Chiefs and Giants Prepare for First Round
Published on March 19, 2012 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Spokane Chiefs News Release
For the third time since 2008 the Spokane Chiefs and Vancouver Giants will face each other in the WHL Playoffs. This will be the first time they have met in the first round as the other two series, 2008 and 2009, were both second round affairs.
The series begins this weekend in Vancouver with games one and two on Friday and Saturday night. Mike Boyle will have the play-by-play on SportsRadio 1510 KGA Everything sports with Xfinity Hockey Tonight, an in-depth look at the game, a half-an-hour prior to each game.
Tickets for games three and four of the series, Tuesday, March 27th and Wednesday, March 28th, are currently on sale at the Chiefs ticket office by calling (509) 535-PUCK (7825) or TicketsWest at (800) 325-SEAT (7328).
Four Chiefs remain from the 2009 series; Corbin Baldwin, Blake Gal, Brenden Kichton and Steven Kuhn. Neil Manning and Brenden Gallagher both played for the Giants in 2009. Current Giant defenseman, Tyler Vanscourt, played for the Chiefs last season and scored four goals and 23 points in 57 games.
Three Chiefs have more than 30 games of playoff experience, including Kuhn who leads all active Chiefs with 36. Gal has played 35 post-season games and Kichton, 32. Eleven Chiefs played in a majority of the 17 playoff games last season when they advanced to the Western Conference finals, including Kuhn who had five goals and 12 points. Gal scored seven goals and 11 points in 16 games.
Spokane is in the WHL Playoffs for the sixth straight year and for the 23rd time in 27 seasons. The Chiefs have advanced past the first round 15 times. In the last six post-seasons the Chiefs have played 63 playoff games and won the 2008 WHL and Memorial Cup titles, the second for both titles in franchise history (1991). In total, Spokane has played in seven Western Conference Finals and four WHL Championship series.
The Giants are advancing to the WHL Playoffs for the 10th straight year. They won the 2006 WHL Championship and the 2007 Memorial Cup. Over the last nine years they have played 108 playoff games and have advanced past the first round six times.
2009 WHL PLAYOFF SERIES - VANCOUVER WINS 4-3
Games five, six and seven all went into overtime as the Giants earned a seven game series win over Spokane. Nick Ross scored the game's only goal 1:56 into overtime of game seven to clinch the series. The Chiefs and Giants combined to play the second longest game in WHL history in game five when they went four overtimes, a 3-2 Spokane win. Blake Gal scored the game winner. The game spanned 126:05 and fell short of the 136:56 marathon between Kamloops and Kootenay on March 25th, 2003. Kootenay won 3-2. The series featured back-to-back Memorial Cup Champions (Vancouver-2007, Spokane-2008). The last time that had happened in the WHL was when Spokane (1991 champions) lost to Kamloops (1992) in 1993.
2008 WHL PLAYOFF SERIES - SPOKANE WINS 4-2
Spokane advanced to the Western Conference Championship series by defeating the defending Memorial Cup Champion Vancouver Giants in six games. Spokane dropped the first game of the series and won games two, at home, and three on the road. The series had a 2-3-2 format and the Chiefs won two of three in Vancouver and won game six in the Spokane Arena for to win the round.
Western Hockey League Stories from March 19, 2012
- Portland Winterhawks This Week - Portland Winterhawks
- Weekly Ice Report - Kootenay Ice
- Kamloops Blazers Week in Review - Kamloops Blazers
- Blazers Host Game 1 of WHL Playoffs this Friday - Kamloops Blazers
- Vause Signs with Texas Stars - Swift Current Broncos
- Chiefs and Giants Prepare for First Round - Spokane Chiefs
- Don't Miss a Minute of the Playoff Action! - Portland Winterhawks
- Royals' Marc Habscheid to Speak at Saanich - Victoria Royals
- Saskatoon Blades' Matej Stransky Named WHL Player of the Week - WHL
- Raiders Hand out Year End Awards - Prince Albert Raiders
- Quarter Final Action Dates - Kootenay Ice
- Americans Announce 2012 First Round Playoff Series - Tri-City Americans
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