CHL Playoff Roundup: Storm edge Battalion for series lead

The 2014 Mastercard Memorial Cup in London, Ont. is two weeks away and the playoffs to determine the three league representatives is nearing completion.

The three champions from around the Canadian Hockey League will join the London Knights in the tournament, which opens on May 16.

In the Ontario Hockey League, the Guelph Storm took a 2-1 series lead over the North Bay Battalion with a 4-3 win in North Bay on Tuesday night. Goals 19 seconds apart in the final minute of regulation time lifted the Storm to the victory.

Zack Mitchell scored at 19:30 to tie the game at three before Brock McGinn scored at 19:49 to give the Storm the win. Tyler Bertuzzi and Robby Fabbri also scored for the Storm in the win while Kerby Rychel assisted on a pair of goals.

Dylan Blujus had a goal and an assist for North Bay in the loss. Barclay Goodrow and Mathew Santos also scored for the Battalion. Goaltender Jake Smith made 40 saves in the loss.

In the Quebec League, the Val-d’Or Foreurs opened up a 2-1 series lead over the Baie-Comeau Drakkar with a 5-2 win on Tuesday night in Val-d’Or. Right Winger Anthony Mantha had two goals and an assist in the win while Anthony Richard chipped in with a goal and an assist. Maxime Gravel and Pierre-Maxime Poudrier also scored in the win.

Felix Girard and Maxime St-Cyr scored for Baie Comeau in the loss.

Game three in the QMJHL final is Wednesday night in Val-d’Or.

At the time of writing, game three of the Western Hockey League final between the Portland Winterhawks and Edmonton Oil Kings was in progress in Edmonton. The two teams were tied at two early in the third period. Portland leads the series 2-0.