Battle of the Kings; Tigers claw their way onto the Ice: WHL Eastern Conference second-round preview

The first round of the WHL’s Eastern Conference post-season didn’t follow the script. Not only did the Kootenay Ice knock off the third-seed Calgary Hitmen, but the Brandon Wheat Kings also swept the second-seed Regina Pats.

It seemed the Ice would need everything to go their way to pull off an upset against a powerhouse club like the Hitmen. But even though New York Rangers prospect Mackenzie Skapski faltered in between the pipes, Kootenay came out on top of the six-game series largely because Sam Reinhart and Jaedon Descheneau were a two-man wrecking crew with 17 points apiece.

Brandon’s sweep is impressive, but it still doesn’t exactly put in them in the dark horse category. Their series win is more so a testament to Regina’s lackluster effort. The Queen City Kids’ goaltending from Dawson MacAuley and Daniel Wapple wasn’t up to playoff snuff and their thin back end was evident. In addition, the matchup was much closer than the second seed vs. seventh seed picture paints as only eight points separated the two East Division clubs in the standings.

The Edmonton Oil Kings and Wheat Kings kick off their series on Thursday. The Ice and Medicine Hat Tigers first square off on Saturday.

(4) Medicine Hat Tigers (44-24-3-1, 92 points) vs. (6) Kootenay Ice (39-28-2-3, 83 points)

Season series: Tie 3-3-0-0. Odds favour: Medicine Hat 60 per cent. Most mathematically likely outcome: Medicine Hat in 7. Prediction: Kootenay in 7.

Why Kootenay should win: Reinhart and Descheneau are on fire. They handed Hitmen goalie Chris Driedger a 4.39 average and .870 save percentage in the first round. And it’s not like Driedger is a rookie; the Ottawa Senators prospect finished the regular-season with a .918 save percentage. They also were the main reason why the Ice racked up 11 power-play goals in the first round. That said, these two snipers have the talent and ability to take over the series just as they did against Calgary.

Kootenay’s offence doesn’t have much depth behind their top two guns, though. They are depending heavily on Zach Franko and 18-year-old Luke Philip to give them secondary support. Moreover, pressure is on 20-year-old Jagger Dirk and Russian import Rinat Valiev to contribute from the blueline.

The risk in picking the Ice is that their goaltending situation is up in the air. Head coach Ryan McGill didn’t start Skapski in Games 5 or 6 against Calgary after he let in 18 goals on 109 shots throughout the first four games. Therefore, it would appear Wyatt Hoflin, who turned 18 in January, will get the nod in net. But more often than not the regular-season starter is given a second chance in the second season. Either way, though, it seems the Ice won’t be able to bank on their goaltending to win them a game.

How Medicine Hat could win: The Tigers are ultimately the safer pick to take the series because they have less uncertainty surrounding them.

Phoenix Coyotes prospect Marek Langhamer stood tall in the blue paint in his first playoff series by posting a 1.64 average and .955 save percentage in six contests against the Swift Current Broncos. He’ll have more on his plate against the Ice, but all indications are he’s far and away the best goalie in the matchup. So he seems to have the potential to be the difference-maker in this closely-matched series.

The Tigers’ triple threat – Trevor Cox, Curtis Valk and Cole Sanford – didn’t let up against the Broncos with a combined nine goals and 21 points following netting north of 70 points apiece in the regular-season. Chad Butcher, however, turned the most heads by scoring three goals after only notching six in the regular-season.

St. Louis Blues second-rounder Tommy Vannelli and overage Dylan Bredo gives Medicine Hat the edge in the series on the back end. They not only are strong offensive contributors, but they also make Langhamer’s job easier by smoothly transitioning the puck out of their own zone.

(1) Edmonton Oil Kings (50-19-2-1, 103 points) vs. (7) Brandon Wheat Kings (34-296-3, 77 points)

Season series: Edmonton 3-1-0-0. Odds favour: Edmonton 86 per cent. Most mathematically outcome: Edmonton in 5. Prediction: Edmonton in 5.

Why Edmonton should win: As expected, the Oil Kings didn’t bat an eye against the Prince Albert Raiders. This dominance should continue against the Wheat Kings because of the clear-cut mismatch on paper.

There isn't a better two-way forward to have at the centrepiece of an offence than Ottawa

Senators first-rounder Curtis Lazar. He’s strong on the dot, works immensely hard at both ends of the ice and possesses elite offensive talent. But Lazar won’t have to carry the whole show up front. Coyotes first-rounder Henrik Samuelsson, Edmonton Oilers prospect Mitchell Moroz and 17-year-old Brett Pollock round out a solid quartet. In addition to that, 20-year-old Riley Kieser stepped up against the Raiders with two goals and five points.

It’s easy for one to think the Oil Kings’ back end can be described as New York Islanders first-rounder Griffin Reinhart and everyone else, but the first round affirmed they have other top-notch defenders. NHL draft prospect Dysin Mayo led the blueline in points with six while overage Cody Corbett notched two goals and five points in the final game of the series.

Tristan Jarry only allowed top NHL draft prospect Leon Draisaitl and company to get nine pucks past him in five games. Now with Eric Comrie's Tri-City Americans out of the second season, there’s a strong argument for Jarry as the top netminder in the playoffs. That said, the Pittsburgh Penguins prospect should ensure the Oil Kings’ ticket to a third consecutive Eastern Conference final.

How Brandon could win: Rule No. 1 in the WHL playoffs: Never underestimate a team coached by Kelly McCrimmon. He has proven time and time again that he’s one of the most intelligent and hardest-working bench bosses in the league.

The Wheat Kings’ confidence is high after they knocked off the East Division champions in four straight. It’s crucial they build off this in the first two games of the series by stealing one in Edmonton. A split on the road could open up the series, but going down by two should seal the Wheaties’ fate.

Brandon’s forward group is somewhat underrated for not having a single NHL prospect. Jayce Hawryluk and John Quenneville solidified themselves as two of the top draft eligible forwards in the league by notching 10 and nine points respectively in the first round. Moreover, their imports – Rihards Bukars and Richard Nejezchleb – and Peter Quenneville and Tim McGauley all scored north of 50 points in the regular-season.

What the Wheat Kings really have going for them is their blueline. Few and far between have a trio as strong as Islanders first-rounder Ryan Pulock, Calgary Flames prospect Eric Roy and Ryan Pilon. Pulock, who scored 23 goals and 63 points in 66 games, is as high quality of a defenceman as the league has to offer. Roy and Pilon, meanwhile, are major impact players at both ends of the ice.

Jordan Papirny had to hold his own to beat the Pats, which he did by posting a 3.00 average and .906 save percentage. But the Oil Kings are a whole different ball game. The 17-year-old netminder has the pressure of finding consistency in his game and making all of the easy saves on his shoulders against his hometown club. It goes without saying that this won't be an easy task for the rookie goalie.

Kelly Friesen is a Buzzing the Net columnist for Yahoo! Sports. Follow him on Twitter @KellyFriesen