WHL Calgary Hitmen

Calgary Hitmen Game Preview - Friday, February 22 at Regina

February 22, 2019 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Calgary Hitmen News Release


CALGARY HITMEN (30-22-4-1, 65 pts.) at REGINA PATS (17-38-1-2, 37 pts.)

Friday, February 22, 2019 - 6:00 p.m. MT - Brandt Centre

TODAY'S GAME

The Calgary Hitmen play Game 3 of a four-game road trip tonight in Regina against the Pats. Calgary is 1-1 on the swing which began last Saturday with a 5-3 win in Medicine Hat followed by Wednesday's 5-1 setback in Brandon. The Wheat Kings were powered by a quick start, jumping out to a 3-0 lead before the game was six minutes old. Stelio Mattheos and Cole Reinhardt led the way with two goals and two assists each in helping Brandon build period leads of 3-1 and 4-1. Ridly Greig also scored for the Wheat Kings. Vladislav Yeryomenko, with his second goal in as many games, replied for the Hitmen. Calgary, which suffered just their third regulation loss in the last 13 games, outshot Brandon 28-22.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Radio: Sportsnet.ca/960 (Alt Stream)

Webcast: WHL Live at whl.neulion.com

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STREAKS

- Vladislav Yeryomenko (2g) has scored in back-to-back games

- Luke Coleman (1g, 1a) is riding a two-game point streak.

- Six Hitmen saw their point scoring streaks end Wednesday in Brandon including a 10 game run for Riley Stotts (4g, 9a), a seven-game streak for James Malm (3g, 8a), a four-game point streak for Mark Kastelic (5g, 2a) and two-game streaks for Egor Zamula (1g, 3a), Carson Focht (1g, 1a) and Dakota Krebs (2a).

NOTEWORTHY

VS. REGINA: Tonight is the fourth and final regular season meeting between the Hitmen and Pats and their second battle in 17 days. Calgary is 2-1 against Regina having outscored the Pats by a combined 12-9. Mark Kastelic (3g, 4a) and Kaden Elder (3g, 4a) lead the Hitmen in the season series with seven points each while Riley Stotts (2g, 2a) is next with four. Ty Kolle (3g, 1a) is the Pats top-performer with four points. Calgary is 4-3 in their last seven visits to the Brandt Centre.

2018-19 SERIES RECAP

Oct. 14/18 at CGY: REG 4 CGY 3 OT...Nick Henry scored the winner just 14 seconds into the extra session.

Jan. 29/19 at REG: CGY 5 REG 2...Mark Kastelic and Kaden Elder both tallied three points each.

Feb. 6/19 at CGY: CGY 4 REG 3... Riley Stotts snapped a 3-3 tie with 3:19 remaining.

INSIDE THE SERIES

Shots on Goal: CGY 108 REG 81 Power Plays: CGY 4-15 (26.7%) REG 4-13 (30.8%)

PLAYOFF CHASE: With 11 games to go in the regular season, the Hitmen hold the first Eastern Conference Wildcard spot sitting two points ahead of both Red Deer and Brandon. Looking up, Calgary is two points behind Medicine Hat for third place in the Central Division and trails Lethbridge by five points for second spot. The Tigers and Hurricanes open a home-and-home set tonight in Lethbridge.

FAST FACTS: Including tonight, Calgary has six road games left in the regular season and just five at home...Mark Kastelic has 14 multi-goal games this season...Since January 1, Calgary has posted a record of 20-8-2-0...The Hitmen have only been outshot once in the last 13 games...Luke Coleman has scored a career-high 18 goals including 10 since Jan. 1. Goaltender Jack McNaughton returned to the lineup Wednesday in Brandon after missing the previous four games with an injury.

DID YOU KNOW?: Mark Kastelic is the first Hitmen player to score 40 goals in a season since Matteo Gennaro netted 43 in the 2016-17 season. Prior to Gennaro, Adam Tambellini scored 47 goals in 2014-15. Kastelic's 83 career goals have him 15th on the clubs all-time goal scoring list, trailing Jake Virtanen by just two markers for 14th spot. Brad Moran holds the franchise record with 204.

ROSTER MOVES: On Monday the Hitmen returned 18-year-old defenceman Andrew Viggars to the BCHL's West Kelowna Warriors. Viggars played in two games during his recall. The transaction leaves Calgary with seven defencemen, three goalies and 14 forwards.

WHL TOP 15: Mark Kastelic is second in the WHL in goals with 42, his 67 points are tied for 15th and his 22 power play markers lead the league. Egor Zamula is eighth in defencemen scoring with 45 points. Dakota Krebs is tied for eighth in plus/minus among defenceman at +26.

CANADA WINTER GAMES: Three Hitmen prospects are taking part in the 2019 Canada Winter Games underway in Red Deer. Forward Sean Tschigerl is captain of Team Alberta with defenceman Tyson Galloway on Team British Columbia and defenceman Rory Neill on Manitoba. Tschigerl (1g, 2a), Galloway (3a) and Neill (2a) have all found their way onto the scoresheet.

MAYFAIR DIAGNOSTICS INJURY REPORT: Jake Kryski (indefinite, upper body). Hunter Campbell (indefinite, lower body), Cael Zimmerman (week-to-week, upper body).

ALUMNI WATCH: Cody Sylvester is playing pro hockey in Germany with EC Bad Nauheim. The 26-year-old centre has 49 points (19g, 30a) in 42 games. Sylvester spent five seasons with the Hitmen from 2008-2013 recording 229 points (97g, 132a) in 315 games to sit tied for seventh on the club's all-time scoring list with Borys Protsenko. Brad Moran leads the way with 450.

PROSPECT WATCH: James Gibson, Calgary's fourth-round pick, 71st overall, in the 2018 WHL Bantam Draft is having a strong season. The 15-year-old is playing in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League with the OHA Edmonton Elite 15's. In 29 games Gibson has 39 points (21g, 18a) to lead his team in scoring.

SASKATCHEWAN CONNECTIONS: Six Hitmen have ties to the province. Athletic Therapist Nathan Hollinger is from Grenfell, Equipment Manager Darien Engelhardt and forward Carson Focht are both from Regina. Kaden Elder is from Saskatoon, Cael Zimmerman hails from Englefeld and Ryder Korczak is from Yorkton.

CAREER YEARS: With still 16.2 percent of the regular seasons schedule remaining, Nine Hitmen have set new career highs in point totals. Their previous best is in brackets: Mark Kastelic 67pts (45), Kaden Elder 50pts (32), Riley Stotts 47pts (44) Egor Zamula 45pts (18), Carson Focht 42pts (33), Cael Zimmerman 25pts (18), Dakota Krebs 20pts (16), Jackson van de Leest 18pts (5) and Hunter Campbell 13pts (11).

UPCOMING GAMES

All times in MT. Schedule subject to change.

DATE OPPONENT TIME BROADCAST

Feb. 23 at Swift Current 6:00 p.m. Sportsnet 960-The Fan

Feb. 27 vs. Swift Current 11:00 a.m. Sportsnet 960-The Fan

Mar. 1 vs. Brandon 7:00 p.m. Sportsnet 960-The Fan

Mar. 2 at Kootenay 7:00 p.m. Sportsnet.ca/960 (Alt Stream)

Mar. 3 vs. Kootenay 4:00 p.m. Sportsnet 960-The Fan

PROMO CALENDAR

Upcoming home game highlights include:

- TELUS BE BRAVE Anti-Bullying Game on Feb. 27 vs. SC

- Multicultural Night on Mar. 1 vs. BDN

- WHL Suits up with Don Cherry to Promote Organ Donation - Presented by RE/MAX and Sunday Funday presented by Ricky's All Day Grill on Mar. 3 vs. KTN

- One Ticket, One Tree on Mar. 8 vs. EDM

- Fan Appreciation and Sunday Funday presented by Ricky's All Day Grill on Mar. 17 vs. EDM

CAREER MILESTONE WATCH

- Jackson van de Leest is one game shy of 100.

- Riley Stotts needs four goals for 50.

- Jack McNaughton is 48 saves away from 1,000.

Check out the Calgary Hitmen Statistics



Western Hockey League Stories from February 22, 2019


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