Loading...
Voice of the ND Hounds
Someone get the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League script-writers a raise! Today is decision day in the league, the final day of the regular season, and all sorts of playoff seedings are still up for grabs. Spots No 1, 2, 4, 5, and 10 are all going to be decided tonight!
Here’s what we know for sure, as of the morning of Tuesday, March 5, 2019:
1) The Humboldt Broncos will finish in the No. 6 spot and take on the No. 3 ranked Estevan Bruins in a very tasty Round 1 playoff series
2) Three of the four Survivor Series spots are in stone, as Flin Flon will finish in the No. 7 spot, Yorkton will take the No. 8 spot regardless of what happens in their final game against the Weyburn Red Wings, and Notre Dame will finish in No. 8. The Bombers opponent is still up in the air.
3) If there are a couple teams tied for No. 1 at the end of the night, the Melfort Mustangs will take it, because their tie-breaking formula is impressively ahead of everyone (regulation wins + overtime wins).
4) And that is all we know…
Here’s what we can find out from each match-up on Tuesday night:
Kindersley Klippers @ Battlefords North Stars, North Battleford Civic Centre, 7:30 p.m.: How cool is this? Regardless of results elsewhere, the winner of this game between these ancient, blood rivals will determine the top spot in the Global Ag Risk Solutions Division, and at the very least the No. 2 seed in the post-season. A win either way, and losses by Nipawin AND Melfort, would mean the winner of this game jumps up to No. 1 in the league, as both Kindersley and Battlefords hold the tie-breaker ahead of Nipawin, with whom the Global Ag Risk club would be tied atop the league on 79 points. The loser of this game will finish fifth and have either Nipawin or Melfort in the first round without home-ice advantage, so winning tonight would serve either the Klips or Stars big time.
Melfort Mustangs @ Flin Flon Bombers, Whitney Forum, Flin Flon, MB, 7:30 p.m.: The Mustangs have been ripping the SJHL to shreds lately, and at 39 regulation-plus-overtime wins (or ROWs as the league is calling them) they hold all the tie-breakers. So, all the Mustangs, who sit at 78 points, need to worry about is at the very least being tied with the Nipawin Hawks, who sit at 79 points, at the end of the night. Flin Flon has nothing to play for, as they are assured the No. 7 spot, so it will be interesting to see if their coach Mike Reagan rest some key guys tonight; Trevor Blevins and his men hope so. If Nipawin wins its game, there is nothing Melfort can do to avoid finishing No. 4, with a looming tough Round 1 against either Kindersley or Battlefords.
Melville Millionaires @ Nipawin Hawks, Centennial Arena, Nipawin, SK, 7:30 p.m.: The Millionaires looked like they had the final playoff spot done and dusted, even after a hard-fought 6-4 loss to the powerhouse Melfort Mustangs on Feb. 20; but four losses out of five, including two against their direct competitors for the No. 10 spot the Weyburn Red Wings, leave Kyle Adams’ crew in a very precarious position, on the road against a Nipawin team with the No. 1 overall spot still to play for. That all being said, the Millionaires have played the Hawks extremely hard this year, with two of the three matchups being decided by a single goal, and the other one a 2-0 Nipawin victory in Melville on Oct. 26, 2018. A tie at the end of the night does the Hawks no good, as the Mustangs hold the tie-breaker, though it is pretty simple for Doug Johnson’s men: win, and No. 1 and home ice throughout the playoffs is yours. Weyburn and Melville are also tied on points for that No. 10 spot, though the Red Wings hold the tie-breaker, so the Mils need at least a point from this one.
Yorkton Terriers @ Weyburn Red Wings, Crescent Point Palace, Weyburn, SK, 7:30 p.m.: It really does look like the Wings have all the cards for that No. 10 spot headed into the night. The Terriers have nothing to play for, with No. 8 all sown up and a date with the Notre Dame Hounds already scheduled to kick off Friday night at the Farrell Agencies Arena in Yorkton. Their bench boss Matt Hehr hinted on the radio to Terriers play-by-play guy Benny Walchuk that a lot of regulars will be rested in this one, and Weyburn already has the tie-breaker with Melville, so the Wings can even lose and still get in. A recent three-game win streak for the Wings, including two over the Millionaires, and one over their rivals the Estevan Bruins, have made this all possible. Still, they need to at worst be tied on points with Melville at the end of the night, and far crazier things have happened than this Red Wings team dropping the ball when all is said and done. Weyburn’s leader Ben Hiltz looks like he has snapped out of his 2019 funk though, and the Wings are finally healthy, so it should be an interesting night at the Crescent Point Palace.
Loading...
No responses yet for "TUESDAY IS DECISION DAY IN THE SJHL"
Post a Comment