GX94 Playoff Preview: Yorkton Terriers (3) vs Melville Millionaires (2)

Yorkton (30-18-1-7) 68 pts @ Melville (37-16-3) 77 pts

Regular Season

Yorkton's Leaders
Points: Greg Coburn (47), Derek Serdachny (45), Jordan Menke (38)
Goals: Torey Stott (18), Serdachny (17), Menke (15), Bryan Hull (13 in 34GP)
Assists: Coburn (34), Serdachny (28), Menke (23)
Defenseman Points: Coburn (47), Kirk Byczynski (32), Derek Derkach (15)

Melville's Leaders
Points: Daniel Hope (63), Levi Lind (60), Kale Dolinski/Logan Herauf (50)
Goals: Hope (28), Lind (24), Dolinski (22), Herauf/Shane Stanicky (19)
Assists: Lind (36), Hope (35), Herauf (31), Tyler Murray (30)
Defenseman Points: Jordan Reeve/Casey Dion (21), Austin Krahenbil/Curtis Beech (16)

Season Series
Breaking down these 8 games is like splitting hairs. There's no odds-on favourite this year. The Terriers snapped a streak of 12 straight losses to Melville when they swept the second home and home of the season in November. The two teams split the season series, and Melville was awarded the Parks Cup based on goals for and against, which was also nearly tied. It's also worth noting despite how close all 8 games were, none of them went to overtime. Games 1 and 2 of the Sherwood Semi last season both needed the extra frame, infact Game 2 went to a fifth period in Yorkton. The Mils won both games 2-1.

Oct/10 in Yorkton: 4-3 Mils
Oct/11 in Melville: 6-4 Mils (en)
Nov/21 in Yorkton: 3-1 Terriers
Nov/22 in Melville: 2-1 Terriers
Jan/1 in Melville: 4-1 Mils
Jan/3 in Yorkton: 4-3 Terriers
Jan/30 in Melville: 2-1 Terriers
Jan/31 in Yorkton: 4-1 Mils

Melville: 4-4 (24 goals for... one empty-netter)

Yorkton: 4-4 (20 goals for)

Both teams were 2-2 at home, and 2-2 on the road.

How's this for a stat? The team with more shots on goal LOST EVERY GAME!

Head-to-Head Numbers
A "defense-first" season series, only one player from each team managed a point per game through 8 games. Three other Mils who missed some action against the Terriers also had a point per game.

Yorkton
Greg Coburn 3G-5A-8P
Kirk Byczynski 2G-4A-6P
Cody Zubko 3G-2A-5P (in 6 GP)
Bryan Hull 1G-3A-4P (in 5 GP)

Melville
Logan Herauf 2G-6A-8P
Tyler Murray 2G-4A-6P
Jordan Reeve 1G-5A-6P (in 6 GP)
Kale Dolinski 4G-2A-6P (in 6 GP)
Aaron Decorby 3G-1A-4P (in 4 GP)

Between the Pipes
This matchup's gonna be a beauty. The SJHL's First Team All-Star Goalie Travis Bosch up against Devin Peters, the SJHL's All-Rookie Team Goalie.

Yorkton
#29 Devin Peters: 19-8-1-4, 2.53 GAA, .918%
#35 Joel Danyluk: 6-5-0-1, 2.76 GAA, .908%, 2 SO

Melville
#34 Travis Bosch: 29-16-3, 2.36 GAA, .928%, 1 SO
#35 Brady Wilyman: 3-0, 3.41, .882%, 1 SO
(Wilyman was in for 10 goals in the 14-0 loss in EST. That game aside, he's 3-0, 1.00, .962, SO)

Peters vs Melville
4-3, 2.72, .923

Bosch vs Yorkton
4-4, 2.61, .922

Offense From Their Defense
Here's an area that's REALLY in Yorkton's favour.

Terrier D-Men
Coburn: 13-34-47
K. Byczynski: 11-21-32
Derkach: 2-13-15
C. Byczynski: 5-8-13
Giesbrecht: 4-4-8
Shackleton: 1-6-7
Decker: 2-3-5
___________
38G-89A-127P

Millionaire D-Men
Dion: 6-15-21
Reeve: 1-20-21
Krahenbil: 7-9-16
Beech: 1-15-16
Mastad: 0-11-11
Houde: 1-3-4
Karius/Hollinger: 0-2-2
__________
16G-75A-91P

Melville defense and goaltenders did give up the second fewest goals in the league (142). Yorkton was third at (155). Humboldt (130) gave up the fewest in the SJHL.

Home Ice... Advantage?
As mentioned, home ice, road ice... it was all the same for both teams in the regular season. Both barns will be full, and both will have a lot of their own fans on the road making the 41km trek down, or up Hwy 10. But, I couldn't ignore these two home ice stats for Melville.

Goaltender Travis Bosch on home ice
1.84 GAA, .943%, 1 SO

Captain & Leader in Goals/Points Daniel Hope
21 of Hope's 28 goals came at home, and 40 of his 63 points. In other words, 75% of his goals and 63% of his points.

Can't wait for this one!