WHL Calgary Hitmen

Calgary Hitmen Game Preview - Sunday, March 20 vs Kootenay

Published on March 20, 2016 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Calgary Hitmen News Release


CALGARY HITMEN (41-26-2-2, 86 pts.) vs KOOTENAY ICE (12-53-6-0, 30 pts.)

Sunday, March 20, 2016 - 1:00 p.m. MT - Scotiabank Saddledome

TODAY'S GAME

Today the Calgary Hitmen return to the Scotiabank Saddledome to wrap up the 2015-16 regular season in the back half of a home-and-home set against the Kootenay ICE. Game day highlights for this afternoon's Fan Appreciation Day and Sunday Funday, presented by Booster Juice and McKnight 24 Hour Veterinary Hospital, include a pre-game on-ice player awards ceremony and following the game, an awards reception in the Chrysler Club and a family skate. The Hitmen, winners of five of their last six, enter the contest following Friday's 5-2 win at Kootenay. Jakob Stukel scored twice while Matteo Gennaro, Tristen Nielsen and Carsen Twarynski contributed with single tallies in the win. Nielsen's goal was the first of his Western Hockey League career. Calgary outshot Kootenay 41-18. The Hitmen went 1-5 on the power play and killed both Kootenay chances. Calgary is third in the WHL's Central Division with 86 points. The ICE sit sixth in the division with 30 points.

HITMEN BROADCAST INFORMATION

Radio: Sportsnet.ca/960 (Alt Stream)

Webcast: WHL Live at whl.neulion.com

---

STREAKS

- Travis Sanheim (4g, 10a) has points in each of his last seven games and in 30 of his last 34 games (8g, 37a).

- Jakob Stukel (4g, 4a) is on a six-game point streak.

- Radel Fazleev (1g, 6a) and Jackson Houck (2g, 4a) both have points in each of their last four games.

- Jake Bean (1g, 3a) has points in three consecutive games.

- Carsen Twarynski (5g, 4a) has points in seven of his last eight games while Taylor Sanheim (1g, 3a) has points in five of his last six contests.

- Cody Porter has won his last four starts, posting a 1.71 goals-against average and .934 save percentage.

NOTEWORTHY

VS KOOTENAY: Today is the final regular season meeting between the two teams. Calgary leads the season series 6-0, outscoring the ICE by a combined 23-6. Jordy Stallard (1g, 6a), with seven points, and Jake Bean (2g, 4a), with six, top the Hitmen in the series against Kootenay. Not counting the post-season, over the last five seasons Calgary is 21-15-1-0 against the ICE including an 12-6-0-0 record in Calgary.

2015-16 REGULAR SEASON SERIES RECAP

Sept. 25/15 at KTN: CGY 4 KTN 2...The Hitmen struck for four unanswered goals after falling behind 1-0.

Sept. 26/15 at CGY: CGY 1 KTN 0...Loch Morrison had the lone goal while Brendan Burke recorded a 21-save shutout.

Nov. 13/15 at CGY: CGY 6 KTN 0...Six different Hitmen scored while Loch Morrison added three assists.

Dec. 27/15 at KTN: CGY 4 KTN 0...Jordy Stallard recorded two points (1g, 1a) while Nik Amundrud had a 27-save shutout.

Dec. 28/15 at CGY: CGY 3 KTN 2...Jake Bean led the Hitmen with one goal and an assist.

Mar. 18/16 at KTN: CGY 5 KTN 2...Hitmen overcame a 2-1 deficit with three unanswered second-period goals.

INSIDE THE SERIES

Shots on Goal: CGY 206 KTN 134

Power Plays: CGY 8-28 (28.6%) KTN 1-26 (3.8%)

40-WIN SEASONS: The Hitmen have recorded their fifth consecutive 40-win season. It's also the 12th time in their 21-year franchise history they have recorded 40 or more victories.

PLAYOFF DATES: The Hitmen will open the 2016 Western Hockey League Playoffs on the road, with Games 1 and 2 beginning Friday, March 25 at Red Deer. The best-of-seven first-round series will then shift to Calgary for Game 3 on Sunday, March 27 at the Scotiabank Saddledome and Game 4 on Friday, April 1 at the Stampede Corral. Tickets for Game 3, to be played at the "Dome, will go on sale to the general public on Sunday, March 20, at 10:00 a.m. Tickets for Game 4 and Game 6, if necessary, to be held at the Stampede Corral, will go on sale to the general public Tuesday, March 22 at 10:00 a.m. All first-round playoff tickets for Hitmen home games at both the Scotiabank Saddledome and Stampede Corral will be available through Ticketmaster and the 'Dome box office. Single game playoff tickets can also be ordered online at Ticketmaster.ca or by phone at 1-855-985-5000.

GETTING THE CALL: Prospects Tristen Nielsen and Ty Prefontaine have been added to the Hitmen roster for the final weekend of the regular season. Nielsen, the club's 20th overall pick in the 2015 WHL Bantam Draft, recorded his first career WHL goal on Friday at Kootenay after suiting up for two roads games with the Hitmen last October. In the same game, Prefontaine made his Hitmen debut after being acquired at the 2016 WHL Trade Deadline along with Matteo Gennaro and a sixth-round selection in 2016 from the Prince Albert Raiders in exchange for Loch Morrison and Layne Bensmiller.

PK PUSH: Taylor Sanheim and Carsen Twarynski have combined to score shorthanded goals in back-to-back games for Calgary.

HEATING UP: The Hitmen are 5-1 in their last six games and during that span have outscored their opponents by a combined 26-12.

DID YOU KNOW?: Calgary is 18-11-1-1 this season against teams from the Central Division.

BEAN THERE, DONE THAT: Jake Bean set a new single-season franchise record for most goals by a defenceman on Mar. 12 against Edmonton. The previous mark of 23 was set by Paul Postma in the 2008-09 campaign. On Feb. 8 in Kamloops, Bean also became the first defenceman to record 20 or more goals in a WHL season since the 2013-14 campaign. That season Josh Morrissey (28), Ryan Pulock (23), Shea Theodore (22) and Madison Bowey (21) were all members of the 20-goal club.

DYNAMIC DUO: Calgary has two of the top 10 scoring defencemen in the WHL in Travis Sanheim and Jake Bean. Sanheim (14g, 53a) has 67 points to sit fourth among all defencemen while Bean's (24g, 40a) 64 points are fifth. Bean's career-high 24 goals lead all defencemen while his 12 power play goals are tied for top spot among blueliners. Sanheim's 53 assists are tied for second among defenders.

RECORD BOOKS: Earlier this season, Travis Sanheim set a new franchise record for the longest assist streak by a defenceman at 14 games. The previous mark of eight was established by Matt Kinch from Nov. 21 to Dec. 10, 1999. Sanheim enters tonight's game with 127 career assists, tied for 10th on the club's all-time regular season assist list with Brady Brassart. Radel Fazleev has 104 career helpers, placing him 15th in all-time assists and four helpers behind Borys Protsenko. The franchise leader is Brad Moran who had 246 career helpers.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Calgary's power play, which has scored in each of the last six games, is fifth in the WHL at 22.8%. The Hitmen penalty kill is fourth in the league at 81.5%.

POWER PLAY PRODUCTION: Hitmen forward Jakob Stukel leads all players in power play goals at 17.

BREAKOUT SEASONS: Hitmen sophomore forwards Jordy Stallard and Carsen Twarynski have both taken major steps offensively for Calgary in 2015-16. Stallard, who recorded 23 points last season, has 49 points (21g, 28a) this season. Twarynski, who notched 22 points in his rookie campaign, has 43 points (19g, 24a).

WHL COUNTDOWN: To celebrate 50 seasons, the Western Hockey League is counting down its Top 50 Players of All-Time, as voted by fans. So far, three former Hitmen have made the list in Pavel Brendl (No. 45), Brad Moran (No. 38) and Ryan Getzlaf (No. 25).

HITMEN VS: (BDN 3-1), (EDM 4-2), (EVT 1-0), (KAM 1-1), (KEL 0-1-0-1), (KTN 6-0), (LET 3-3), (MH 1-4-1-0), (MJ 0-4), (POR 1-0), (PA 3-1), (PG 1-2), (RD 4-2-0-1), (REG 3-0-1-0), (SAS 4-0), (SEA 1-0), (SPO 0-1), (SC 3-1), (TC 1-0), (VAN 1-1), (VIC 0-2).

RACE FOR THE TOP: The Hitmen team scoring title is coming down to the final game of the regular season as three players are within six points of each other; Radel Fazleev (70), Travis Sanheim (67) and Jake Bean (64).

HITMEN ALUMNUS: Adam Tambellini, named the Player of the Year during last season's Hitmen awards ceremony, is in the AHL with the Hartford Wolf Pack. The 21-year-old forward has played 61 games with Hartford, recording 15 goals and nine assists for 24 points. Tambellini skated with the Hitmen for parts of two seasons (2013-15) where he tallied 125 points (64, 61a) in 102 WHL games.

REGULAR SEASON WRAP UP: Following the game, all Hitmen player trophies along with the Memorial Cup will be on display at the awards reception, offered to fans on a first-come, first-served basis and complimentary with a game ticket. Today also marks the final Sunday Funday of the season, presented by Booster Juice and McKnight 24 Hour Veterinary Hospital. In addition to the player awards reception, there will be a post-game family skate. All participants under 18 are required to wear a helmet. A special kids ticket price of $7.50 (plus applicable fees) for children 12 and under is available at Ticketmaster and the Scotiabank Saddledome box office for the regular season finale.

PROMO CALENDAR

Hitmen single game playoff tickets for Game 3 (Mar. 27 at the 'Dome) go on sale today, Sunday, Mar. 20, at 10 a.m.

Game 4 tickets (Apr. 1 at the Stampede Corral) go on sale Tuesday, Mar. 22 at 10 a.m.

MILESTONES

- Matteo Gennaro played his 200th career game on Mar. 15 in Red Deer while Tyler Mrkonjic skated in his 200th career game on Mar. 13 against Medicine Hat.

- Colby Harmsworth is one point away from 50.

- Radel Fazleev is four points shy of 150.

- Jake Bean reached 100 career points on Mar. 12 against Edmonton while Micheal Zipp reached the 50-point mark that same night in the Battle of Alberta.

- Cody Porter passed the 4,000-minute mark on Feb. 26 against Victoria.

- Dawson Martin scored his first career WHL goal on Feb. 20 against Lethbridge.

- Jackson Houck played his 300th career game on Feb. 20 against Lethbridge while Taylor Sanheim hit 100 career games on Feb. 19 in Medicine Hat.

Check out the Calgary Hitmen Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Western Hockey League Stories from March 20, 2016


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central