Calgary Hitmen Game Preview - Saturday, March 30 at Lethbridge
March 30, 2019 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Calgary Hitmen News Release
CALGARY HITMEN at LETHBRIDGE HURRICANES
Game 5 of best-of-seven series. Series tied 2-2.
Saturday, March 30, 2019 - 7:00 p.m. MT - Nicholas Sheran Arena
TODAY'S GAME
The Calgary Hitmen are on the road in Lethbridge tonight for Game 5 of their best-of-seven opening round WHL playoff series. With the 2019 Pioneer Hi-Bred World Men's Curling Championship at the ENMAX Centre, tonight's game moves to the Nicholas Sheran Arena, home of the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns. Seating capacity is 1,176.
Calgary produced a 5-2 win on Thursday at the Scotiabank Saddledome to square the series at 2-2. Riley Stotts with a goal and two assists and Ryder Korczak with three helpers led the way for Calgary. James Malm, Josh Prokop, Vladislav Yeryomenko and Luke Coleman, into an empty net, also tallied markers for the home side while goaltender Jack McNaughton made 37 saves in a first star performance. Jake Elmer and Logan Barlage scored for the Hurricanes who outshot the Hitmen 39-35.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Radio: Sportsnet 960-The Fan
Webcast: WHL Live at whl.neulion.com
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STREAKS
- Carson Focht (2g, 3a), Ryder Korczak (1g, 3a), Riley Stotts (1g, 3a), Luke Coleman (2g, 1a), Josh Prokop (2g, 1a) and Egor Zamula (2a) all have points in back-to-back games.
- Goalie Jack McNaughton has won his last two starts while posting a 2.50 goals against average and .926 save percentage.
NOTEWORTHY
2019 WHL Playoffs: Round 1 Schedule:
The Hitmen and Hurricanes opening round playoff series is a 2-2-1-1-1 format.
Game 1 'Canes 3 Hitmen 2 OT LET leads series 1-0 ENMAX Centre, Lethbridge
Game 2 'Canes 4 Hitmen 1 LET leads series 2-0 ENMAX Centre, Lethbridge
Game 3 Hitmen 5 'Canes 3 LET leads series 2-1 Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary
Game 4 Hitmen 5 'Canes 2 Series tied 2-2 Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary
Game 5 Saturday, March 30 7:00 p.m. Nicholas Sheran Arena, Lethbridge
Game 6 Sunday, March 31 4:00 p.m. Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary
Game 7* Tuesday, April 2 7:00 p.m. Nicholas Sheran Arena, Lethbridge
*If necessary
SERIES NOTES: The team scoring first is 3-1...Calgary has outshot Lethbridge by a combined 137-133...There has been only one lead change in the series and that was in Game 1...Eleven different Hitmen have made their WHL Playoff debut this series.
SHOT CLOCK: Carson Focht leads all Hitmen with 19 shots on goal in the series. Josh Prokop is next with 13 while James Malm and Luke Coleman both have 12. Nick Henry tops the Hurricanes with 18 shots. Jake Leschyshyn and Dylan Cozens are next with 16.
FACE-OFF CIRCLE: Calgary is 159-298 on draws this series, operating at 53.3%. Riley Stotts and Cael Zimmerman are tied for the team lead with 40 wins each.
PLAYOFF HISTORY: 2019 marks the fifth time in league history the Hitmen and Hurricanes square off in a playoff series. Calgary has won three of the previous four.
2005: CGY 4 LET 1 - Hitmen led by Ryan Getzlaf (8pts), Andrew Ladd (6pts) and Justin Pogge 1.29 GAA
2006: CGY 4 LET 2 - Hitmen led by Fredrik Pettersson (7pts), Craig Lineker (7pts) and Justin Pogge 2.97 GAA
2008: LET 4 CGY 0 - Canes led by Mitch Fadden (7pts), Zach Boychuk (6pts) and Juha Metsola 1.73 GAA
2009: CGY 4 LET 0 - Hitmen led by Brandon Kozun (7pts), Kyle Bortis (7pts) and Martin Jones 1.00 GAA
GAME 5 FACTS: The Hitmen are 17-18 all-time in Game 5's.
COMEBACK TRAIL: Twice in franchise history the Hitmen have rebounded from an 0-2 playoff series deficit to win. In the 2010 post-season they lost both games on home ice before bouncing back to defeat the Moose Jaw Warriors in seven games in the opening round. During the 2007 WHL Playoffs, Calgary dropped the first two games of their second-round set with Brandon on the road then came roaring back with four straight wins to capture the series in six.
PLAYOFF RECORD: Calgary has a lifetime playoff record of 133-107. The Hitmen have competed in 43 series prior to this one. They have won 26 and lost 17. Calgary is 30-20 all-time in post-season overtime games.
PUCKS FOR PAWS: The Hitmen in partnership with WEB Consulting Ltd., have announced $12,180 will be donated to the Four Feet Companion Foundation through the seventh annual Pucks for Paws. The program saw the Calgary Hitmen Foundation and WEB Consulting Ltd. each contribute $10 for every point collected this past regular season by Riley Stotts. The Toronto Maple Leafs prospect finished the 2018-19 Western Hockey League campaign with 57 points. Funds were also received through an online auction organized by WEB Consulting Ltd., 50-50 proceeds and money raised through calendar sales at the Pucks for Paws game on Dec. 14 between the Hitmen and Kelowna Rockets. Additionally, WEB Consulting Ltd. is donating $10 per Stotts point for a total of $570 to Southwood Veterinary Hospital. The money is for animal owners who are unable to afford veterinary care.
HITMEN MONTH-BY-MONTH: September (0-3-1-0), October (4-6-1-0), November (6-5-0-1), December (6-2-1-0), January (9-3-0-0), February (7-3-2-0), March (6-5-1-0).
HITMEN ALUMNUS: Jakob Stukel, who scored a team-leading 37 goals for the Hitmen last season, has split this season between the ECHL's Wichita Thunder and AHL's Bakersfield Condors. With the Thunder, Stukel tallied 42 points (19g, 23a) in 57 games while the 21-year-old has four points (2g, 2a) in five games with the Condors.
ONE TICKET ONE TREE: The Hitmen announced Friday that $9,956 will be donated to Tree Canada to purchase and plant 2,489 trees to assist with the Alberta forest recovery process. Funds were collected through the One Ticket, One Tree pilot project first announced at the Calgary Zoo on National Tree Day Sept. 26, 2018. As part of this initiative, Hitmen players were educated on ways to reduce their ecological footprint. They also raised awareness to local environmental issues. Highlights included Hitmen Go Green videos on upcycling, city cleanup, water conservation and alternative energy along with recycling and composting.
PROMO CALENDAR
& TICKET INFO
- Sunday, Mar. 31 vs. LET, Game 6 of the Hitmen 2019 WHL Playoffs
- Sunday Funday pricing, presented by Ricky's All Day Grill, will be in effect and includes face painters and a post-game family skate that is FREE with a game ticket. Adult tickets are $14.99, kids $9.99 plus applicable fees and taxes. There is also FREE bottomless popcorn for all kids in attendance.
- Also available is the Calgary Co-op Family Playoff Pack which includes four tickets, four hot hogs, four soft drinks and one popcorn for $74.99. This deal can be purchased at all Calgary Co-op locations.
PLAYOFF WATCH
- The Hitmen have a combined 215 games of playoff experience.
- Kaden Elder leads all players with 50 post-season games played. He also tops the Hitmen in career playoff points with 10.
- Luke Coleman and Riley Stotts are next with seven points each.
Western Hockey League Stories from March 30, 2019
- Tremendous Hawks Season Comes to a Close - Portland Winterhawks
- T-Birds Season Ends in Game 6 Loss to Giants - Seattle Thunderbirds
- Kastelic Helps Lift Hitmen to Series Lead - Calgary Hitmen
- WHL Playoffs: Round One Preview - Game #5 - Portland Winterhawks
- Calgary Hitmen Game Preview - Saturday, March 30 at Lethbridge - Calgary Hitmen
- Giants Edge Thunderbirds 3-2 in Game 5, Take a 3-2 Series Lead - Vancouver Giants
- Giants Defeat T-Birds in Game 5, Game 6 Saturday at Accesso ShoWare Center - Seattle Thunderbirds
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