It’s my Parting Shot for the return of The Fearless Predictor, going into the W-H-L’s Conference finals…..

After correctly picking seven-and-a-half of eight first round series winners – four of them in the exact number of games – the second round was a little more humbling! I was right on two of the four series winners and wasn’t able to correctly come up with the number of games needed for Medicine Hat and Spokane to advance! The good news, as far as I’m concerned, is that my final series prediction of the Tigers against the Chiefs, made four weeks ago, is still in play!!

On to the Conference final predictions, starting out West with Spokane taking on Portland. I’m taking the Chiefs in seven games, but it could just as easily be the Winterhawks in seven as, once again, Hawks’ boss man Mike Johnston has cobbled together a sneaky dangerous roster, bolstered by the addition of a talented, 19-year-old player during the season that was initially going the U-S College route. Last year, it was Tyson Jugnauth, arguably the best defenceman in the league and this year it’s winger Alex Weiermaier, who has bolstered Portland’s top six forwards and power play. I’m sticking with Spokane!

In the Eastern Conference, I will tell you up front that I’m taking Medicine Hat to prevail over Lethbridge in six games – hence my Tigers-Chiefs final prognostication from four weeks ago holds, with the Hat winning the Ed Chynoweth Cup in six games! But, the Hurricanes have an edge on the Tigers in one intangible area – championship-winning experience! The Canes acquired centre Brayden Yager and goaltender Jackson Unger from Moose Jaw, as well as forward Jordan Gustafson from Seattle, during the course of this campaign. All three have hoisted the championship trophy in this league. Medicine Hat doesn’t have that type of player on their roster, but they have Gavin McKenna and Tanner Molendyk – arguably the two best players at their respective positions in the league. Plus, they could see the return of injured forwards Andrew Basha and Cayden Lindstrom, both high N-H-L Draft picks, to their line-up during this series! So, I’m sticking with Medicine Hat!!

That’s my Parting Shot. I’m Les Lazaruk…and it turned out nice again!