Rockets rally for Rimouski; Myers nabs MVP

Tyler Myers and the Kelowna Rockets are heading to the Memorial Cup thanks to a 3-2 OT victory over Calgary in Game Six of the WHL Final. Myers, even for the game despite two miscues that led to both Hitmen goals, was named the MVP of the championship series. Calgary got on the board in the first period when Myers coughed the puck up in the offensive zone to allow a breakout pass to Bostjan Golicic. Golicic, who had just stepped out of the box, streaked down for short-handed tally to put the visitors up 1-0. Just :41 later, a Myers shot appeared to tie the game, but was ruled no goal after video review revealed that the net became dislodged before the puck crossed the plane. The paced picked up in the second twenty minutes, and Kelowna capitalized. Colin Long buried a power play goal at 11:43 to get the Rockets in the game. Nearly two minutes later, Lucas Bloodoff had a puck go off his skate to give the Rockets a 2-1 lead after 40:00. Calgary would battle back with 7:00 to play in regulation when a Myers fumble of what-looked-to-be an intercept of a Brett Sonne pass created an opportunity for 53-goal man Joel Broda to force overtime with his 11th of the playoffs. Kelowna controlled the extra session, outshooting the Hitmen 5-1 before a Tyson Barrie ('09) power play marker sealed victory, set Prospera Place into a frenzy, and punched the Rockets ticket to Rimouski. Leading playoff point man Jamie Benn (DAL) ignited the Rockets with a pair of assists, including one on the game winning goal, after missing the previous three games due to injury. Myers was active at both ends throughout, especially in the offensive zone where he was apt to attack from his point position. If the past two series have revealed anything negative about his game, it's that he needs stronger hands on the puck, both controlling it tight and also when clearing the zone. His handling has improved, but too many weak clears have come off his stick. The puck needs more umph behind it, and we're confident he'll be slinging it around in no time. But before Sabres strength and conditioning coach Doug McKenney can get his hands on the 6'7-3/4 project, Myers and his mates will play for junior hockey's top prize. The Rockets will open the 2009 Mastercard Memorial Cup on Friday at 7:00 against the host Oceanic. The Windsor Spirfires will represent the OHL, while the winner of the QMJHL President's Cup series between Drummondville and Shawinigan will round out the field. High octane Drummondville currently holds a 3-2 series lead. The 2009 gathering will mark the ninth straight year that a Sabres property has skated for the Cup. Last season, Paul Byron and his 21-goal playoff tear helped carry the Gatineau Olympiques to Kitchener. The year before his draft eligible season, 17-year old Tyler Ennis was a member of 2006-07 WHL playoff champion Medicine Hat. In the 2006, Patrick Kaleta scored eight goals and 10 assists in 19 playoff games as Peterborough earned a spot in Moncton. Ottawa 67's forward Mark Mancari was a bull down the stretch in 2004-05, scoring 14 goals in the OHL playoffs before skating against Sidney Crosby of Rimouski, Shea Weber of Kelowna, and Corey Perry of the host London Knights. Defenseman Mike Card also participated in the tournament for a third time as a member of the Rockets blueline. In 2004, Card's Rockets won the Memorial Cup over a field that included Daniel Paille of the Guelph Storm and Clarke MacArthur of the Medicine Hat Tigers. Speedy forward Derek Roy cemented his place in CHL history when the tourney MVP captained the Kitchener Rangers to a 2003 Cup title in Quebec City. In 2002, Paille was a center for the host Guelph Storm, while 2000 2nd round draft pick Gerard Dicaire was a member of the cup winning Kootenay Ice. Dicaire went unsigned and was re-drafted by Tampa later that summer. The 2001 series saw Sabres scouts watching Regina forward Karel Mosovsky, a 4th round pick in 1999 who scored three goals and three assists for the host Pats before crapping out after three seasons in Rochester.

Hitmen making it a series

In the WHL Finals, Tyler Myers was -1 as Kelowna got rocked by Calgary for a second straight night, 6-1. After winning the first three games of the series, the Rockets were outshot 50-19 in having their lead trimmed to 3-2. Myers picked up 12 PIM on the night, including a misconduct after stepping in on a scrum with 2:30 to play. The teams are back in Kelowna for game six on Saturday.

Myers, Rockets on the cusp

After two games this week, Tyler Myers and the Kelowna Rockets find themselves on the verge of heading to Rimouski for the 2009 Memorial Cup. On Wednesday, Myers had an assist as Kelowna lost to Calgary, 6-2. The win puts the Hitmen on the board in the WHL Finals, as they now trail Myers' Rockets 3-1. In Monday's game three, Myers was +1 as the Rockets shutout the Hitmen, 2-0. Playing both games without injured forward Jamie Benn, Myers gave and absorbed hits, and helped picked up the slack adding more offensive rushes to his sound shutdown foundation. Myers has five goals, 15 assists, and is +14 in 20 playoff games.

Myers a rock as Rockets roll late

Tyler Myers was credited with a pair of assists while finishing a game-high +4 as Kelowna rode a three-goal third period to a 5-2 win over Calgary. The Friday-Saturday sweep at the Saddledome gives the Rockets a comfortable 2-0 series cushion heading back to British Columbia for Monday's game three. Meanwhile, the Hitmen suffered back-to-back home losses for the first time since March of 2008. The character building victory saw role players like Evan Bloodoff and Ian Duval step up after leading scorer Jamie Benn took a pop and left the game just 10-minutes in. A 2009 eligible, Bloodoff was elevated from an energy line to score a goal and two assists, while a Duval tally sparked the team's late flurry. The Rockets, who outshot the Hitmen 15-7 in the final frame, got two goals from Flames prospect Mikael Backlund to pull away. The multi-point performance (one assist may be re-assigned to Tyson Barrie) gives Myers 19 points (5+14) in 18 playoff contests, but his emergence as a dominating league presence actually began back in January. In 49 total games since winning World Junior gold with Team Canada, Myers has scored 41 points and racked up an impressive +35.

5/1 Recap: Uno de Myers

Tyler Myers buried the game winning goal on the power play and added two assists as Kelowna took game #1 of the WHL Finals from Calgary, 3-1. With the game tied 1-1 midway through the third period, Myers took a Jamie Benn pass and pumped a shot through heavy traffic to give the Rockets a 2-1 lead. The goal was Myers fifth of the playoffs. Producing offense while sturdy on the blueline, the native Calgarian was named the game's #1 star. Mark Guggenburger (free agent) was excellent in the Rockets net, while faceoff ace Cody Almond (MIN) and Benn (DAL) paced the forwards. The puck drops for game #2 on Saturday. In the QMJHL Final, Drummondville set a record by winning their 20th straight game (7 in regular season, 13 in playoffs) with a 2-1 win over Shawinigan. The victory gives the Voltigeurs a 1-0 series edge. In the OHL Final, Windsor took a 2-0 series lead by defeating Brampton, 5-3.

Myers good to go

The WHL has announced that Tyler Myers will not be suspended for his hit from behind on Vancouver's Craig Schira in Monday's game six victory. In making their decision, the league further opined that the hit should have been ruled a double-minor as opposed to the five-minute major and game misconduct that was assessed. With their stud defenseman cleared for action, the Rockets will travel to Calgary to kick off the WHL Finals on Friday. The two clubs split the regular season series 1-1.

Myers tossed, Rockets advance

Tyler Myers received a five-minute major for checking from behind and a game misconduct, but the Kelowna battled their way to a 5-4 OT win to advance to the WHL finals where they'll face the Calgary Hitmen. Trailing 3-2 in the third period, a forechecking Myers drove Giants defenseman Craig Schira hard into the end boards, dislodging the glass, and spilling Schira's blood on to the ice. Evander Kane, who scored two goals on the night, put the Giants up 4-2 on the ensuing power play before Jamie Benn and Cody Almond scored 33-seconds apart to send the game to overtime. From there, Mikael Backlund sealed the series win with his hat trick goal. The WHL finals will start on Friday in Calgary. Meanwhile Myers, who was named the Western Conference Final MVP, will wait to see if a suspension will be handed out for the hit.

4/25 Recap: Myers #1 star as Rockets take lead

At the Pacific Coliseum, Tyler Myers saw over 27:00 of work and was named the game's #1 star as Kelowna edged Vancouver 1-0 in the pivotal fifth game of their conference final. The back-to-back shutouts give the Rockets a 3-2 series lead with the clubs heading back to Kelowna for Monday's game six. Like he has through most of the series, Myers disrupted the Giants attack by breaking up plays with his reach and quickly moving the puck out of his end. His steady play has caught the eyes of scouts who have been keying in on '09 Evander Kane's aptitude against his larger foe. While Kane, 17, has put up a fight, he has just one goal and one assist in the series as the Sabres future anchor has been winning most of the rounds. Myers' over-the-glass clear early in the third period resulted in a 5-3 power play where Kane had more than one nice chance to tie the game. With their stud in the box, the Rockets dmen blocked shots and got a few keys saves to give the Giants consecutive losses for just the second time all season.

Allard done; Myers locked in battle

On Friday, J.S. Allard saw his season come to an end in the QMJHL semifinals as Quebec dropped a 6-1 decision to Shawinigan. The Remparts lose the series 4-1 while the Cataractes move on to the face Drummondville for the President's Cup. Allard posted a pair of assists in Thursday's 5-4 loss for his only points of the series to end the postseason with two goals and 10 assists in 16 games. In the WHL, Tyler Myers and the Kelowna Rockets have split the first four games of their Western Conference Final with the Vancouver Giants with game five coming on Saturday. Myers has been dominant defensively, earning the #2 star in Thursday's 3-0 win, and thus far handling the rush and physicality of Evander Kane with little issue as the prize prospect has scored just one goal on Rockets netminder Mark Guggenberger. Myers is +4 with one assist in the series and is currently tied for 2nd in WHL playoff scoring for defenseman with 14 points (4+10).

Myers casting shadow over Kane

As part of their WHL Western Conference Finals coverage, The Province ran a quickie in today's edition regarding the spotlight match-up of explosive Vancouver forward Evander Kane against Kelowna's workhorse, Tyler Myers.

"I'm sure I'll be seeing him every shift I'm out there," the 6-foot-1, 185-pound Kane said of Myers, who he played with at the world juniors with Team Canada but whom he maintains he doesn't know particularly well. "It's something you have to deal with. And I enjoy playing against other top players. "He's a big guy, obviously. He has a real long stick that makes it tough to get pucks behind him. You just have to play simple with him." You could argue that Kane couldn't answer anything else, that there's no way he could say publicly he didn't want to face Myers. You could try to argue that with Kane himself, too, and you'd risk getting a punch in the nose. Kane might be the most competitive player ever to wear Giants garb. He cheers goals in practice. When he came back from the world juniors, one of the first things he said to Giants coach Don Hay was: "See, I can penalty kill" -- a reference to receiving man-short minutes at the worlds when he wasn't then getting many with Vancouver. And, as much as he's too savvy already to say it, Kane, a 48-goal man in the regular season, is well aware that his stock for this coming NHL entry draft will be helped if he shows well against Myers, a Buffalo Sabres first-rounder from last summer who looks pro-ready already. Kane has been pegged as a possible top-five selection. "I think he knows he's going to face Tyler Myers a lot and he's going to have to find ways to work through that," said Hay, who did get Kane away from the big blueliner the first two games by double-shifting him. "That's a sign of a competitive hockey player -- Evander likes that challenge."

4/18 Recap: Myers, Rockets steady in win

In game one of the WHL Western Conference Final, Tyler Myers finished +2 as Kelowna dumped Vancouver, 4-2. Myers offensive contributions were mostly limited to point blasts as the Rockets anchor kept things simple while the Giants tried to double-shift leading scorer and prize '09 Evander Kane. In a "game within the game" battle, the 6'7-3/4 Myers help his ground Kane, closing him off with reach and once reacting to his forecheck by putting him on his back. Game two will be played Sunday afternoon in Vancouver.

4/17 Recap: Allard points as series opens

In the QMJHL semifinals, J.S. Allard (+1) assisted on the game winning goal as Quebec bested Shawinigan, 4-2. The home ice victory gives the Remparts a 1-0 series lead in the best-of-seven. The 6'2 Allard has points in two straight after a six-game drought, and is sixth in team scoring with two goals and eight assist in 13 playoff games. Tyler Myers and the Kelowna Rockets will open their WHL Western Conference Final match up with the Vancouver Giants on Saturday.

4/12 Recap: Myers, Rockets advance

Tyler Myers looked human on Sunday, but it didn't matter as Kelowna earned a 6-2 win over Tri City to close out their 2nd round series with the Americans. The 6'7-3/4 defenseman was +1 with an assist in the game six victory, finishing the quarterfinal round with two goals, six helpers, a few good pops, and countless key defensive plays. His 13 points this playoff season currently rank second to the 15 put up thus far by Vancouver's Jonathon Blum (NAS). The Rockets move on to the Western Conference Final where they'll face the winner of Tuesday's game seven between Vancouver and defending champion Spokane.

4/6-10 Recap: And then there was two

My apologies to those visiting over the past week for the lack of updates. After serving an unintentional five-day misconduct, let's jump back in with a capsule of the week's action that leaves just two players competing for the Memorial Cup. In Tuesday WHL play, Tyler Myers (-1) had a goal and two assists as Kelowna rolled over Tri-City, 7-2. The win put the Rockets behind 2-1 in their best-of-seven. The following night, Myers forced overtime with a power play goal then drew an assist on Jamie Benn's game winner as Kelowna evened the series with a 4-3 win. In Friday's game five, Myers (+1) had an assist as the Rockets defeated the Americans, 5-2. Myers has four goals and eight assists while pointing in seven of the Rockets' nine postseason games. With their #1 rearguard logging monster minutes, Kelowna will look to complete the comeback on Sunday. While Myers was helping dig the Rockets out of a 2-0 series hole, left wing Tyler Ennis and the Medicine Hat Tigers were getting dominated by an offensive-minded Brandon Wheat Kings in their quarterfinal match-up. On Wednesday, Ennis was -2 as the Tigers were blown-out by the Wheaties, 6-1. Brayden Schenn, 17, had a goal and an assist for the winners, and looks like a pivot that teams will trade up for come June. Facing a 3-0 series deficit, Ennis was -3 as the Tigers season came to an end on Friday with a 6-2 loss in Brandon. Ennis ends the playoff year as the second leading scorer, potting eight goals and 11 assists in 11 games. With many Tigers dealing with flu bugs and other dings, Ennis was rumored to be nursing an injury throughout the second round. It's now time to get the contract talks going as Ennis is done as a junior. ****** In the QMJHL this week, two prospects saw their junior careers end, while one other remains in the mix to advance in the final round. On Tuesday, J.S. Allard was -1 in Quebec's 3-2 win over Cape Breton. The Remparts halved the Screaming Eagles lead in the series to 2-1 with the W. The 6'2 forward posted two shots on goal as the Rems evened things up with a 5-2 victory on Wednesday. On Friday, Allard was -1 as the Remparts dropped a 3-2 decision to the Screaming Eagles. After pointing in every game of round one, the Alma, QC native has failed to hit the scoresheet while racking up a cumulative -5 in the series. Allard and the Rems will look to stave off elimination and force a game seven on Monday. With Allard's junior hopes still alive, two other Sabres prospects saw their seasons end over the course of the week. Hot in the first round, T.J. Brennan finished -3 on Tuesday as over-matched Montreal got pounded by Drummondville, 6-1. The win put the Volts comfortably ahead 3-0 in the series. On Wednesday, Brennan would go on to notch an assist in the Juniors 5-3 loss as the Volts earned the sweep. Entering the week locked in a 1-1 series tie, Paul Byron and Gatineau lost three straight games to see their season close in a quarterfinal loss to Shawinigan. On Tuesday, Byron had a goal and an assist as the 'Piques fell to the Cataractes, 6-3. The points extended the right wing's playoff scoring streak to eight games, and a total of 15 dating back to the final regular season contests. Wednesday saw the Ottawa native's streak end as the 5'9 Byron finished -2 in a 4-2 loss in Shawinigan. Byron came back on Friday to pot an assist, but Gatineau was overwhelmed in a 5-2 loss. A year after leading the QMJHL playoffs in goals (21) en route to a Memorial Cup appearance, the speedster ends his two-round postseason with two goals and 14 assists. ****** In the OHL, a pair of Sabres hopefuls concluded their 2008-09 campaigns as their respective clubs were bounced in the quarterfinal round. On Tuesday, Nick Crawford had an assist in Saginaw's 5-2 loss to London. The Knights dominated the Spirit to earn an easy sweep, forcing Crawford and his fellow blueliners into a hesitant posture throughout the four games. Heading back to the O in 2009-10, Crawford ends his postseason at -1 with a goal and four assists in eight contests. Also on Tuesday, Drew Schiestel was -2 as Niagara lost a 5-2 decision to Belleville on home ice. With the win, the Bulls skated away with a 3-1 series lead. On Thursday, Schiestel (-2) earned in an assist in what should be his final junior hockey game as the Dogs fell to the Bulls, 5-2. With the 4-1 series loss, Schiestel finished the playoffs with two goals and six assists and now awaits a contract. ****** On Thursday at the NCAA Frozen Four in Washington, DC, Drew MacKenzie scored his first collegiate goal as Vermont lost to Boston University 5-4 in the National Semifinal. Playing well defensively throughout, the Connecticut native pumped home a screen shot at 9:40 of the third period, but saw the game-tying goal bounce off him and into the Catamount net just three-and-half minutes later as victory started to slip out of UVM's hands. For more on the ups and downs of MacKenzie's night, check out this USCHO article.

The freshman defenseman was in line to be the hero for a Catamounts’ come-from-behind victory under the bright lights of college hockey’s biggest stage. His first collegiate goal, scored with just over a half a period remaining in the third, put Vermont ahead in a see-saw affair. However, things turned against him a short time later when he redirected a rebound past his own goaltender, igniting a BU rally that put the Terriers in the title game and had the Catamounts packing their locker room. “It went from being a high point to . . letting that one go in off my stick, obviously I’m disappointed, but there’s nothing I can do about it now,” MacKenzie said. “If I could take back that goal, I would. But it happened, so you can’t do anything.”

4/4 Recap: Byron helps thrice as Piques pull even

In the QMJHL, Paul Byron had three assists as Gatineau downed Shawinigan, 5-3. The 5'9 wing now has 13 points (1+12) in seven playoff games. The win evens the second round series at one game apiece. T.J. Brennan was +2 with a team-best three shots on goal as Montreal lost to Drummondville in overtime, 4-3. The teams will travel back to Montreal where the Juniors will try to a halve a 2-0 series deficit on Tuesday. Nick Crawford (+1) had an assist as Saginaw fell to London, 4-3. Entering the playoffs with three career postseason points, the 6'1 defender how has four points over his current three-game point streak. The loss puts the Spirit in a 2-0 hole against the stacked Knights. Tyler Myers was even as Kelowna dropped a 3-2 decision to Tri-City. The Rockets held a 2-0 lead entering the third period, but 20:00 breakdown yielded three goals against to fall behind 2-0 in the series. Tyler Ennis (-4) had an assist as Medicine Hat got doubled up by Brandon, 6-3. The Ennis-Bosch-Okal line was flat, combining for a -13 as its motor (Ennis) looks to have his hands full facing 6'6 Wheaties defenseman Keith Aulie (CAL) all series long. 2009 eligible Brayden Schenn had an assist for the Wheat Kings. The two teams will play it back on Sunday for game two.

4/3 Recap: Losses across the board in the prospectsphere

In the OHL, Drew Schiestel (-1) had a pair of assists in Niagara's 5-4 OT loss to Belleville. The Dogs surrendered three goals within the first 2:49 before scoring four straight to take a 4-3 lead in the third period. The Bulls scored with 2:27 left to force OT, where P.K. Subban's power play goal gave the Bulls a 2-0 series lead. The assists, his sixth and seventh points of the postseason, push Schiestel's career playoff point total to 20 in 24 games. On Thursday, Schiestel was +1 as Niagara opened the quarterfinal with a 4-3 overtime loss to the Bulls. Also from Thursday, Nick Crawford (+1) had a pair of assists as Saginaw was doninated at London, 7-3. 2009 eligible Nazem Zadri had two goals and three assists to pace the winners, while fellow '09 John Tavares added an assist. The Spirit trail the Knights 1-0 with game two on Saturday. In Friday's WHL second round action, Tyler Myers had an assist as Kelowna started their series with a 4-3 loss to Tri-City. An aggressive Myers boarded the 6'0, 174-pound Mitch Fadden late in the third to set up the Ams game winner with 1:57 to go. In the QMJHL quarterfinal opener, Paul Byron had an assist as Gatineau lost to Shawinigan, 4-3. Former Pique Matthew Pistilli scored the game winner midway through the third period to give the Cataractes a 1-0 series lead. Byron has goal and nine assists on his five-game playoff point streak. The streak extends to 12 games total when combining the seven-gamer he ended the season with. T.J. Brennan (+1) had a late assist in Montreal's 7-1 loss to top-ranked Drummondville. The helper was Brennan's 11th playoff point. In a 4OT thriller, J.S. Allard had five shots on goal as Quebec lost 3-2 to Cape Breton. Allard has eight points in five postseason games.

3/25 Recap: Ennis trick bucks Broncos

In Wednesday WHL play, Tyler Ennis (+3) notched a hat trick as Medicine Hat defeated Swift Current 5-3 to even their first-round series at two games each. With seven goals in four games thus far, the speedy Tiger is saying goodbye to a junior career with style. Tyler Myers (+1) put forth another dominating performance with a goal and an assist as Kelowna closed out Kamloops, 5-3. The Rockets sweep of the Blazers sets up a second round match-up with one of Seattle, Spokane, or Tri-City. In the QMJHL, Paul Byron had a goal and two assists as Gatineau pitched a shutout of Bathurst, 4-0. The win puts the Piques ahead 3-1 in their first round series. Jacob Lagacé scored a goal and an assist as Chicoutimi saw their season come to an end with a 4-3 loss to Rimouski. The overmathced Sags were swept by the Nics, 4-0. J.S. Allard set-up the game winning goal as Quebec defeated Baie-Comeau, 5-2. The Remparts win puts them ahead 3-1 in their best-of-seven. Jordon Southorn had an assist as PEI defeated Moncton, 5-4. Trailing three games to none, the Rocket staved off elimination with the home-ice win. T.J. Brennan had three shots on goal ans Montreal dropped a 3-2 decision to Rouyn-Noranda. The loss evens the series at two games apiece.

3/24 Recap: Brennan engine as Juniors take lead

T.J. Brennan scored the game winning goal and added a pair of power play assists as Montreal defeated Rouyn-Noranda, 4-1. Brennan's first-star performance helped the Juniors get out to a 2-1 series lead heading into Wednesday's game four. Tyler Ennis scored his fourth goal of the playoffs as Medicine Hat lost to Swift Current, 5-2. The Tigers now trail the Broncos two games to one in their opening round series. Tyler Myers was +2 in Kelowna's 3-2 overtime win over Kamloops. Myers was named the #3 star of the game. The victory gives Kelowna a 3-0 series lead. In the OHL, Drew Schiestel had an assist as Niagara took a 5-2 win over visiting Ottawa. The defenseman also received a questionable double minor after checking 67's center Logan Couture from behind late in the third period. The Dogs lead the series 2-1. Nick Crawford was -2 as Saginaw edged Guelph, 7-6 in 2OT. 2009 draft eligible Peter Holland had a hat trick in the losing effort, while fellow '09 Jordan Szwarz had three assists to help pace the Spirit. Saginaw will look for the sweep on Thursday. Jordon Southorn had an assist and three minors as PEI lost 3-2 in overtime Moncton. Inside of 2:00 to play, the Rocket scored two goals within :11 of each other before Wildcats defenseman David Savard capped the game with his hat trick goal in OT. Down 3-0, PEI will fight for their season on Wednesday. Paul Byron had an assist and a team-high three hits as Gatineau dropped a 5-2 decision to Bathurst. Les Olympiques hold a 2-1 series lead over the Titan. Jacob Lagacé had an assist as Chicoutimi lost to Rimouski, 6-3. The Sags will look to avoid elimination on Wednesday. Finally, J.S. Allard had an assist as Quebec lost to Baie-Comeau, 4-3. The Remparts lead the Drakkar 2-1 in their series despite the loss.

3/21 Recap: Byron trips, Southy snaps, Genny caps

In the QMJHL playoffs, Paul Byron connected for three assists - one each short-handed, on the power play, and at even strength - as Gatineau smoked Bathurst, 8-2. The game featured a fight-filled third period that included both coaches yelling and gesturing at each other through most of the final 10:00 of play. T.J. Brennan had a goal and an assist as Montreal fell to Rouyn-Noranda, 4-3. Trailing 1-0 on a first period power play, the defenseman used a high-rising wrister from the blueline to tie the game before the first intermission. The Juniors outhit the Huskies 31-5 in defeat. After splitting the first two games, the series will resume on Tuesday in R-N on Tuesday. In Moncton, Jordon Southorn was -1 as PEI was shutout by Moncton, 5-0. Despite a team-best four hits, the contest was a less-than stellar effort that saw emotion get the best of the young blueliner. After earning a ten-minute misconduct for yapping at an officiating crew that whistled PEI for five minor penalties in the game's first 7:07, Southorn later lost his composure and got into a heated argument with Asst. Coach Corrado Micalef that resulted in him sitting alone on the bench for the last 15:00 of the game. The Rocket loss puts them in a 2-0 series hole. J.S. Allard (+1) had a pair of secondary helpers as Quebec defeated Baie-Comeau, 5-2. The Remparts now lead the best-of-seven series 2-0. Jacob Lagacé had six shots on goal and five blocks as Chicoutimi fell into a 2-0 series deficit with a 4-1 loss to Rimouski. In the WHL, Tyler Ennis (+2) earned the #3 star of the game with a goal and an assist as Medicine Hat rolled past Swift Current, 6-2. The Tigers win evens the series at one game apiece. Tyler Myers(+1) put up another strong showing, racking up two assists as Kelowna downed Kamloops, 5-1. The Rockets took a 2-0 series lead over the Blazers despite going 0/10 on the power play. The first-round match-up will move to Kamloops on Tuesday. In the OHL, Nick Crawford was -1 as Saginaw slipped past Guelph 6-5 in 2OT to take Game One of their series. In the ECAC third-place game, senior defenseman Matt Generous scored his eighth of the year as St. Lawrence saw their season come to an end in a 2-2 tie with Princeton. Generous, who one-timed a faceoff win to make it a 1-1 game at 9:58 of the opening period, ends his collegiate career with 56 points and a +22 while never being a healthy scratch. In the WCHA third-place game, Brad Eidsness made 34 saves as North Dakota lost a 4-1 battle to Wisconsin. A loose-puck scrum, a 1-2 passing play, and two pounced rebounds comprised the four goals against.

3/20 Recap: Myers with strong start as Cup run begins

Tyler Myers opened the WHL playoffs with a power play goal and #1 star performance as Kelowna defeated Kamloops, 4-2. Working for over 24:00 of play, Myers was rock defensively while exhibiting his skating ability with several rushes up ice. In another first round opener, 43-goal scorer Tyler Ennis scored both Medicine Hat goals, but the Tigers gave up twice as many in their 4-2 loss to Swift Current. Drew Schiestel scored just :51 in to the opening period as Niagara defeated Ottawa 5-3 to take Game One of their OHL first-round series. The skating rearguard finished +2 in the win, while the goal was his first in 15 career playoff games. In opening night in the QMJHL playoffs, J.S. Allard had a power play goal and later added an assist as Quebec downed Baie-Comeau, 8-1. Jordon Southorn was -3 with a team-leading three hits as PEI was rubbed out by Moncton, 7-1. Wildcats UFA goaltender Nicola Riopel stood on his head to make 40 saves and earn the game's top star. Paul Byron set-up the overtime game winner as Gatineau defeated Bathurst, 5-4. The 5'9 dangler also added seven shots on goal as the 'Piques fired a total of 55 at Titan netminder Nicholas Champion. T.J. Brennan assisted on the game winner as Montreal defeated Rouyn-Noranda, 5-3. Just :10 into a 5-3 power play, Brennan started the play that resulted in Matt Fillier's third period tally that at the time put the Juniors ahead, 4-1. Jacob Lagacé was -3 as Chicoutimi was dominated by Rimouski, 8-2. At the WCHA Final Five, Brad Eidsness made 21 saves in North Dakota's 3-0 shutout loss to Duluth. Eidsness was caught playing the puck behind the net for the first goal against before a rebound to the left circle was pounced home for a two-goal deficit. An empty netter sealed the deal for the upset minded Bulldogs. The Sioux will face Wisconsin for third place. In the ECAC Tournament semifinals, Matt Generous returned from his MCL injury to assist on the first goal of the game as St. Lawrence lost to Yale, 4-3. Up 3-2 with entering the third, the Saints surrendered two goals in the final 1:34 to miss a chance at an NCAA bid. SLU will play Princeton in the third place game. At the Hockey East tourney, Andrew Orpik was even with two minors in his final NCAA contest as Boston College fell to Boston University, 3-2. With a 1-0 lead in the third, the senior forward looked like he was going to extend his collegiate career another day before BU scored a record three goals in :44 to snatch the win. The past week also saw the season end for defenseman Dennis Persson, as Timra lost a deciding game seven to HV71 in the first round of the SEL playoffs. Persson did not see the ice in the final three games of the series.