Talking to Calgary Hitmen coach Mike Williamson, one is reminded it's not the most talented team which wins in the playoffs, but the most tested team.

That hints at a possible difference between these Hitmen, up 2-1 over Brandon in the WHL Eastern Conference final entering Game 4 tonight against the Memorial Cup-host Wheat Kings, and last year's edition. This spring, Calgary actually needed one more game to get through the first two rounds than its '08-09 team needed to get through the first three, before bowing in a six-game final to Kelowna.

"We're comfortable in close games," said Williamson, who took over after Dave Lowry was promoted to the Calgary Flames as as an assistant coach. "I wasn't here last season so I can't speak to what happened, but from what I’ve heard and seen, they rolled through playoffs, won the first three rounds in sweep. This time, it's been a different path for us. We had a good regular season (107 points), but we've had to scratch and claw. I think we still

How Kirill Kabanov would have made it from Moscow to Moncton amid the travel restrictions in Europe is barely even the first question.

That's how crazy it was to hear talk this afternoon, via Coming Down The Pipe! and across Twitter, that Kabanov was due to rejoin the Moncton Wildcats for Game 3 of their QMJHL semifinal series against Drummondville.

The whole saga really has entered the Tyson Zone, where you would believe anything you heard, while not really believing it unless you saw it with your own eyes. At least report Kabanov was not taking the warmup with the Wildcats.

The background: Kabanov, who could go in the back half of the first round of NHL draft, left the Wildcats three weeks ago after a game where he was benched in the third period by Moncton coach Danny Flynn. The official line, if memory serves, was that he was leaving to play in the world under-18 hockey championship, but then he was dismissed from the Russian team. It's hard to believe that after all that has gone

The Edmonton Oil Kings, as T.S. Quint in Mallrats put it, are now in the framing business.

General manager Bob Green, while wending his way across Europe in search of a flight home, has dismissed both coach Steve Pleau and assistant Rocky Thompson. Edmonton won just 16 games all season, so perhaps it is not a huge surprise.

Coming Down The Pipe! ought to be a reliable go-to as the baby Oil search for a new bench boss.

In the OHL, the Peterborough Petes are intent on separating the coach and GM duties. The Petes seem prepared to go through the OHL draft on May 1 without replacements in place for Jeff Twohey and Ken McRae, the GM-and-coach combo who were left go in late March.

Brayden Schenn and the Brandon Wheat Kings likely won't have anyone questioning if they belong a next month's Memorial Cup, nor should they.

This isn't so much about the Wheaties, as it is about debunking the myth of uncompetitive host teams at the Memorial Cup. The debate crops up every season at tournament time, since on general principle (cue Reggie Dunlop: you gotta earn it, Killer), even if your attitude is right.

By the numbers, the real concern for the CHL should be what to do in a seasons when the host wins its league and the runner-up falls heir to being the league rep. Dating back to 1995, when Brandon got the back-in berth, loser berth, whatever you wish to call it, after losing the WHL final to Kamloops, such teams have fared poorly: 7-15 with a minus-19 goal differential. The Patrick Roy-coached Quebec Remparts in 2006 are the only team to win when it was neither the host or league champion.

Dating back to 2000, hosts who did not win their league are 13-15, but have

Mississauga-St. Michael's Majors owner Eugene Melnyk believes, appearances to the contrary, Toronto would support the Memorial Cup if his Majors get to host it in 2011.

This is a paraphrase, but Melnyk said the following on Toronto's FAN 590 earlier today:

"There's no question about it, it's a tough ticket for regular-season games. We don't hide from that. However, Toronto has a history that it will support world-class events ... I think it will sell out."

Go ahead and scoff, but that does sum up Melnyk well. Any sports owner is going to have critics, not without justification, but he has shown a willingness to take a chance on a product the populace ranged from being indifferent from ignorant toward, whether it was major junior hockey in Toronto, or pursuing a MLS team in Ottawa.

Whether Toronto automatically turns out for world-class events and whether the Memorial Cup falls under that umbrella in the minds of casual fans (the ones whom Drew Magary of Kissing Suzy Kolber fames notes

Just a few of of your junior hockey headlines across the country ...

QMJHL

Victoriaville Tigres goalie Kevin Poulin, who's in his final QMJHL season might be an under-the-radar gem for the New York Islanders. (Islanders Point Blank)

The Moncton Wildcats are sitting pretty, coming home for Games 3 and 4 with a 2-0 semifinal series lead over defending champion Drummondville. (New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal)

As far as Saint John Sea Dogs coach Gerard Gallant is concerned, his team hasn't earned a single laurel yet, even with a 2-0 series lead over Victoriaville. (Moncton Times & Transcript)

OHL

Your assignment for today, in homage to Jeff Hicks' recap of Kitchener's 5-3 win over Windsor, is to get "lucky looper" into conversation with no one noticing. (Waterloo Region Record)

WHL

Consecutive penalties in overtime helped seal Brandon's fate in a Game 2 loss to Calgary in Game 2 of the WHL Eastern Conference final. Winning helped Calgary erase the memory of letting a 2-0 lead get away on the

Columbus Dispatch NHL beat writer Aaron Portzline pointed out late Sunday that many scouts never made it to Belarus for the world under-18 championship, due to the air traffic nightmare in Europe caused by the spread of volcanic ash:

"The Blue Jackets were planning to send six of their amateur scouts to Belarus for the World U-18 Championships. At this rate, they'll be lucky to get one there. Don Boyd, the director of hockey operations, made it to Sweden before his air travel plans hit the skids. At last report, Boyd was hopping a boat to sail the across the Baltic Sea to Latvia. That would have been the best part of the trip. After he hit Latvia, Boyd faced a seven-hour drive to Minsk, Belarus, for the tournament ... Two others were stranded in Iceland for two days, and, no, Bjork wasn't playing a two-night set at the Sun Never Rises Cafe. All except Boyd headed back to their home bases in North America. Lots of other NHL scouts suffered a similar fate.

"Why so hot to get to Belarus?

Should Kitchener go on to oust Windsor in the OHL semifinal series, a disallowed goal the Rangers' 5-3 win in Game 3 on Sunday will long be rued down in southwest Ontario.

"Windsor head coach Bob Boughner was upset after the game, feeling Windsor should have taken a 4-3 lead with about six minutes remaining in the third period. (Spitfires forward Adam) Henrique put the puck in the net, but it was waved off when Taylor Hall was called for goaltender interference. 'Terrible, terrible, terrible call. We should be up 4-3 there,' said a frustrated Boughner. 'To say I'm frustrated about that goal is an understatement.'

"This is the second time in the series a goal has been called back in similar fashion. In the opening game the Rangers were disappointed when a goal was called back with Chris MacKinnon in the crease."

The breaks even out in hockey. Kitchener just as easily could have lost Game 1 when it had a goal disallowed in regulation before winning 7-6 in overtime.Of course, at this