This season, the WHL will switch to a more division-based playoff format, similar to the one used by the NHL. We’ll take a closer look at how this playoff format works and what it means for potential matchups for the Thunderbirds. (more…)
With parity in the Western Hockey League, defensive schemes taking hold and goaltenders playing with bigger and better equipment, the days of the high-scoring games would seem to be over. As you will see in the list below, they aren’t extinct completely, but they are the exception these days rather than the rule. Here are […]
It’s early in the season but there is reason to believe that the team has been looking forward to this game since the end of the playoffs last year. The Kelowna Rockets have been responsible for ending the Thunderbirds season the past 2 years. In addition to that motivation, Kelowna is ranked #4 in the […]
If you listened to this year’s first edition of the US Division podcast with Scott Sepich, you heard a discussion about the new WHL playoff format. He and Larry Fisher of the Kelowna Daily Courier covered it fairly well. We’ll take a little bit of a deeper dive and see how it would affect matchups. […]
(If you didn’t get a chance to see the round 1 roundup and round 2 predictions for the East, you can read those here.) Let’s take a look at how I did with round 1 in the West: (1) Kelowna 118pts v (8) Tri-City 68pts Prediction: Kelowna in 4 Actual: Kelowna in 5 As I […]
Time to take a look at who I think will move on in the WHL playoffs. This is all going to be gut feeling and a small amount of thought. I’ll do just the first round for now. Eastern Conference: (1) Edmonton 103pts v (9) Prince Albert 75pts Prince Albert showed some determination in getting […]
The Thunderbirds playoff experiences have been sparse the last half-decade or so but, in the big picture, they have a long history of making it into the second season. With Seattle battling Spokane and Everett for 4th place in the conference and home ice advantage in the first round, we’re going to take a look […]