goal during the regular season, but it has surrendered three during the playoffs. With its wealth of skilled forwards, the Rockets can ice at least a pair of dangerous power play units. For Seattle, Barzal, Gropp and Kolesar were virtually unstoppable with the man advantage during the second half of the season.

The goaltending matchup is compelling because it’s a 17-year-old rookie facing a 20-year-old veteran.

Herringer, said by some to be the Rockets weak link heading into the playoffs, has frequently been the team’s best player. Herringer is 8-3, with a 2.18 goals against average and a .924 save percentage. Can he continue to be a difference maker for the Rockets?

Stankowski has yet to taste defeat in the playoffs. He celebrated his 17th birthday on March 9. How will he respond if Kelowna can produce consistently intense pressure in the attacking zone, something Tri City and Everett were unable to achieve?

Injuries

Kelowna is healthy. Defenseman Cal Foote will miss game one (suspension).

Seattle is missing 20-year-old goaltender Rylan Toth.

Pick: A true pick ‘em, the safe money suggests this goes down to the wire. Game 7 in Kent, Washington on a Tuesday night would present a fitting stage for a finale in front of fans that treat WHL games like more than just a game; they make it an event! Seattle wins in 7 – in overtime. Now that’ll be an event!

Game Date Home Time
(Local)

Rink

1

April 21 Seattle 7:35

ShoWare Center

2

April 22 Seattle 7:05

ShoWare Center

3

April 25 Kelowna 7:05 Prospera Place
4 April 26 Kelowna 7:05

Prospera Place

5*

April 28 Seattle 7:35

ShoWare Centre

6*

April 30 Kelowna 5:05

Prospera Place

7*

May 2 Seattle 7:05

ShoWare Center

* if necessary

Editor’s Note: Andy Eide contributed to this article.