PLAYOFF GAME NOTES: The WHEAT KINGS will be out to force a seventh and deciding game in their Western Hockey League Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series with LETHBRIDGE Sunday night…After losing three straight one-goal decisions to fall behind 3-0 in the best of 7 opening round playoff series, the WHEAT KINGS have won back to back games (5-1 Wednesday and a 4-3 OT victory in game five on Friday night)…JAY FEHR scored twice including the game winner in game four and veteran defenceman MATT MCCUE was the OT hero in game 5…BRANDON is trying to become only the second team in WHL history to come all the way back from a 3-0 series deficit to win (SPOKANE defeated PORTLAND 4 games to 3 in 1996)…Due to the ROYAL MANITOBA WINTER FAIR and the WHL’s Eastern Conference playoff format this year, this series is a 2-3-2 affair, which means LETHBRIDGE will host game seven (if necessary) on Monday night…During the regular season, the WHEAT KINGS compiled the second best home ice record in the Conference (26-9-1-0)…WHEATS are in the playoffs for the fifteenth time in the past 16 seasons…They finished second in the East Division this season with a 42-24-3-3 record, good for 90 points…This marked the fifth time in the past 7 years that the WHEAT KINGS have reached the 40-win plateau…During the regular season, BRANDON was 15-10-1-0 vs. Central Division teams…2-3-0 vs. LETHBRIDGE…The WHEATIES scored 253 goals (3rd in the WHL) this season, while giving up 209 (2.90 / game).
SERIES NOTES: For the first time in the series, LETHBRIDGE opened the scoring and outshot the WHEAT KINGS in game five Friday…Friday’s game winning goal was MATT MCCUE’S first of the season (his last goal came as a member of the CHILLIWACK BRUINS in February, 2007)…Captain DARYL BOYLE leads the club in scoring with a goal and 6 points, followed by JAY FEHR (4-1-5)…ANDREW CLARK has a point in four of the 5 games (1-3-4)…DANIEL BARTEK is riding a 3-game playoff point scoring streak (2-1-3)…Rookie DEL COWAN has assists in back to back games…All three members of the “Baby Blue” line have scored their first ever playoff goals in this series – SCOTT GLENNIE (game 2), BRAYDEN SCHENN (game 3) and MATT CALVERT (game 4)…Veteran netminder JOE CALIGIURI has stopped 53-57 (.929) in the last two games. Overall, he’s posted a 2.75 goals against average and an .889 save pct in five appearances…BRANDON’S powerplay is 4-34 (11.7%) in the series. Penalty killing, the WHEATS are 19-24 (79.2%)…LETHBRIDGE scored its 5 PPG during the first two games played at the ENMAX CENTRE.
PLAYOFF HISTORY: In 25 playoff games between BRANDON and LETHBRIDGE (Hurricanes and Broncos), the WHEAT KINGS have won 20 of them…That includes four playoff series and a 3-team round robin affair in 1978-79…The last time that the WHEAT KINGS met the ‘CANES in post-season play was 1997-98 when BRANDON swept the best of seven opening round series 4-0…BRANDON’S active playoff leaders include BOYLE, an Eastern Conference 2nd Team All Star in 2008 (46 games, 14 assists, 17 points), JAY FEHR (5 goals) and THERAN YEO (48 PIMs).
SCHENN-SATIONAL: SCHENN, the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Year was named the BOSTON PIZZA FANS CHOICE PLAYER OF THE YEAR on Thursday…SCHENN led the WHEAT KINGS and all rookies in scoring (28-43-71) this season, becoming the first rookie to lead BRANDON since RON CHIPPERFIELD turned the trick in 1970-71…SCHENN was second among WHL rookies in goals, assists and finished 6th in GWG (5)…The 16-year old is 2-1-3 in his first ever WHL playoff series.
BRANDON BITS: CALVERT (24-40-64) and GLENNIE (26-32-58) finished 4th and 5th in WHL rookie scoring this year…Netminders JOE CALIGIURI and ANDREW HAYES teamed up for 7 shutouts, a franchise Single Season high…CALIGIURI finished with 30 wins (5th in the WHL)…DARYL BOYLE finished his 4-year WHL career with 100 assists…Veteran LW TYLER DITTMER was 18th in goals (32) this season…JAY FEHR was 15th in GWG (6)…Defenceman MATT MCCUE was 7th in the WHL with 195 minutes in penalties…Linemates ANDREW CLARK and MATT LOWRY enjoyed 10-game point scoring streaks this past season to lead the team…Friday’s OT game was BRANDON’S first since game 5 of last year’s Eastern Semi-Final vs. CALGARY.