The Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s best-of-seven semifinals got underway Friday night. Kirk Mullen scored the tying goal with 1:47 left in the third period and Ty Paisley potted his second of the game 3:38 into double overtime to lift the Steinbach Pistons past the Swan Valley Stampeders 5-4. Davis Fry and Noah Szabo also scored in regulation for the Pistons. Game two goes tonight at the T.G. Smith Centre. Brandon McCartney scored the winner 12:50 into double overtime as the Portage Terriers edged the Virden Oil Capitals 4-3 at Stride Place. Game two will take place Sunday at Tundra Oil & Gas Place.


The South Eastern Manitoba Hockey League champion Ste. Anne Aces will meet the Tiger Hills Hockey League champion Miniota/Elkhorn C-Hawks tonight at the East End Arena in Winnipeg in game one of Hockey Manitoba's best-of-three Provincial Senior "A" Championship. Game two is scheduled for Sunday, April 16th at Tundra Oil & Gas Place in Virden.


The Winnipeg Jets face the Nashville Predators tonight at Canada Life Centre. The Jets and Calgary Flames are tied for the second wildcard in the NHL’s Western Conference with 89 points each. Nashville is one point back. Tonight Calgary will meet the Canucks in Vancouver. The Jets and Predators have four games left while the Flames have three.


Dominic Toninato and Jansen Harkins scored power play goals and Arvid Holm made 22 saves as the Manitoba Moose wrapped up their eight-game homestand with a 3-1 victory over the Grand Rapids Griffins 3-1 at Canada Life Centre. Leon Gawanke also scored for the Moose who face the Stars in Texas on Tuesday and Wednesday.


Canada has a 2-0 preliminary round record at the World Women’s Hockey Championship in Brampton, Ontario. Marie-Philip Poulin scored her 100th and 101st career international goals in Canada’s 5-1 victory over the Czech Republic. Renata Fast, Laura Stacey and Ste. Anne’s Jocelyne Larocque also scored for the Canadians who will face Japan tonight.


Canada’s Brad Gushue will meet Niklas Edin of Sweden in a qualification game this afternoon at 1 p.m. at the World Men’s Curling Championship in Ottawa. Gushue, Mark Nichols, E.J. Harnden and Geoff Walker defeated Edin 8-5 Friday night as both teams finished the round robin with 9-3 records. Magnus Ramsfjell of Norway will meet Joel Retornaz of Italy in the other qualification game. The winners will join Bruce Mouat of Scotland and Yannick Schwaller of Switzerland in the semifinals.