Playoff Time...

...well, close enough. The Spokane Chiefs still have one virtually meaningless game remaining on the schedule when they travel to Kennewick to face the Tri-City Americans in the regular season finale. By now, I'm sure you've heard that two Chiefs games were postponed over the weekend due to a team-wide case of food poisoning.

It showed tonight, as the Chiefs came out on the wrong end of a 1-0 game versus the Kelowna Rockets; a contest which locked in Kelowna as the Western Conference's third seed, while the Chiefs settle for fourth.

Because of the loss, Spokane will open up the postseason at home on Friday night when they host the Seattle Thunderbirds. The matchup isn't exactly the most ideal for your Memorial Cup Champion Spokane Chiefs (copyright: Brad Moon) (copyright for the joke: Bill Simmons), as of the four lower seeds in the west, Spokane's record against the T'Birds is the worst, though still decent at 5-3-1.

Seattle boasts a potentially-explosive offense, led by Greg Scott (32g, 44a) and Prab Rai (25g, 40a) and one of the league's best defensemen in team captain Thomas Hickey (+37 rating; +21 better than the Birds second highest +/- man, Jim O'Brien). Both aspects of their game were on display in their season finale, as Seattle destroyed the Everett Silvertips 10-0.

In net is Calvin Pickard, brother of Tri-City's top goaltender Chet. Pickard has been inconsistent this year, but can be great, as evidenced by a 36-save shutout of the Chiefs less than a month ago. Two days prior to that start, however, he was torched for seven goals in the first two periods, three apiece by Drayson Bowman and Tyler Johnson, in a 7-3 defeat in Spokane.

Also inconsistent in the series has been Bowman, Spokane's top scoring threat. In eight games against the Thunderbirds on the season, Bowman has nine goals and one assist. All 10 of those points have come in four contests, while he's been shut out in the other four. If he's on, it could be a short series.

The key to victory for Spokane is capitalizing on special teams. The power play unit is operating at a 33.3% clip (9 for 27) on the season against Seattle, while the Thunderbirds have two shorthanded goals versus the Chiefs. When Spokane has been in the sin bin, they have actually outscored Seattle on 31 power play chances (Chiefs have three shorthanded goals, Birds have two power play goals).

The Chiefs enter the playoffs with a perfect 40-0 record when they score at least three goals (not including whatever happens Tuesday vs. Tri-City). If they can rattle Pickard, the Chiefs should make quick work of Seattle and advance.


Playoff Predictions

Vancouver over Prince George 4-0
Tri-City over Everett 4-1
Kelowna over Kamloops 4-0
Spokane over Seattle 4-2

Calgary over (insert winner of Prince Albert vs. Edmonton one-game playoff here) 4-0
Saskatoon over Lethbridge 4-2
Brandon over Kootenay 4-1
Medicine Hat over Swift Current 4-3

Vancouver over Spokane 4-2
Kelowna over Tri-City 4-2

Calgary over Medicine Hat 4-0
Brandon over Saskatoon 4-3

Kelowna over Vancouver 4-3
Calgary over Brandon 4-1

Calgary over Kelowna 4-2