The Calgary Hitmen keep on acing their tests.

Viewed by many as the best pupils in their class of Western Hockey League teams this season, the Hitmen passed their latest test: the Brandon Wheat Kings. Although the Wheat Kings presented Calgary with their toughest challenge yet, the humble and hungry Hitmen swept Brandon, earning their third consecutive sweep of the 2009 playoffs.

"This is a very humble group and they understand that it gets tougher and tougher every step that you take," Hitmen head coach Dave Lowry said. "Brandon was a very, very good challenge for us."

While a four-game sweep may not seem like much of a challenge, Lowry has no allusions over the fact his team could have wound up down two games to one after the way the Wheat Kings battled in Games 2 and 3. In each game, Brandon scored the first two goals only to find themselves on the losing side.

"We found a way to win hockey games when we got pushed and it was good for our guys to have to buckle down and find a way to battle a little adversity," Lowry said.

It was just another example of Calgary's ability of finding ways to win hockey games, no matter the circumstances. The Hitmen, after all, enjoyed the second-best regular season in WHL history with 122 points, a mere three shy of the record set by the 1978-79 Wheat Kings.

Lowry credits his team's group of leaders for their ability to handle challenges.

"It's easy for (the leadership group) to be saying all the right things but whenever we face a challenge it's usually our top guys that are doing the little things right," Lowry explained. "It's easy for them to try and hold other players accountable when they're committed to what they're trying to achieve as well."

The series with Brandon also gave the Hitmen an opportunity to realize a potential deficiency. Although their team is one of the most offensively-gifted in the league, a run-and-gun high-tempo style is something Lowry would like to avoid when his team meets the winner of the Western Conference in the league championship series next week.

"(The series with Brandon) made us aware that there's a certain way we have to play and trading chances with a high-powered offence isn't going to help us be successful," Lowry said. "We gave up more chances than we probably would have liked but in the end we found a way to win four games."

One of the main reasons Calgary was able to find a way to win their series in four games is due to their balanced scoring. Seven players scored the Hitmen's 12 game-winning goals in the playoffs, including two by Kris Foucault.

The 18-year-old from Calgary leads the team in playoff goals with 10, a remarkable stat when considering the turbulent year Foucault experienced. After falling out of the lineup in Kootenay, Foucault joined the Canmore Eagles of the Alberta Junior Hockey League before his trade to Calgary at the WHL's trade deadline.

Foucault was acquired for depth but proved he could be a valuable player once given the opportunity.

"He's always had the skill but now he's starting to develop the understanding that with some skill you still have to play a certain way to be an effective player," Lowry said.

The coaching staff made it clear to Foucault upon his arrival that he would need to play his way in the lineup and earn his ice time. Like his team has done all playoffs, Foucault passed the test.

"What I really liked is that every time I did take him out of the lineup he always came back and responded and had a very strong game," his coach said. "He's worked himself up to be playing with some pretty good players right now."

Foucault credits his time in Canmore for gaining the confidence to succeed at the WHL level.

While most point to the acquisition of Joel Broda and Tomas Karpov in the blockbuster trade with the Moose Jaw Warriors as being their biggest trade, the depth the team added by acquiring Foucault gives Calgary the ability to roll lines against any opponent.

"That's one reason why we've been able to be successful and win hockey games this year is that we don't have just one or two guys that can score," Lowry acknowledged. "We have, on any given night, four lines that can score and also our back-end, they contribute to the offence as well."

The Hitmen will enjoy a day off Friday as a perk of winning their series quickly before hitting the ice again on Saturday. Calgary continues to wait for the winner of the Western Conference final, which is tied at two games apiece between the Kelowna Rockets and Vancouver Giants.

"We know that whoever comes out of the West is going to be a very good team," Lowry said. "Every team has pushed and challenged us in different ways and we know it's going to continue to be a battle and this is something that our team is very excited about."

The Hitmen should be excited. After all, there's just one more test remaining.