FRIDAY DUB ROUND-UP: ICE ADVANCE, GIANTS STILL ALIVE

WINNIPEG – Matthew Savoie scored twice as the Winnipeg Ice trounced the Moose Jaw Warriors 6-3 Friday in Game 5 of their second-round series to advance to the WHL’s Eastern Conference final.

Mikey Milne added a goal and two assists in the victory.

Ryder Korczak, Thomas Tien and Atley Calvert scored for Moose Jaw.

Korczak and Tien gave the Warriors a 2-0 advantage at 15:52 in the first period, but a Zachary Benson goal at 17:04 seemed to spark the Ice as they entered the second period trailing 2-1 and exited it leading 4-3.

Winnipeg will play the Edmonton Oil Kings in the conference final.

It’s a battle between the two top teams in the WHL this season.

The Ice finished the regular season with a league-best 111 points while the Oil Kings had the second-best record, tallying 104 points.

Elsewhere Friday around the WHL playoffs, Vancouver managed to stave off elimination as Zack Ostapchuk enjoyed a four-point night to lead the Giants to a 5-2 win over Kamloops and force a Game 6 Sunday in Langley.

And the Portland Winterhawks took a commanding 3-1 lead in their series with the Seattle Thunderbirds with a 5-1 rout. Cross Hanas netted a hat trick in the Portland win. The Winterhawks will try to finish off the Thunderbirds Saturday at home.

(Canadian Press)