Mar. 26—As recently as Feb. 6, when they allowed the last-place Vancouver Giants to snap an eight-game losing streak, the Spokane Chiefs were on the outside of the playoff picture looking in.

But after an ultimately successful run of 11 games against teams in the bottom half of the Western Conference, the Chiefs finished in sixth with 74 points, one point behind fifth-place Kamloops.

That earned them a first-round matchup against third-place Prince George, a team 16 points ahead of them in the standings. And the Cougars had the Chiefs' number this season, with two consecutive wins in Spokane in October and back-to-back home wins in early March. PG outscored the Chiefs 16-8 in the four games.

But a six-game win streak from Feb. 15-28 kick-started a change in momentum for the Chiefs, giving them renewed optimism for their first-round series, which starts with two games in Prince George on Friday and Saturday. The series shifts to the Arena on Monday and Wednesday for Games 3 and 4. Game 5, if necessary, will be at the Arena on Thursday.

"With this group this year, we've had a lot of adversity. I think that's a good thing for a group to go through," Chiefs coach Brad Lauer said earlier this week. "Our expectations this year were extremely high for us and I don't think we got off to the right start. But it's good to see and watch your team go through situations, and watch them figure it out and understand the importance of it and come out on the other side."

"We've had some ups and downs," Chiefs general manager Matt Bardsley said. "But I think our guys are kind of accustomed to it. I think going into the playoffs now they've had that experience and know how to manage the adversity — within a shift, within a game, within the series. We're able to use last year's experience and throughout this year and that's gonna enable us to have some success.

"The last month and a half our game has really grown. It's been consistent, we've had some success. We can certainly feed off that going into playoffs. I feel good about our group."

Last year's experience was significant. Fueled by stars Berkly Catton, Andrew Cristall, Shea Van Olm, Rasmus Ekström and Brayden Crampton, the club reached the Western Hockey League championship series, falling in five games to Medicine Hat.

All those players moved on to pro or college hockey, but 15 players on last year's roster returned this season, bringing with them more than 300 combined games of playoff experience.

"I think a lot of us have some playoff experience now, which is huge, compared to going in last year where we only had four games (of experience) in the playoffs," captain Will McIsaac said. "I've kinda given advice to some of the younger guys who haven't been in that spot. And trying to lead by example a little bit."

And what was that advice?

"The biggest thing about playoffs is you can't leave anything out there — whether that's blocking a shot or an extra hit. You've gotta be doing all that stuff."

Chiefs third-leading scorer Chase Harrington is a native of Prince George.

"I'm just super excited. This is why I play the game, for the playoffs," he said. "A lot of my family still lives around there so they'll definitely be at the games."

In addition to the returners, Bardsley acquired several players with extensive playoff experience during the offseason, including second-leading scorer and former Lethbridge captain Logan Wormald.

"My first three years weren't the best obviously — we got swept three years in a row," Wormald said. "That takes a toll on you. It makes you want to get better. Last year was obviously the strongest of my four years that I've played in the league and we made it to the (Eastern) conference finals there. I learned a lot and played against some good teams. It was a fun experience and something I obviously want to do again this year."

The difference in speed, intensity and physical play between the regular season and playoffs can be immense.

"It's a very fast switch," Wormald said. "I feel like right from the puck drop in Game 1 it's gonna be very fast-paced. We know that that's what's gonna happen, and we have to be prepared for that. There's gonna be lots of hits and a very fast game and we have to be prepared."

"It definitely gets a little bit tighter checking," Harrington added. "The details in the systems really matter. If you're not dialed in, it shows. I think really just being prepared is the most important thing.

The organization likes where the Chiefs sit going into the first round after playing some of their best hockey down the stretch.

"We've been skating very well," Wormald said. "I feel like everyone on this team is a very good skater and I feel like our forecheck has been amazing and I feel like that's where we succeed. That's where our game ramps up and where our (offensive) zone play comes in. We shoot the puck a lot and I feel like for the playoffs we're going to have to be around the net. We're facing a great goalie and we're going to have to be around the net all series."

"I think our guys finally figured out what we need to do as a group, our style of play we need to play and the way we need to play," Lauer said. "And now, our guys the last two months have done that. Going through that experience definitely helps you. ... We're going to run into some areas of the game, those situations and we've been there before. It's going to be important that our guys recognize it, understand it and learn from it from last time."

Mar. 26—DETROIT — Jacob Bernard-Docker signed with the Detroit Red Wings as a free agent last summer.

Apparently, the Red Wings like what they've seen.

Bernard-Docker signed a two-year extension with the Red Wings this week, taking him through the 2027-28 season. His contract is worth $3.2 million.

Bernard-Docker has played in 55 games for Detroit this season, tallying four assists, a plus-5 rating and averaging 15:00 of ice time per game.

The Canmore, Alta., product is in his sixth NHL season.

He debuted with the Ottawa Senators in 2021 after his junior season at UND ended.

Bernard-Docker, 25, was traded from Ottawa to Buffalo last season. He played 15 games for the Sabres, who did not send him a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Bernard-Docker signed a one-year, $875,000 contract with Detroit for this season. That will jump to $1.6 million next season, when his new contract begins.

Bernard-Docker came to UND in 2018 from the Okotoks Oilers in the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

He played three seasons for the Fighting Hawks, suiting up in 95 games. He tallied 15 goals and 60 points. The first-round, No. 26 overall draft pick of the Senators was named the National Collegiate Hockey Conference's Defensive Defenseman of the Year in 2020-21.

Bernard-Docker helped the Fighting Hawks win back-to-back Penrose Cups as NCHC regular-season champions in 2020 and 2021.

Bernard-Docker is scheduled to play in his 200th NHL regular-season game on Friday against Buffalo.

Mar. 26—SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Ten years ago today, I sat in a hotel room in Cincinnati and had an idea.

With the unpredictability of the NCAA men's hockey tournament, I wondered if I could even predict the results better than a coin. The answer was a resounding no.

In Year 1, the coin correctly predicted UND would win the NCAA national title. I did not. The battle was on.

I've now beaten the coin five years in a row. But an NCAA rules change last summer allowed Canadian Hockey League players to retain their NCAA eligibility, and it has led to even more parity this season in college hockey and a deep tournament field.

We'll see what 2026 brings.

Schlossman's picks: Michigan State over UConn. Dartmouth over Wisconsin. Michigan State over Dartmouth.

Comments: Michigan State has just about everything you want in a team — high-end skill, tenacity, scoring ability, tough defending, elite goaltending and a good mix of younger/older players. Although UConn is playing well, that's going to be a tough matchup. Dartmouth is coming into the tournament hot; Wisconsin is not. We'll see if that matters. Beware of Dartmouth's Hayden Stavroff. He has one of the best releases in the country. The Badgers, meanwhile, need their goaltenders to play better to make a run.

The coin's picks: Michigan State over UConn. Wisconsin over Dartmouth. Wisconsin over Michigan State.

Schlossman's picks: North Dakota over Merrimack. Providence over Quinnipiac. North Dakota over Providence.

Comments: Like Michigan State, North Dakota has just about everything you want in a playoff hockey team. This is a hard, direct team. When the Fighting Hawks are at their best, they're an extremely difficult out. They've lost one regulation game in two months, two in the last four months. Providence isn't flashy, but when NHL teams are trying to sign your fourth-line center, you know you've got impressive depth up the middle.

The coin's picks: North Dakota over Merrimack. Quinnipiac over Providence. Quinnipiac over North Dakota.

Schlossman's picks: Minnesota State over Western Michigan. Denver over Cornell. Denver over Minnesota State.

Comments: There will not be many goals scored in this regional. All four teams are impressive on the defensive end. Whoever comes out of this regional will be battle-tested. Western Michigan is a contender to win back-to-back NCAA titles, but losing defensemen Joona Väisänen and Cole Crusberg-Roseen to season-ending injuries hurts big-time. In 17 of the last 19 NCAA tournaments, at least one No. 4 seed has beaten a No. 1 seed. So, I've got to pick at least one. Denver, meanwhile, is red hot with Johnny Hicks in net.

The coin's picks: Western Michigan over Minnesota State. Cornell over Denver. Western Michigan over Cornell.

Schlossman's picks: Michigan over Bentley. Minnesota Duluth over Penn State. Minnesota Duluth over Michigan.

Comments: This regional features an interesting contrast in styles. Michigan and Penn State are high-flying offensively. Bentley and Minnesota Duluth will counter with structured defensive teams. The Bulldogs could give a lot of fits to the Big Ten squads, especially if Adam Gajan is at the top of his game. Penn State and Michigan rank 1-3 in most penalty minutes per game. Minnesota Duluth has the No. 2 power play in the country. The Plante brothers will feast if Penn State is undisciplined.

The coin's picks: Bentley over Michigan. Penn State over Minnesota Duluth. Penn State over Bentley.

Schlossman's picks: Michigan State over North Dakota. Denver over Minnesota Duluth. Michigan State over Denver.

Comments: Michigan State was our preseason pick to win it all, and we don't feel there's any reason to change that. The Spartans were the last Big Ten team to win an NCAA title 19 years ago in St. Louis. Could they end the Big Ten drought in Las Vegas?

The coin's picks: Wisconsin over Quinnipiac. Western Michigan over Penn State. Wisconsin over Western Michigan.