Wayway-Winkler Round 1 Dates

Game 1: Thu/Mar/3 @ Winkler

Game 2: Sat/Mar/5 @ Wayway

Game 3: Sun/Mar/6 @ Winkler

Game 4: Tue/Mar/8 @ Wayway

Game 5: Fri/Mar/11 @ Winkler *

Game 6: Sun/Mar/13 @ Wayway *

Game 7: Tue/Mar/15 @ Winkler *

Harvest Force Game 4 vs Mintos

The Harvest beat the league-leading P.A. Mintos 4-3 in Prince Albert on Saturday to stay alive. The Mintos lead the Best-of-Five 2-1. The Terriers are off until the weekend, so why not get your playoff fix and pack the FAA!

Mils FINISH Comeback This Time, Tie Series

(Benches clear after the buzzer sounds to end game one. Coaches try to pry their guys out of the pile. Mils score three straight late in the third to win Game 2 5-4, tie the series at 1-1)

The Melville Millionaires trailed 3-1 and 4-2, before scoring three third period goals, to beat the Estevan Bruins 5-4 in regulation, and tie the series Sherwood Survivor Series at a game a piece.

It was a similar story line to game one. The Mils carried the play for much of the first period, out-shooting the Bruins 10-6, but found themselves down 3-1. Lucas Froese got the Mils on the board in period one.

Just like Game 1, the Mils scored the only goal of the second period, when Mark Owen went top shelf on a 5-on-3.

The Bruins made it 4-2 with about 7 minutes left... but I've learned never to count out this Melville team over this last month or so.

The Mils converted on another powerplay about a minute later, on Mike Rogoschewsky's 2nd of the playoffs. Roger Tagoona deflected a Justin Hollinger point shot home with 1:34 remaining... and when it looked like overtime was on its way for a second straight night... Rogoschewsky took things into his own hands.

He stripped Bruins' defenseman Joel Kot of the puck right at the Melville blueline... chipped it by him, shook him off at centre, and had a 2-on-1 from the blueline in with Mark Owen. He slid it across, Owen was hooked up, a delayed penalty was coming, but Owen snapped it off the crossbar and in with 63 seconds left in regulation.

HERE'S THE COMEBACK



It's pretty special to watch guys like Rogy, Hollinger and Craig Karius, etc, who had chances to go to teams with better records at the deadline... but chose to stay with their hometown teams. Rogoschewsky's playing like a 20-year-old man possessed. He's probably not a better skater than Joel Kot, but he out-willed him to a loose puck and found a way to set up the game winner.

The two teams were involved in a pushing and shoving match after the buzzer. Michael Desjarlais was kicked while he was down in the middle of it. Both coaches tried getting their guys out of there, and I think did a good job to minimize the damage. No gloves were dropped or anything... I doubt anyone will have to miss Game 3.

Coach Jamie Fiesel planned on starting Zach Rakochy in goal... but Rakochy, who's not 100%, felt he wasn't able to go. Alex Sirard gave up 3 goals on 6 first period shots, but settled down and stopped 21/25 overall.

Both games have been 5-4, and aside from an empty netter in the January 25th meeting, the last 6 meetings between these two teams have been decided by one goal, including 3 in overtime or shootouts.

Game 3 Monday in Estevan... catch the action on GX94... Pre-Game Show at 7:15, puck drops at 7:30.

Sent from my BlackBerry® powered by Virgin Mobile.

Stamps/Portage Dates Set

The Swan Valley Stampeders and Portage Terriers are gettimg an early start to the playoffs due to rink availability. The Best of Seven starts Wed/Thu in Portage.

Game 1: Wed/Mar/2 @ POR
Game 2: Thu/Mar/3 @ POR
Game 3: Mon/Mar/7 @ SV
Game 4: Tue/Mar/8 @ SV
Game 5: Thu/Mar/10 @ POR
Game 6: Sat/Mar/12 @ SV
Game 7: Tue/Mar/15 @ POR

Sent from my BlackBerry® powered by Virgin Mobile.

Making Summer Plans?

Sent from my BlackBerry® powered by Virgin Mobile.

Mils Rally To Tie, Drop Game 1 in OT / Swan - Portage Round 1

As I'm typing this, the Mils coaches are watching film in the seats infront of me. The first periods almost over and the puck's been in Estevan's end for the better part of it, and the Bruins led the Mils 4-1 at that point.

Mark Cross scored Estevan's first three goals, while Ben Findlay added a PP goal late in the 1st.

Tyson Newell scored Melville's only first period goal. Ian McNulty made it 4-2 with the only goal of the 2nd.

Michael Desjarlais and Mike Rogoschewsky found the net in the 3rd to complete the comeback, but Josh Jelinski ended it just 46 seconds into overtime for the Bruins.

Zach Rakochy allowed 4 goals on 13 first period shots, while Alex Sirard played the remainder, stopping all 21 he faced in regulation, and allowed the first shot he faced in overtime.

Coach Jamie Fiesel said on the Post Game Show he won't decide until Saturday who plays in Game 2.

Its a 7:30 start tonight (SAT) at Melville Stadium. Tickets go on sale at noon, right up until game time at the Millionaires' Booster Booth.

------------------

The Sherwood Division Semi-Finals are finally set in the MJHL.

Portage beat Dauphin 5-4 on Friday, clinching the Terriers top spot in the Sherwood.

That means, for the 3rd time in 4 years, the Swan Valley Stampeders will face Portage in Round 1.

Dauphin has home ice against OCN in the other series.

Wayway still isn't 100% sure they're playing Winkler. Winkler came from behind to beat the Saints 8-7, while Selkirk beat Neepawa in OT. Selkirk's 3 points back with 2 games left.

---------

The regular season ended for Swan and Wayway as the Stamps beat the Wolverines 4-3 in Wayway.

Brad McDonald (2), Beau Taylor (1g-1a) and Dylan Reimer (1g-1a) scored for Swan.

Josh Daley, Paul Van de Velde and Dave Williams resonded for the Wolverines, who out-shot Swan Valley 34-17.

Sent from my BlackBerry® powered by Virgin Mobile.

GX94 Playoff Preview: (5) Melville Millionaires @ (4) Estevan Bruins

Melville (24-30-1-3) 52 pts vs Estevan (29-23-4-2)

Regular Season

Melville's Leaders
Lucas Froese 47 GP (22g-21a-43p)
Roger Tagoona 57 GP (13g-27a-40p)
Michael Desjarlais 58 GP (19g-15a-34p)
Mark Owen 43 GP (10g-23a-33p)
Justin Hollinger 52 GP (9g-23a-32p)

D- Tyson Newell 46 GP (12g-15a-27p)
*Newell did spent some time at forward
Rookie- Tagoona (40 pts)

Estevan's Leaders
Jonathan Ceci 54 GP (23g-46a-69p)
(Ceci: 8g-16a-24p in 18 games w/ EST)
Troy Hunter: 56 GP (21g-36a-57p)
Ryan Andersen: 56 GP (27g-28a-56p)
Dylan Smith: 52 GP (23g-32a-55p)
Mark Cross: 58 GP (18g-27a-45p)

D- Ty Arris: 49 GP (10g-23a-33p)
Rookie- Cole Olson 56 GP (13g-13a-36p)

Season Series (7 games)
With a meeting at the Showcase, the Mils and Bruins met 7 times this regular season, and the Bruins won 6 of them.

Sep/16 @ MVL: 6-4 EST
Sep/18 @ EST: 7-3 EST
Sep/22 @ EST: 5-3 EST
Oct/22 @ MVL: 5-4 MVL
Dec/3 @ Showcase: 4-3 (SO) EST
Jan/25 @ MVL: 3-1 EST
Feb/22 @ EST: 6-5 (SO) EST

Estevan never scored less than 3 goals in a game, and out-scored the Millionaires 33-24. The Bruins averaged 4.71 goals for/game vs Melville.

Estevan: 6-1
Melville: 1-4-2

In Estevan: EST 3-0 / MVL 0-2-1
In Melville: EST 2-1 / MVL 1-2
Showcase: EST 1-0 / MVL 0-0-1

Head-to-Head Stats
Melville: Desjarlais/Tagoona 6 pts each
Estevan: Ryan Anderson 11 pts (in 6 games)

Between the Pipes
20-year-old Yorkton product Joel Danyluk will start for Estevan. The former Terrier led La Ronge to a Credit Union Cup Championship last season. At the other end, 17-year-old Zach Rakochy gets his first SJHL Playoff start tonight.

Melville
#34 Zach Rakochy: 17-18-1, 3.56 GAA, .903%, 2 SO
#35 Alex Sirard: 5-7-3, 4.40 GAA, .879%

Estevan
#1 Joel Danyluk: 18-16-1, 3.73 GAA, .897%, 1 SO
#30 Shea Cooper: 11-11-1, 3.97 GAA, .891%

Danyluk vs MVL: Played every game, went 6-1.
Rakochy vs EST: 1-2, 5.28 GAA, .854%

Special Teams
PP: MVL 18.7% (10th) / EST 19.8% (7th)
PK: MVL 76.6% (10th) / EST 77.5% (9th)

Home Ice is Key
Estevan went 16-8-3-1 at home this season, and the Mils were winless in three appearances at the Civic Auditorium. If they can't win a game there in this series, their season will be done next week. On the road overall, the Millionaires went 9-18-0-2. At the Vault, the Mils were 15-12-1-1, while Estevan was just under .500 away from home, at 13-15-1-1.

Physicality Picks Up
It's cliche, but you have to lay the body even more than usual at this time of year. Wear down your opponent, and you'll have a better shot at success, if they're less willing to go into corners first. Estevan's rink is the smallest in the SJ, and physical play is a given there. The Bruins have two extremes, lost of big boys (Ariss, Rock, Stubel, Hunter, Andersen)... while some of their top forwards are small (Ceci, Findlay, Waskewitch).

Bruins' Banged-Up Blueline?
We do know local product Tyler Spencer has left the team for an oil job and won't be back. On Tuesday, it sounded like Ty Ariss would be back for the Survivor Series, but Lucas Stubel's status was in question both for Game 1, and the series. Again, it comes down to finishing checks. Joel Kot will log a tonne of minutes and the Mils will have to be physical with him, and the rest of a banged up D.

Stat of the Day
The Mils were 24-30-1-3 in 2010/11... hardly a favourite to make it through a tough Sherwood Conference. BUT WAIT... the 2009/10 Yorkton Terriers... were 24-30-3-1. VERY different situations though. The Terriers added Troy Smukowich, Adam Moar, Ryan Griffiths, Kyle Miller, Drew McDermott and Blaine Tendler during last season. Melville traded Brayden Metz, Cody Hanson and Kyle Jahraus.

Series Schedule
Game 1: Fri/Feb/25 @ EST
Game 2: Sat/Feb/26 @ MVL
Game 3: Mon/Feb/28 @ EST
Game 4: Tue/Mar/1 @ MVL *if nec
Game 5: Thu/Mar/3 @ EST *if nec
All games on GX94. 7:15 Pre-Game Shows, 7:30 starts.

1st Annual SJHL Broadcasters Poll

8 SJHL Play-by-Play announcers took part in a random poll about players, coaches, rinks, and food!

Everyone picked their top three choices for every category, with 1st place votes earning 3 points, 2nd place votes getting 2 points, while 1 point went to 3rd place votes.

The maximum any individual could get is 24 points.

-------------------------

Best Forward
1) Marc-Andre Carre, LAR (21/24)
T2) Travis Eggum, LAR (7/24)
T2) Jeremy Boyer, YOR (7/24)
4) Andrew Dommett, KIN (4/24)
*Carre had 7 of 8 1st place votes

2-Way Forward
1) Doug Lindensmith, LAR (6/24)
T2) Ryan Fox, FF (5/24)
T2) Nolan Souchotte, LAR (5/24)
4) Jesse Mireau, MFT (4/24)
*Lindensmith had 2 1st place votes
*No one player had more than 2 votes. 19 different players were picked out of 24 votes!

Best Shot
1) Travis Eggum, LAR (15/24)
2) Jeremy Boyer, YOR (8/24)
3) Andrew Dommet, KIN (7/24)

Playmaker
1) Johnny Calkins, KIN (15/24)
2) Marc-Andre Carre, LAR (12/24)
3) Justin Buzzeo, YOR (11/24)

Offensive Defenseman
1) Josh Roach, HUM (22/24)
2) Brody Luhning, BAT (8/24)
3) Blaine Tendler, YOR (5/24)
*Roach had 6 of 8 1st place votes, and was in 7 of 8 top-three picks

Stay-at-Home Defenseman
1) James Howden, ND (8/24)
2) Lee Christensen, MFT (6/24)
3) Craig Karius, MVL (5/24)
4) Jonathan Sonntag, KIN (4/24)

Top Goalie
1) Charles Corsi, MFT (18/24)
2) Russell Abbott, ND (14/24)
3) P.J. Musico, FF (5/24)
T4) Devin Peters, YOR (4/24)
T4) Mitch Kilgore, WEY (4/24)
*7 of 8 1st place votes went to either Corsi or Abbott

Top Rookie
1) Eli Litchenwald, NIP (17/24)
2) Kyle Hall, BAT (9/24)
3) Jesse Ross, WEY (6/24)
4) Keegan Bruce, WEY (5/24)
*Litchenwald had 5 1st place votes

Picks For a Shootout
T1) Justin Buzzeo, YOR (6/24)
T1) Andrew Johnston, FF (6/24)
T1) Jonathan Ceci, EST (6/24)
T1) Drew George, WEY (6/24)
5) Logan Herauf, LAR (4/24)
*Buzzeo led with two 1st place votes. The other three had 3 votes, including one 1st place.

Best Fighter
1) Tony Oak, BAT (12/24)
2) Brett Pisio, HUM (9/24)
3) John Sonntag, KIN (6/24)
4) Tyler Mah, FF (4/24)
*Oak picked up 3/8 1st place votes

Toughest to Play Against
1) Taylor Duzan, KIN (8/24)
T2) Tony Oak, BAT (5/24)
T2) Lucas Ulmer, WEY (5/24)

Most Under-Rated
1) Taylor Duzan, KIN (5/24)
T2) Cole Gibson, BAT (4/24)
T2) Brent Struble, YOR (4/24)
T2) Braeden Adamyk, KIN (4/24)
*No one had more than 2 votes. Top 4 each had one 1st place, and one other vote.
*Like 2-way forward, 24 selections went to 19 different guys!

Coach of the Year
1) Bob Beatty, LAR (17/24)
2) Trent Cassan, YOR (11/24)
3) Dean Brockman, HUM (9/24)
*7 of 8 guys had Beatty in Top 3, including 4 1st place votes. Cassan and Brockman each had 6 votes.

Easiest Interview, Coach
1) Jamie Fiesel, MVL (16/24)
2) Trent Cassan, YOR (11/24)
3) Darrell Mann, MFT (8/24)
4) Mike Reagan, FF (4/24)
*Fiesel was in the top three in 7 of 8 polls.

Most Quotable Coach
1) Jamie Fiesel, MVL (23/24)
2) Darrell Mann, MFT (7/24)
3) Bob Beatty, LAR (4/24)
*Fiesel had 6 1st place votes. One respondant gave him their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place votes! And it wasn't even me!

Favourite Rink to Broadcast In
1) Crescent Point Place, Weyburn (15/24)
2) Northern Lights Ice Palace, Melfort (12/24)
3) Whitney Forum, Flin Flon (8/24)
4) Elgar Peterson Arena, Humboldt (4/24)
*4 1st place votes to Weyburn

Least Favourite Rink
1) Civic Auditorium, Estevan (16/24)
2) Mel Hegland Uniplex, La Ronge (12/24)
3) Duncan McNeil Arena, Notre Dame (9/24)
4) Centennial Arena, Nipawin (6/24)
*4 first (or last) place votes to Estevan.

Loudest Rink
1) Whitney Forum, FF (23/24)
2) Mel Hegland, LAR (10/24)
3) CPP, WEY (9/24)
*Flin Flon had 7 1st, and 1 2nd place vote. Most decisive pick in the entire poll.

Best Rink Food/Coffee (18 votes submitted)
1) Weyburn (14/18)
T2) Estevan (5/18)
T2) Yorkton (5/18)
*Well done Weyburn! Best Broadcast location, 3rd Loudest fans, Best Food!

Favourite Hotel (18 votes)
1) Evergreen, Nipawin (9/18)
2) Elk Ridge (6/18) * not located in an SJ centre, but still a destination, 2 1st place votes.
T3) Gold Eagle, Battlefords (5/18)
T3) Victoria Inn, Flin Flon (5/18)
5) La Ronge Inn & Suites (4/18)

Favourite Out of Town City
1) Flin Flon (8/24)
2) Yorkton (7/24)
3) Weyburn (6/24)
4) The Battlefords (5/24)

AND... Who Will Be in the Credit Union Cup Final? *UPDATED WITH ONE NEW POLL COMING IN*

La Ronge & Kindersley (6/9)
La Ronge & Yorkton (2/9)
Melfort & Yorkton (1/9)

La Ronge (8/9)
Kindersley (6/9)
Yorkton (3/9)
Melfort (1/8)

Survivor Series' Kick Off Friday

I'll default to the SJHL Website's top notch series breakdowns for now... but I hope to have a preview up on the morning.

SHERWOOD CONFERENCE: MELVILLE-ESTEVAN

BAUER CONFERENCE: FLIN FLON-BATTLEFORDS

I spent a good chunk of the evening adding up results from an SJHL Broadcasters' Poll. Tried to post it but for some reason the laptop's not letting me copy/paste, and I wasn't typin' it twice! Will also get that up in the morning. Dan O'Connor in Battleford has it up... click his link on the right!

The 8 guys who responded gave 3 picks for each category. 1st place votes get 3 points, 2nd place votes get 2, and 3rd place votes get one point each.

GX Regular Season Ends in a Shootout

(Gagnon's 40 saves leads Wolverines over Stampeders in a shootout)

For a second straight night on GX94, a game that meant nothing in the standings ended up being entertaining, and required a shootout to declare a winner, as the Wayway Wolverines went into Swan Valley, and won 4-3 (SO).

The Stamps were in control for much of the game, leading 1-0 and 2-1. But the Wolverines' powerplay tied it twice, and Brett Pinkerton gave Wayway their first lead with about 3:30 to play in regulation.

Just when it looked like it was game over, Swan Valley's Ryan Marshall scored his 2nd of the night, RIGHT AT the buzzer to force overtime.

I looked back at the clock and saw 1.1 seconds left and the puck was in the corner. It squirted loose to Marshall at the back door, and he stuffed it home.

Pinkerton, Ryan Duhaime and Ashley Howie scored for Wayway, while Paul Vandevelde had two assists, and goaltender Brett Gagnon (picutred) stopped 40/43 shots in the win.

Only 3 Stampeders had points on their 3 goals, and they each had 3. Marshall had 2g-1a and a shootout goal. Shelby Gray had 1g-2a, and also a shootout goal, while Defenseman Brent Wilson had 3 assists.

The Stamps are in Wayway on Friday to finish the regular season for both teams.

That was our final broadcast of the regular season. Next up... SJHL Survivor Series... Melville at Estevan tomorrow (FRI) night for Game 1 of the Best-of-Five.

Best Western Hotel Decked Out in Terrier Colours!

SJHL Regular Season DONE / Stamps Fate Sealed

It was a 'nothing game', but an exciting one in Estevan, as the Bruins and Melville Millionaires were the last teams to wrap up the final night of the regular season, with Estevan coming out on top 6-5 in a shootout.

The Mils held leads of 1-0 and 2-1, before trailing 3-2 and eventually 5-3, before scoring two late ones to tie.

Michael Desjarlais, Mark Owen, Dayton Reinboldt (1st SJHL goal), Lucas Froese (team-high 22nd), and Godric Tham scored for Melville.

There was a bit of bad blood, but I was glad to see things didn't get 'stupid' ahead of the playoffs.

The Mils are in Estevan again on Friday for Game 1 of the SJHL Sherwood Conference Survivor Series (7:15/7:30 GX94).

--------------------

Unfortunately, our final regular season broadcast of 2010-11 is another 'nothing-game'.

I'm in Swan River Wednesday night as the Swan Valley Stampeders host the Wayway Wolverines.

A couple weeks ago, I remember thinking this home-and-home might decide 4th place, or even decide who's in the playoffs and who's not.

While I'm thrilled that both the Stamps and Wolverines are playoff-bound, thanks to the cross-over, it's too bad a home-and-home between two division rivals at the end of the season doesn't have a little more on the line.

Wayway learned over the weekend they'll finish 5th in the Sherwood and cross over into the Addison Division, and will face the first place team over there, either Winkler or Selkirk.

Swan Valley fell 4-2 in OCN Tuesday night, meaning they'll stay in 4th, and play the first place team in the Sherwood... either Portage or Dauphin.

Beau Taylor and Ryan Wigner (1st MJHL goal) scored for Swan Valley in OCN, while Ryan Marshall and Brent Wilson had 2 assists each.

Mils-Bruins Dates Confirmed

Friday February 25 @ Estevan 7:30 pm

Saturday February 26 @ Melville 7:30 pm

Monday February 28 @ Estevan 7:30 pm

Tuesday March 1 @ Melville - if necessary 7:30 pm

Thursday March 3 @ Estevan - if necessary 7:30 pm

**It SOUNDS LIKE we'll broadcast every game... I'll let you know if that changes. Playoff Pre Game Shows will start at 7:15**

Dauphin 3 @ Wayway 4 (SO)

Ryan Duhaime, Josh Daley and Dave Williams scored, leading the Wayway Wolverines to a 4-3 shootout victory over Dauphin in their final meeting against the Kings this regular season.

Paul Vandevelde had a pair of helpers, while Brett Gagnon got the start, and kicked out 31/34 shots.

The Wolverines (28-25-7) know they'll finish 5th in the Sherwood, despite guaranteeing themselves an above .500 season with Monday's win.

Wayway will face either Winkler or Selkirk in Round 1, whoever finishes first in the Addison. Winkler came from behind, and lost 4-3 in a shootout to the Saints on Monday, earning a point, while Selkirk lost to Portage. That leaves the Flyers (2 games left) 3 points up on Selkirk (3 games left).

Dauphin meanwhile, stayed mathematically alive in their chase for 1st. They're now 6 points behind Portage, with 3 games to play. Doing a quick scan of the schedule, Portage has the season series right now with Dauphin, 4-3... but Dauphin hosts Portage on Friday. If Dauphin wins, the season series is tied, and it comes down to overall wins. Dauphin has to run the table and Portage has to lose their final two games for the two teams to finish tied, in which case Dauphin would have the most wins.

It might not even be that far-fetched, with Portage finishing with (@ DAU Fri, @ SELK Sun)... while Dauphin, aside from the head-to-head with POR, goes (@ NEE Wed, vs Blues SAT).

Only reason I'm paying this much attention to this race, is because Swan will play one of the two teams in Round 1. The Stamps are fourth now, but could still catch OCN for 3rd. They'll need a win tonight (TUE) in OCN for that to happen, and then they'd have to fare better in two games vs Wayway this week (Wed/Fri) than OCN does in their final two games in Neepawa (Sat/Sun).

Stamps/Wolverines All Over MJHL All-Star Teams

MJHL 1st Team All-Stars
F Shane Luke, Dauphin
F Paul Vandevelde, Wayway
F Shelby Gray, Swan Valley
D Clark Byczynski, Swan Valley
G Matt Krahn, OCN

MJHL Rookie All-Star Team
F Bryn Chyzyk, Dauphin
F Brent Wold, Portage
F Brett Pinkerton, Wayway
D Landon Peel, Swan Valley
D Yvan Pattyn, Portage
G Reed Peters, Winkler

Regular Season Recap: Yorkton Terriers

At one point, I remember the Terriers had a 13 point lead atop the SJHL Sherwood Conference, and it was the Estevan Bruins sitting in 2nd. The Kindersley Klippers were the best team in the Sherwood since Christmas, and really put the heat on the Terriers, but Yorkton was able to hold them off and claim the Sherwood Conference pennant.

Because that cushion was trimmed down, there's a bit of a misconception that the Terriers are struggling heading into the playoffs.

Really, they only struggled for a 7 game stretch where they failed to pick up a win, starting before Christmas, and ending in mid-January. They left some points on the table due to less than stellar success in OT and shootouts... but lucky for them, 4-on-4 OT, and shootouts are no longer once playoffs start! They also picked up points in 9 of their last 10 regular season games, and most of that stretch was without Devin Peters, Blaine Tendler, Robbie Ciolfi and Zak Majkowski.

Another misconception in some circles is that the Terriers have struggled as a team since acquiring Jeremy Boyer and Justin Buzzeo from Humboldt, and that the two of them will get their points, and the team they're on will suffer despite them. Yorkton went 10-4-1-2 since the trade... so hopefully that theory gets put to bed.

I would agree that the Terriers aren't playing their BEST hockey of the season right now, but they haven't played one game since acquiring Boyer, Buzzeo and Brant Remenda with each of their top 12 forwards, top 6 defensemen, and Devin Peters all in the lineup.

Head-to-Head Records:
Notre Dame: 5-0-1
Melville: 4-1-3
Estevan: 4-1-1
Kindersley: 3-2-1
Weyburn: 2-3-1
Sherwood: 18-7-7

La Ronge: 3-1
Battlefords: 3-1
Flin Flon: 3-1
Humboldt: 2-1-1
Nipawin: 2-2
Melfort: 2-3
Bauer: 15-9-1

Home: 20-7-1
Road: 12-9-7
Showcase: 2-0

There'll be more Terrier talk on the blog leading up to their playoffs, while Melville will likely take centre stage as this week rolls along. But, there's a quick look at Yorkton's regular season.

The Terriers play either the Estevan Bruins or Melville Millionaires in the Sherwood Conference Semi-Finals, beginning either March 4th or 5th in Yorkton.

Goin' All In!

For the first time since the 2007-08 season, my first year at GX94, all 4 teams we cover will compete in the SJHL and MJHL Playoffs.

The Melville Millionaires were the last team to join the party, thanks to Notre Dame's 5-3 loss Sunday night in Weyburn.

The Mils will play the Estevan Bruins in the Sherwood Conference Survivor Series, starting Friday in Estevan. Game 2 will be Saturday in Melville. The two teams finish the regular season with a playoff preview Tuesday in Estevan on GX94.

The Yorkton Terriers will await the winner of the Melville/Estevan series, while the other Conference Semi-Final will see Weyburn starting on the road against the Kindersley Klippers on Friday, March 4th.

-----------

Melville's the only one of our four teams who already knows their first round opponent.

Melville: Estevan
Yorkton: Estevan or Melville
Swan Valley: Portage or Dauphin
Wayway: Winkler or Selkirk

Sent from my BlackBerry® powered by Virgin Mobile.

Wayway Wolverines Playoff Bound! / Stamps Stay in Sherwood

After missing the playoffs in the first seven years of their existence, the Waywayseecappo Wolverines made the post-season in 3 straight years from 2006-07 to 2008-09. They were on the outside looking in again last season... but now, they're goin' back.

The Wolverines lost 6-3 to Dauphin on Saturday night, but Neepawa also fell 4-3 to the Winnipeg Blues.

That result leaves Neepawa 9 points back of Wayway with only 4 games left, meaning the Wolverines clinch.

They also already know they'll be crossing over to the Addison Divsion, with Swan Valley beating OCN 5-2 on Saturday. The Stamps are 8 up on Wayway and the Wolverines have 3 to play. Therefore, Swan Valley's guaranteed to finish no lower than 4th, and will remain in the Sherwood Division for playoffs.

The Stamps are 3 back of OCN with 3 to play, including another head to head match Tuesday in The Pas, so the Stampeders could still get as high as 3rd.

Winkler won 5-3 in Steinbach, so the Flyers are now in 1st place by themselves, 2 points up on Selkirk in the Addison Division. Selkirk has one game in hand. Whoever finishes first will have home ice advantage against Wayway in round one.

-----------

Melville led La Ronge 2-0 2:30 into Saturday night's game at the Vault, but they went on to lose 7-3.

The good news for the Mils, was Notre Dame lost 3-1 to Humboldt. Melville still haven't clinched 5th... but their magic number is now 1.

A win Tuesday in Estevan, OR a Notre Dame regulation loss in one of their final two games (SUN @ WEY, MON @ EST) would do it for the Millionaires.

Terriers Close it Out in Style

Sent from my BlackBerry® powered by Virgin Mobile.

The Yorkton Terriers are the first SJHL team to finish the regular season, and they did so by snapping the La Ronge Ice Wolves' 11-game winning streak, with a 5-2 decision Friday night.

The Terriers trailed 2-1 after one period, as Zak Majkowski got the Terriers on the board with his 21st of the season.

Warren Shymko shut the door the rest of the way, making 30 saves on 32 shots for the win. Craig Eisenhut and Brent Struble scored in the second period, while Jeremy Johnson and Clarke Breitkreuz provided insurance in the third. Robbie Ciolfi had 3 assists on the night.

Referee Jason Mercer let the SJHL's two first place teams play. Literally. ZERO penalties were called either way, and it was a wide-open game with plenty of flow.

The Terriers will stay away from the rink for the weekend, and get back to work on Tuesday as they get set for the playoffs.

They won't play their first playoff game until the first weekend in March. If the Survivor Series goes less than 5 games, the Terriers will play the winner on Friday, March 4th. But if it goes 5 games, they'll start on Saturday the 5th.

**Useless fact of the day: Not many last names end with the letter 'O'... but all four goalies dressed Friday in Yorkton do! Shymko, Vargo, Bartko, Hovdebo. I know, I need to get out more.

--------------

The Melville Millionaires nearly erased a 4-1 deficit for the second straight game, but came up short, falling 4-3 in Weyburn.

Dane Bonish, Tyson Newell and Michael Rogoschewsky scored for the Mils, while Roger Tagoona and Justin Hollinger had 2 assists each.

The Mils remain 2 points up on the Notre Dame Hounds, who were idle Friday night. The Hounds now have a game in hand, with three remaining, compared to just two for the Millionaires.

Both clubs are on home ice tonight (SAT), with the Mils hosting La Ronge, and Notre Dame welcoming Humboldt. A Mils win AND a Hounds regulation loss would clinch the Millionaires the final playoff spot in the Sherwood, while vice versa would leave the two teams tied.

-------------------------

The Swan Valley Stampeders nudged a little closer to the 3rd place OCN Blizzard for third place in the MJHL Sherwood standings, beating the Blizzard 4-3 in a shootout on the road.

The Stamps are now 6-and-1 in the month of February.

Swan Valley's now five points back of OCN, and play the Blizzard twice more, tonight (SAT) at home, and Tuesday back in OCN.

The Stampeders got 35 saves from Jayson Argue, and a goal and an assist from Jeff Peel and Brendan Mitchell on Friday. Tony Partridge also scored, while Taylor Epp had a pair of helpers.

-------

The Wayway Wolverines were off on Friday, but are now a single point away from clinching a spot in the playoffs, after the Neepawa Natives were shutout 3-0 by the Winnipeg Saints.

Neepawa's 9 points back of the Wolverines for a cross-over spot, with 5 games to play. Anything less than 5 wins in Neepawa's last 5 games, and Wayway losing all of their last 4, would wrap up a playoff spot for the Wolverines.

- With Swan Valley winning on Friday, it looks more and more like the Wolverines won't finish higher than 5th. Wayway trails the Stamps by 6 points with 4 games left, and if they stay in 5th, they'll play the first place team from the Addison Division, either Selkirk or Winkler. Winkler beat Selkirk 3-2 on the road on Friday, to pull back into a tie for first place. Selkirk has the tie-breaking, winning 6 of the 9 head-to-head meetings.

Wayway's home to Dauphin tonight (SAT) and again Monday, before finishing with a home-and-home against Swan Valley next Wednesday and Friday.

Byczynski Named MJHL Defenseman of the Year

The Manitoba Jr Hockey League released its individual award winners this morning, and Swan Valley Stampeders' defenseman Clark Byczynski was named the league's top defenseman.

The Bredenbury, SK product and former Yorkton Terrier has 37 points in 50 games with the Stampeders so far.

Other Awards

MVP: Shane Luke, Dauphin
Ability & Sportsmanship: Shane Luke, Dauphin
(SV's Ryan Marshall runner-up)
Top Goalie: Matt Krahn, OCN
Top Rookie: Bryn Chyzyk, Dauphin
Coach of the Year: Scott McMillan, OCN

Mils Catch a Break?

Thursday night's game which was postponed between the Notre Dame Hounds and Estevan Bruins due to travel conditions, will now be played Monday afternoon at 2:00. I figured the game would have to be Monday, since ND plays Saturday and Sunday, and Estevan plays Tuesday... and they likely wouldn't want to go Wednesday, since one, or BOTH of the Bruins and Hounds could be in the Survivor Series starting Friday.

Is this a good thing for the Melville Millionaires? It can't hurt.

This means the Hounds, the team they're trying to hold off for the final playoff spot, plays their last three games of the season in three days (close to 2.5). They're home to Humboldt on Saturday, in Weyburn Sunday at 6:00, and now in Estevan Monday at 2:00.

This also forces the Bruins to play on back-to-back nights... with the Millionaires in Estevan on Tuesday, to finish the regular season. Melville plays Friday (@WEY) and Saturday (vsLAR), and then are off until that Tuesday game in Estevan.

Thursday Thoughts

- 8 broadcasts in 9 nights is over... and I'm ready for it to be! Went to bed at 4:30am after the Terrier game in Esetvan, up at 9:30, straight to work by 10:00 till 1:00... drove to Melville, off to Humboldt, to bed at 4:00am after finishing up at the station. I was originally supposed to be in OCN on Friday, but that broadcast was bumped due to a lotto remote on the air till midnight.

- What's better than a long weekend? A long weekend that you didn't know was coming! Monday's Family Day? Okay! Perfect timing... right after a busy stretch, right before playoffs. Our regular season schedule ends next week with Melville @ Estevan Tuesday, and Wayway @ Swan Valley on Wednesday.

- After following our two SJHL teams the last 4 nights... I'll be putting "Inside The MJHL" together on Thursday! A couple emails are put out, and provided I get replies, I should have it ready by the end of the day, if not, early Friday. The league just released the nominees for their major awards, so plenty of content is there this week.

- Kurtis Decker started something. Cory Sarich and Steve Staios scored back to back quick goals to lead the Calgary Flames over Dallas last night. What a week for stay-at-home defensemen!

- I love how Kurtis told me after the game, how his last goal (2 and a half seasons ago) was actually the Flin Flon Bombers scoring into their own net on a delayed penalty. His other goal, that same season, was a wrist shot from the point, that bounced off a Melville Millionaire and in. Probably the prettiest one of his career! Decker does his job as well as anyone, and has received some playful jabs since his overtime winner in Estevan on Tuesday. All in good fun!

Here's my voicer that ran during the 8:00AM sports on Wednesday...



- That goal wrapped up top spot for the Terriers. I don't know how nervous was about them getting 1st or not, or how big a deal it really is anyway. But I'll admit, I really thought if they didn't clinch Tuesday night, that Kindersley would end up on top spot. The Terriers would have been under all kinds of pressure to beat La Ronge... and I had a feeling Battleford would have 4th place locked up before the weekend (and they do), and might start resting players, as they play Kindersley in a home and home. The North Stars will play hard, and they seem to be peaking at the perfect time, but it's hard to bank on Kindersley losing the way they're going right now too.

- As much as the Terriers weren't picked to be anywhere near the top of the Sherwood before the season, I would think it still would have been somewhat devasting, or at least a little disheartening, if they watched Kindersley take top spot on the last day of the season, after they held it since October 1st. I said that to Coach Trent Cassan on the bus, and he said, "Maybe for a day or two, but it really doesn't matter where you finish once playoffs start." That guy's always on an even keel.

- Bear in mind that both pennant winners (Weyburn & Flin Flon) were ousted rather handily in round one last year. Regular season is regular season.

- The Terriers and La Ronge were 10th and 7th in the league respectively last season, and 5th and 4th in each conference. They went to the final, both lost a pile of guys... and are going into the playoffs as the top seed in each conference one year later. How is that even possible???

- It feels like playoffs already. The Terriers overtime win on Tuesday was the most fun I've had calling a regular season game... and then 24 hours later I was with the Melville Millionaires, and watched them score 4 goals in 3:07 to erase a 4-1 deficit and beat Humboldt 5-4. Just incredible back-to-back games!

- Driving to Dafoe for Roast Beef & Potatoes would have felt like a drag had the Mils lost... but that was a fun place to be at 11:00 at night! Jordan Paddock purchased the movie MacGruber for $10 in Dafoe... and he'll never hear the end of it now.

- Jamie Fiesels' Post-Game Audio is in the post below. "Don't count us out, we're young and dumb, and we'll fight till the end. A team's only as dumb as their coach, and we're a really dumb team!"

- The Mils are back in the drivers' seat for 5th place. That win, along with now knowing they have the tie-breaker with Notre Dame... means the Hounds need at least a win and an overtime loss (3 points) in their last 3 games, and that's if the Mils don't pick up another point. Notre Dame has a Thursday nighter in Estevan, while Melville's in Weyburn on Friday, home to La Ronge Saturday, and in Estevan Tuesday.

- I forgot to mention this on the blog, but did post it on Twitter Tuesday night. The Swan Valley Stampeders clinched a playoff spot without even hitting the ice on Tuesday. They have the Dauphin Kings to thank, who beat Neepawa 4-1. That doesn't eliminate the Natives, who can still catch Wayway. If the Wolverines don't win another game, Neepawa would have to go 5-1 in their last 6 to make the playoffs.

- Both of our local teams are in the Prairie Junior Hockey League playoffs. The schedule's just been released:

(2) Fort Knox vs (3) Pilot Butte Storm
Game 1: Fri/Feb/25 @ Fort Qu'Appelle 8:00
Game 2: Sun/Feb/27 @ Pilot Butte 7:00
Game 3: Tue/Mar/1 @ Fort Qu'Appelle 8:00
Game 4: Fri/Mar/4 @ Pilot Butte 7:45
Game 5: Sun/Mar/6 @ Fort Qu'Appelle 8:00 * if nec
Game 6: Tue/Mar/8 @ Pilot Butte 7:00 * if nec
Game 7: Wed/Mar/9 @ Fort Qu'Appelle * if nec

(4) Ochapowace Thunder vs (1) Regina Capitals
Game 1: Fri/Feb/25 @ Regina 7:30
Game 2: Sat/Feb/26 @ Lebret 7:30
Game 3: Tue/Mar/1 @ Regina 7:30
Game 4: Fri/Mar/4 @ Ochapowace 8:00
Game 5: Sun/Mar/6 @ Regina 2:15 * if nec
Game 6: Tue/Mar/8 @ Lebret 7:30 * if nec
Game 7: Wed/Mar/9 @ Regina 8:00 * if nec

- Ed Zawatsky and team Saskatchewan's U16 team lost 4-3 in their Quarter-Final game against Quebec at the Canada Winter Games in Halifax on Wednesday. Give Eddie some credit. He made moves at last year's deadline that were crucial in the Terriers getting as far as they did. Let's also not forget he traded a disgruntled Matt Chomyc, who had 4 goals, to the AJHL for the rights to Robbie Ciolfi. I don't believe Chomyc's playing Junior 'A' Hockey this season. Trent Cassan and Don Chesney have done great things since the torch was passed, but Eddie's fingerprints are still very much on the current Terrier roster.

- The Stall got hit # 300,000 today. Thanks!

- Enjoy your Thursday, a week from today is Playoffs Eve!

Another Classic on GX94

While it wasn't as late in the game, and it didn't clinch a Conference pennant, the Melville Millionaires had a comeback on Wednesday night, as, or more impressive than the Yorkton Terriers had Tuesday in Estevan.

The Mils were down 4-1 after two periods in Humboldt, but by time the third period was 3:30 old, they were leading 5-4, and held on for the 5-4 win.

Michael Desjarlais got the comeback started just 23 seconds into the third. Tyson Newell made it 4-3, Mark Owen tied it, and Ian McNulty got the winner. Justin Hollinger scored in the 2nd period.

That gets the Millionaires 2 points up on Notre Dame for 5th, and each team has 3 games left. Notre Dame's in Estevan tonight (THU), while Melville's back at it Friday in Weyburn.

Jamie Fiesel Post Game


Sent from my BlackBerry® powered by Virgin Mobile.

Hang On a Sec.... Mils Have Tie-Breaker

SJHL Constitution 21.2

In the event that two or more clubs are tied with the same number of points, then the higher position shall be awarded to the club having won the greater number of games against each other. If the tie is still not broken, then the team with the greater number of wins shall be awarded the higher position. Should the clubs be tied in all the foregoing departments, then the higher position shall be awarded to the club having the best goals against average.

So... in English

1) Head-to-Head WINS
2) Overall WINS
3) Overall Goals Against

1) Head-to-Head: TIED
The Mils and Notre Dame both went 3-2-1 against eachother. Even if Melville was 3-2-1 and Notre Dame was 3-3, that would still be tied, as it's WINS head-to-head, not POINTS.

2) Overall WINS: Melville
Melville (23) has two more wins than Notre Dame (21), and they're tied in points (49)... and win Notre Dame having just 3 games left, it'd be impossible for them to tie the Mils in wins AND points (if the Hounds equal Melville's wins, they'll be ahead of them in points, and get 5th outright). In short, the Millionaires own the tie-breaker, due to having more overall wins.

3) Goals Against Average: Notre Dame
Whatever that means! I assume that just means overall goals against. Notre Dame would own that one, but it won't come down to it. Not sure why the word 'average' is in there, since everyone plays 58 games. Maybe just incase one team has a game cancelled that they absolutely can't make up, then it comes down to average.

Basically, all we need to know, is Melville holds the tie-breaker if they end up tied for 5th... not the other way around when we all thought goals-for-and-against head to head came into play.

Melville pulled Zach Rakochy to try to score to lose by 2... while Notre Dame took a timeout while up 3-0 to stress the importance of winning by 3.

Everyone's on the same page now!

Coach Jamie Fiesel and I talked about it on today's Millionaires Coach's Show.

Decker's OT Winner Clinches Terriers Top Spot

Terriers come back from down 5-2 with 7 minutes left, win 6-5 in overtime.



Terrier Coach Trent Cassan Post-Game



2:30 am chat with OT Hero Kurtis Decker... with Clarke Breitkreuz chiming in.

Hounds Shut Down, Shut Out Mils

In what could be a late-season turning point, the Melville Millionaires were blanked 4-0 in Notre Dame.

The Mils managed just 2 first period shots, 8 in the first 40 minutes, while finishing the night with 23.

Russell Abbott might be the SJHL's top goalie, but he didn't have to be stellar in picking up his 3rd shutout of the season. The Millionaires struggled offensively, and the Hounds played as solid of a defensive game as you can play. Notre Dame forwards and defensemen likely blocked more shots than Abbott had to save, and they allowed very few shots on Melville powerplays, which was 0/5, and included back-to-back 5-on-3's midway through the third period.

The Mils and Hounds are now tied for 5th, and the Hounds have the tie-breaker, which is apparently head-to-head first. The season series ended up tied, but because the Hounds won by more than two goals, they win the goals for and against tie-breaker.

That forces the Mils to finish with more points than the Hounds in order to make the playoffs. Melville does have a game in hand. ND has 3 games left, the Mils have 4: @HUM, @WEY, vsLAR, @EST. Notre Dame finishes with @EST, vsHUM, @WEY.

Sent from my BlackBerry® powered by Virgin Mobile.

Byczynski, Marshall, Pinkerton Up For MJHL Awards

Swan Valley Stampeders' Defenseman (Top Defenseman), Stamps' forward Ryan Marshall (Ability & Sportsmanship) and Wayway forward Brett Pinkerton (Top Rookie) are among the nominees for yearly awards in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.

FULL LIST OF NOMINEES

Races Update

SJHL Sherwood: Race For 1st
Yorkton: 72 pts (2 remaining)
Kindersley: 67 pts (3 remaining)

SJHL Sherwood: Race For 3rd
Weyburn: 60 pts (2 remaining)
Estevan: 59 pts (3 remaining)

SJHL Sherwood: Race For 5th
Melville: 49 pts (5 remaining)
Notre Dame: 47 pts (4 remaining)
*HEAD-TO-HEAD TONIGHT*

SJHL Bauer: Race For 4th
Battlefords: 51 pts (4 remaining)
Flin Flon: 50 pts (3 remaining)
*Head-to-Head Tuesday)

==============

MJHL Sherwood: Race For 1st
Portage: 76 pts (6 remaining)
Dauphin: 72 pts (6 remaining)
OCN: 71 pts (5 remaining)

MJHL Sherwood: Race For 3rd
OCN: 71 pts (5 remaining)
Swan Valley: 65 pts (5 remaining)
*3 Head-to-Head remaining*

MJHL Sherwood: Race For 4th
Swan Valley: 65 pts (5 remaining)
Wayway: 61 pts (5 remaining)

MJHL Sherwood: Race For 5th
Wayway: 61 pts (5 remaining)
Neepawa: 52 pts (7 remaining)

MJHL Addison: Race For 1st
Selkirk: 74 pts (6 remaining)
Winkler: 72 pts (6 remaining)
*5th Place Sherwood team will face 1st Addison)

Terriers 2 @ Broncos 5

Yorkton Coach Trent Cassan said the Terriers "didn't have any jam" in a 5-2 loss Sunday night in Humboldt.

The Broncos held three different two-goal leads, and never let the Terriers get back to even.

The line of Taylor Johnson (2g-1a), Dayton Shaw (1g-2a) and Ward Szucki (3a) combined for 9 points for the Broncos, while Jeremy Boyer scored his 40th of the season for the Terriers, and Justin Lamontagne had the other Yorkton goal.

Justin Buzzeo had one assist in his return to Humboldt, but was lying face-down on the ice in the second period after Bronco defenseman Nathan Hudema caught him with an open-ice hit.

In his next shift, Buzzeo took a slashing penalty away from the play, and spent the rest of the second period riding the pine.

Zak Majkowski dropped his mitts with Hudema later in the period, while the third frame saw two more fights, with 5'8", 155 lb Devon McMullen INSTIGATING a scrap with 6'7" 235 lb Adam Antkowiak (11 inch, 80 pound difference for those doing the math)... and Keon Vick went with Humboldt's Brett Pisio near the end of the game.

The Terriers failed to pick up a point for the first time in 8 games, and they give the Kindersley Klippers another life. The Klippers trail the Terriers by 5 points for 1st place with 3 games remaining, while the Terriers have 2 left.

On Tuesday, both teams are back in action, with Yorkton in Estevan (on GX94), and Kindersley home to Melfort.

Terriers Get Closer to Clinching Sherwood, Despite OTL

Looks like Kindersley tied the game on a late third period 5-on-3, before Jordan Hoffman scored his 2nd of the game in overtime, giving the Kindersley Klippers a 4-3 (OT) win over the Terriers.

**CORRECTION... not a 5-on-3. Murray and Duzan had coincidental slashing calls at 14:18, right before Keon Vick was handed a major for high-sticking. Would have been a 4-on-3.

That keeps the Klippers alive in the race for first, and as disappointing as the loss is for the club, the single point is still a huge one for the Terriers.

Now, it's a 5 point spread with 3 games remaining... meaning ONE Yorkton win in their last three games, or ONE Kindersley regulation loss in their last three would lock up first place for the Terriers.

Again, they've got every opportunity to take care of their own business and not even have to look at the out of town scoreboard, but there's no question the Terriers finish with a tough schedule.

Tonight (SUN) in Humboldt, Tuesday in Estevan, and Friday at home against La Ronge.

The Klippers are off until Tuesday when they host Melfort, and then finish with a pair of games against Battleford.

If the Terriers and Klippers end up tied, Kindersley would get 1st. The first tie breaker is overall wins... and they're tied in wins (32) right now, despite the 5 point gap. So obviously if Kindersley ends up even in points, it would mean the Terriers didn't win another game and the Klippers would have more.

The season series was dead even, by the way. Yorkton won the first three, Kindersley the last three, and each team won once in overtime, to each have records of 3-2-1 against eachother.

Clarke Breitkreuz, Devon McMullen and Robbie Ciolfi scored for the Terriers, while Warren Shymko made his 5th straight start, and Devin Peters dressed for the first time since getting injured February 1st, serving as Shymko's backup.

Talk to you from Humboldt at 5:50!

-----------------------

The Melville Millionaires were the first team to officially knock another team out of playoff contention Saturday night.

And while they would have much rather it been the Notre Dame Hounds... it was the Nipawin Hawks, as the Millionaires beat Nipawin 5-1 at the Stadium. That ensures a Bauer Conference Survivor Series between Battlefords & Flin Flon... more on that in a bit.

Andre Parker, Michael Rogoschewsky (1g-1a), Michael Desjarlais, Derek Wasylyshen and Connor Lowe-Wylde scored for the Millionaires, while Mark Owen and Godric Tham each had 2 assists.

Zach Rakochy stopped 30 of 31 shots sent his way.

The Notre Dame Hounds beat the Mustangs 3-2 IN Melfort. That's an enormous victory for the Hounds... who keep pace with the Mils, still 2 points back. Melville has one game in hand, and get set to travel to Notre Dame on Monday.

Could be up 4 with a game in hand, or tied after that one. Looking forward to calling that one too!

An all-Sherwood Division match saw Estevan beat Weyburn 5-2 on the road, the same score the Wings beat the Bruins by in Estevan the night before. That gets Estevan within one point of Weyburn for third spot. The Bruins also have 1 in hand. Infact Weyburn has just 2 games remaining, both at home against Melville (FRI) and Notre Dame (SUN). Estevan's final three are also at home, against Yorkton (TUE), Notre Dame (THU), Melville (Tue, 22nd).

Battleford beat Flin Flon 5-4, and jump back over the Bombers by a point, into 4th place in the Bauer Conference. The Stars have a game in hand, and host the Bombers on Tuesday.

---------------

In the MJHL, the Swan Valley Stampeders' top players were held in check in Friday's 4-1 loss in Neepawa, but their top two scorers both found the net Saturday in Portage, in a 2-1 win over the first place Terriers.

Ryan Marshall opened the scoring, while Shelby Gray scored the winner, unassisted with 1:33 remaining in the third period.

Jayson Argue stopped 27/28 shots.

Wayway lost 4-2 in Selkirk.

That means Swan Valley's now 4 points up on the Wolverines for 4th place.

Dauphin beat OCN 4-3 in a shootout on Saturday. That leaves Dauphin just 4 points back of Portage for the Division lead, and OCN's 5 points up on Swan Valley for 3rd.

The Stamps and Blizzard play eachother three times in five nights, this coming Friday, Saturday, Tuesday. Swan Valley and Wayway finish their regular seasons with a home-and-home Feb 23 and 25.

Winkler kept pace with Selkirk again, with a win over the Blues... so the Flyers and Steelers are still tied for top spot in the Addison.

MJ Playoff Preview Night??? / Terriers Get Chance #2

It's pretty interesting that if the regular season was over right now, all games on tonight's MJHL schedule involving Sherwood Division teams would be first round playoff matchups, and they're even in the venue of each team that would have home ice.

Swan Valley (4th Sherwood) @ Portage (1st Sherwood)

Wayway (5th Sherwood) @ Selkirk (1st Addison)*

OCN (3rd Sherwood) @ Dauphin (2nd Sherwood)

*Selkirk is TIED for 1st in the Addison with the Winkler Flyers, but the Steelers have a game in hand.

-----------------

This is the second night the Yorkton Terriers have had an opportunity to clinch 1st place in the SJHL Sherwood Conference.

The first chance was Tuesday, when, if the Terriers had won in Weyburn, and Kindersley had lost at home against Humboldt... Yorkton would have been assured top spot. Neither happened, as the Terriers lost in a shootout, and the Klippers won handily.

Tonight, it's the head-to-head matchup that I've thought for a long time would decide first place. And, if not for Humboldt scoring 3 goals in the final 4 minutes of the third period to stun Kindersley on December 1st, the Klippers would have had a chance to get to within two points with a win tonight.

It's not AS make-or-break as it looked like it might be, for the Terriers at least, but I wouldn't trust this Klipper team to lose ANY games the rest of the way if they get by the Terriers tonight. They host Melfort, and have a home-and-home with Battleford to finish. Regardless of their opponent, if Kindersley still has a shot at top spot... they'll be coming to play. Melfort now knows where they're finishing, and might not have the same urgency as the Klippers when they go to Kindersley on Tuesday. Battleford knows they'll be in the Survivor Series, but home ice against Flin Flon will be key... so if top spot is still up for grabs by this time next week, I think Terrier fans better hope the Stars still have something to play for. If, for example, they're leaving for Flin Flon three days later, I'm not sure the Stars would even dress everyone, let alone go "balls-to-the-wall." Although the Klippers are their rivals and I'm sure they wouldn't mind playing spoiler!
Of course, the Terriers would still control their fate, even with a loss tonight, but would be forced to pick up at least three points (if KK wins out) in their final three games, which are at Humboldt, at Estevan, and home to La Ronge.

Lineup notes... forwards Robbie Ciolfi and Zak Majkowski are expected to draw back in for the Terriers tonight, while G Devin Peters and D Blaine Tendler remain on the shelf.

It pains me that I'm not doing tonight's game, for the reason that it is (other programming), but I'll be in Humboldt tomorrow calling the Terriers and Broncos at 6:00.

------------------

Melville's at home against Nipawin tonight. A Mils' win would mathematically knock the Hawks out of playoff contention.

More importantly, the Millionaires have a two point lead on Notre Dame for 5th place, with one game in hand. Notre Dame's in Melfort tongiht.

Melville travels to Wilcox on Monday (on GX94).

Frustrating Friday

Three of our local teams fighting for position in the bottom half of their respective standings weren't able to help their causes on Friday night.

I was in Neepawa, where the Swan Valley Stampeders trailed right off the hop, and weren't able to bounce back, falling 4-1 to the Natives.

Taylor Epp scored Swan Valley's lone goal, while Neepawa defenseman Tyler Gaudry had a goal and two assists.

A win would have clinched a playoff spot for the Stampeders, and would have put the Natives on the brink of elimination.

The Stamps finish their 2 game swing tonight in Portage against the first place Terriers.

--------------

The Wayway Wolverines were without a regulation loss in 12 games, until they became the first team to be shutout by the Steinbach Pistons this season, falling 3-0 last night.

17-year-old Brenden Edie made 34 saves for the shutout in his MJHL debut, being called up from the 'AAA' Midget Eastman Selects.

Brett Gagnon stopped 29/31 shots for the Wolverines, who travel to Selkirk tonight. The Wolverines will get leading goal scorer Shane Goodrunning back in the lineup, after serving a 3-game suspension.

The Wolverines are still 9 points up on the last place Neepawa Natives, and trail Swan Valley by 2 points for 4th.

Elsewhere on Friday, Dauphin beat OCN 3-2 to jump over the Blizzard into 2nd spot in the Sherwood. The Kings are now also 6 points behind Portage for the Sherwood Division lead, after the Terriers fell 5-4 in Selkirk. Winkler kept pace with Selkirk, doubling the Winnipeg Blues 6-3. The Steelers and Flyers remain tied for 1st in the Addison with 70 points. The Blues loss eliminates them from playoff contention, and means the idle Winnipeg Saints will finish 3rd.

--------------

Brayden Metz had 1g-1a, while Cody Hanson had 3 assists, leading the Melfort Mustangs over their old Melville Millionaire teammates 6-1.

Roger Tagoona scored for Melville, while Alex Sirard allowed 6 goals on 38 shots.

The Mils return home tonight to face the Nipawin Hawks, 7:30 at the Stadium.

Melville has a game in hand on Notre Dame, and a 2 point lead on the Hounds for the final playoff spot in the Sherwood. Notre Dame's in Melfort on Saturday night, and they'll host the Millionaires Monday.

Other action Friday saw Weyburn score 4 third period goals to beat Estevan 5-2, and take a 3 point lead over the Bruins for 3rd place in the Sherwood.

Flin Flon blanked Battleford 5-0 to leap-frog the North Stars into 4th in the Bauer Conference.

And Humboldt clinched 3rd place in the Bauer with a 5-1 win over Nipawin. That means one first round SJHL Playoff series is already set. The 2nd place Melfort Mustangs will host 3rd place Humboldt, while La Ronge will await a Survivor Series winner, likely between Flin Flon and Battleford.

Nipawin's mathematically alive, but a loss in Melville tonight would eliminate them from playoff contention.

The Sherwood Conference seeds are far from settled, but the Yorkton Terriers have another chance to clinch first tonight in Kindersley.

Stamps Look To Clinch

A win for the Swan Valley Stampeders in Neepawa tonight would assure the Stamps a playoff spot for the second straight season.

The Stampeders lead the Natives by 13 points heading into tonight's action, while a win would make it 15, and Neepawa would have 7 games remaining, meaning they couldn't mathematically catch Swan Valley.

Even an overtime or shootout win would make it a 14 point gap. And, according to the MJHL Website, the first tie breaker is head to head.

The Stamps have won 4 of the 7 meetings so far, meaning any kind of win tonight would give them the season series against the Natives.

Catch the broadcast on GX94 tonight, the Pre Game Show at 7:20, Play-by-Play at 7:30.

It's our second last MJHL broadcast of the regular season, with the Wayway @ Swan Valley matchup on February 23rd wrapping up our regular season schedule on the air.

The SJHL Survivor series starts February 25th, so I couldn't put Swan @ Wayway on our schedule for that night, incase Yorkton or Melville was in that series. Melville's in that spot right now, and they'd be starting on the road... so that game would take priority.

If Melville happens to miss the playoffs (which I'm NOT hoping for), and that Swan/Wayway game has playoff implications, I might see if it'd be possible to get that one on the air, but it could be a long shot.

------------

The Wayway Wolverines haven't secured a playoff berth yet, but they're close.

The Wolverines lead Neepawa by 11 points, so even a Wolverines win and a Natives loss tonight, wouldn't quite be enough to get them in.

Wayway's in Selkirk tomorrow, and then have 4 of their last 5 games on home ice, while Neepawa's final 7 games includes two Dauphin's, two OCN's, and three on the road against the Addison Division (Saints, Blues, Steelers).

Harvest Knock Off Argos

Riley Stefanyshyn (2g-1a) and Dustin Minto (1g-2a) had 3 points each, leading the Yorkton Harvest to a 5-3 win over the 4th place Notre Dame Argos on the road Thursday night.

Denin Boesch and Dustin Skilliter also scored for the Harvest, while rookie Spencer Bomboir got the win in goal, making 32 saves on 35 shots.

The Harvest (17-18-2-3) are now one game below .500 through 40 games, and have a firm hold on the 8th and final playoff spot.

They hope to move up in their final four games, with a weekend set in Swift Current against the struggling Legionnaires this Saturday and Sunday, before finishing off with a pair of home games against the Argos next weekend.

Mikey Come To Nashville PLEEEEEEEEEEEASE?

Yes Ma'am!

If you missed it earlier, Carrie Underwood's husband has been traded from Ottawa to Nashville for a first rounder and a conditional pick.

I hate that guy.

Stamps Win Marathon / Rakochy Blanks Hounds

For a second straight night on the air, the Swan Valley Stampeders went to overtime, and won.

While Tuesday in OCN was a quick and easy minute and change into overtime, Wednesday against Wayway was a 9-round shootout.

Both teams came to the Swan River Centennial Arena carrying winning streaks, the Wolverines had won 8 straight, the Stamps with 3 in a row (now 4).

Wayway led 3-1 after the first period and 4-2 after two, before the Stamps scored three straight in the third to take a 5-4 lead.

Shelby Gray scored the game tying and go-ahead goals, giving him 34 on the season, while Beau Taylor, Brad McDonald and Jesse Enns also scored for Swan.

The Wolverines were led by a Dave Williams hat trick. His third of the night came on a powerplay with 13 seconds left to force overtime. Stephane Robidoux and Brett Lafond scored the Wolverines' others.

Each team sent 9 shooters over the boards in the shootout. Jayson Argue stopped 7/9 Wayway shooters. Josh Daley beat him on the first shot of the shootout, and Lafond added one as well.

For Swan, Gray had to score to prolong the shootout in the third round, and did, while Tony Partridge did the same in the 6th round, and Taylor Epp was the walkoff hero, ending it as the 18th and final shooter between the two teams.

Swan's now tied their season-high 4 game winning streak, and get two points up on Wayway for 4th place in the Sherwood.

The two teams meet up twice still, a home and home February 23rd and 25th to finish the regular season.

Both clubs are back in action tomorrow (FRI) with Swan Valley in Neepawa (on GX94), and Wayway in Steinbach.

Here's a condensed version of the shootout...



--------------

The Melville Millionaires avoided slipping into the Sherwood Conference basement, blanking the Notre Dame Hounds 2-0 on Wednesday night.

That gets the Mils back to 2 points ahead of the Hounds for the 5th and final playoff spot, with 2 games in hand.

Michael Sagen and Michael Rogoschewsky were credited with the Mils' goals, although Ian McNulty was credited with their first goal on the official sheet.

A pretty solid source (Clark Stork) was there and says it was definitley Sagen's goal.

Zach Rakochy made 22 saves for his 2nd shutout of the season.

The Millionaires visit Brayden Metz, Cody Hanson and the rest of the Melfort Mustangs tomorrow (FRI) night, before hosting the Nipawin Hawks on Saturday.

Stampeders Win in Exciting Fashion

Good early morning from the Westwood Inn in Swan River.

17-year-old call-up Justin Valentino forced overtime with his first MJHL goal in his first MJHL game with 1:38 left in regulation, and then he set up Brad McDonald for the game winner 1:26 into overtime, as the Swan Valley Stampeders beat the OCN Blizzard 3-2 (OT) Tuesday night.

After a scoreless first period, Taylor Epp scored with 57 seconds remaining in the second, making it 1-0 Stamps after 2.

Denis Restoule made it 2-1 OCN with two goals exactly 3 minutes apart early in the third.

Valentino, who leads the Manitoba `AAA` Midget League in scoring with 62 points in 41 games with the Norman Northstars, centred the Stamps`second line with McDonald and Beau Taylor.

The win lifts the Stamps one point up on Wayway for 4th place in the MJHL Sherwood Division, and they get set to host th Wolverines tonight (WED) at 7:30. Catch the action on GX94 starting at 7:20.

--------------------

The Yorkton Terriers are no closer to clinching the SJHL Sherwood Conference, after a 2-1 shootout loss in Weyburn, while Kindersley beat Humboldt 5-2.

The Terriers are now 6 points up the Klippers, each with 4 games remaining, including a head-to-head match in Kindersley coming up this Saturday, the next game for both teams.

If Yorkton wins, they clinch, if they don`t the pressure`s on. The Terriers could be forced to get 3 points in their last 3 games (at HUM, at EST, vs LAR), if Kindersley were to win their final three (vs MFT, at BAT, vs BAT).

Too much thinking and math at this point. The Terriers`fate is still very much in their hands, but the longer they go without wrapping it up, the more tense things could get.

Mitch Kilgore stoned the Terriers in Weyburn, stopping 34 of 35 shots, and all three of Craig Eisenhut, Jeremy Boyer and Clarke Breitkreuz in the shootout. The Terriers are now 1-and-6 in shootouts this season, and individually are 3-for-20.

Craig Eisenhut scored in regulation, while Warren Shymko made 29 saves.

Notre Dame put the heat on Melville, thumping Estevan 6-2.

The Hounds are now tied with Melville for 5th, while the Mils have 2 games in hand, heading into a crucial head-to-head matchup tonight (WED), at home against ND.

Shymko: SJHL Goalie of the Week

Warren Shymko went 3-and-0 during Devin Peters' absence last week, with a GAA of 3.28. The Terriers beat Battlefords 6-5 (OT), followed by back-to-back 5-3 decisions over Melville.

It's expected he'll also get the nod tonight when the Terriers travel to Weyburn.

CJHL Weekly Top 20: Yorkton/Wayway Get HM's

The Yorkton Terriers and Waywayseecappo Wolverines are both honourable mentions this week in the CJHL Top 20.

The Portage Terriers (11th) and La Ronge Ice Wolves (12th) are the only two Saskatchewan/Manitoba teams in the Top 20.

The AJHL's Spruce Grove Saints continue to sit on top.

Crossover Clinched

Not that it's really been in jeopardy these last few weeks, but over the weekend, with the Winnipeg Blues losing a pair of games, they can no longer prevent a Sherwood team from taking the fourth Addison Division spot in the playoffs. Both Wayway and Swan Valley have ensured themselves of finishing the year with more points than both the Blues and Steinbach. Neepawa's still mathematically alive to get the crossover as well, while either Wayway or Swan COULD still move up a slot or two in the standings.

Odds are though, when the dust settles, they'll be 4th and 5th, one way or the other, and will see the top team in each division.

That also means, I'll likely be doing my first ever game in either Selkirk or Winkler. We don't schedule games in the Addison Division for 2 reasons. 1) Swan/Wayway are only there for weekend trips, and we don't do Saturday games in the regular season. 2) Geographically, it's just too far! For me to drive myself to Winkler on a Friday just for one game, and come all the way back is too much, especially when doing 3 or 4 games a week, anywhere from Kindersley or Battleford, to Estevan, to OCN. Of course that'll change come playoff time, I'll be more than happy to venture into the Addison if that's where the Stamps or Wolverines open up Round 1.

So that adds another race for us to keep our eyes on... top spot in the Addison Division.

Right now, Selkirk leads Winkler by 2 points, AND have a game in hand.

I've heard both rinks are great to do games in, and I look forward to hopefully having a chance to go to either one.

Terriers Sweep / Local MJ Teams Tighten Grips on Playoff Spots

The Yorkton Terriers won the Parks Cup for winning the season series against the Melville Millionaires thanks to a weekend sweep, taking each end of the double header by scores of 5-3.

The two teams won 4 games each against eachother... but the Terriers were 4-1-1-2 (11 points), and the Mils were 4-4 (8 points).

On Saturday night, Clarke Breitkreuz scored 2-goals and added 2-assists, finishing the season series with 7g-5a-12p in 8 games, including 3g-4a over the weekend.

Jeremy Boyer had 1g-2a on Saturday, while Brent Struble and Craig Eisenhut also scored.

Michael Desjarlais scored early in the 2nd period to tie the game 1-1, but the Terriers went on to lead 5-1, before Tyson Newell and Michael Rogoschewsky scored in the game's final minute for the Millionaires.

The Terriers now sit 7 points up on Kindersley for first, and both clubs have 5 games remaining.

Estevan scored a late third period goal to help out the Millionaires, beating Notre Dame 2-1 in regulation. The Mils are still two points up on the Hounds for 5th with one game in hand. They host the Hounds in their next action on Wednesday, and also go to ND Monday the 14th. Mils Coach Jamie Fiesel won't be on the bench Wednesday, as he serves game 2 of his suspension (video below).

===============

The Swan Valley Stampeders and Wayway Wolverines both posted lopsided wins on Saturday.

The Stamps beat Neepawa 7-1 to sweep their home-and-home.

Shelby Gray, Ryan Marshall and Tony Partridge combined for 13 points, with Gray scoring 3 times and adding two assists. Marshall had 2g-2a, and Partridge added four helpers.

Brent Wilson had 1g-2a, while Cramer Coulthart also scored. Dylan Wells made 35/36 saves in the win.

Is it too soon to start saying it looks pretty promising that the Stamps and Wolverines will both make the playoffs? Neepawa's now 10 back of Swan and 11 behind Wayway, and they've got 9 games left.

--------

The Wolverines have now won 8 straight games, with a 5-1 decision over the Winnipeg Saints.

Josh Daley scored twice and Ashley Howie had a goal and two assists. Matt Malenstyn and Bobby Janzen rounded out the scoring, and leading scorer Paul Van de Velde had 2 assists.

Ryan Benitez kept his personal hot streak alive, making 21/22 saves.

The Wolverines are now 10-0-0-1 in their last 11 games, and after playing 7 of their last 8 on home ice (and winning them all), the Wolverines play their next 3 games on the road, starting Wednesday in Swan Valley. We'll have the game on GX94.

Incase You Missed It...

Fiesel on TSN Today!

I was just informed that Jamie Fiesel's "stick-throwing, etc" will on TSN's SportsCentre today at about 5:40 SK Time.

He was given a gross misconduct, suspended for two games (tonight and Wed vs ND) and fined $300.

Terriers 5 @ Millionaires 3 / Stamps Win A Biggie

Trying to figure out how to write this without upsetting one fan base or the other.

The Melville Millionaires led the Yorkton Terriers 2-0 after one period, but gave up the next 3 goals. It looked like the Terriers might steal a 3-2 win on the road, before Mike Rogoschewsky tied it up on a Mils PP with about 5 minutes left.

The Mils had another late chance, and Yorkton's Warren Shymko held his ground, there was a bit of a scrum, and Mark Owen was picked out of the pile, and given 2 minutes for slashing with under 3 minutes left in a 3-3 tie.

Riley Paterson scored his 2nd of the game on the ensuing PP to make it 4-3 Terriers, and Clarke Breitkreuz added the empty-netter for a 5-3 final.

I didn't see the slash, and I assume Owen got an extra whack on Shymko after it was covered. I'm all for protecting goaltenders, but that's not a penalty you see called very often late in a tie game. I'd be saying the same thing if it happened the other way.

I just thought both teams deserved points, and it looked like overtime was on its way for the fourth time in the season series... and an iffy call basically decided the game.

Melville Coach/GM Jamie Fiesel was irate, and after the empty-netter, tossed every stick from the Mils' bench onto the ice, before referee Keith Salamon finally showed him the door. Just saw it again on CTV. HAHA!

By no means am I disappointed the Terriers won. They have their sights set on 1st place, and their chances got a little better on Friday night. I DO however, feel for the Millionaires, who in all likelihood would have got at least a single point if not for the late penalty call. Just a tough way to lose a game. They now have just 1 game in hand on Notre Dame for 5th place, and a 2 point lead.

Paterson scored twice for the Terriers, Breitkreuz had 1g-2a, Justin Buzzeo kept his point streak alive at 11 games, with his 31st of the season, and Brant Remenda added his first as a Terrier.

Lucas Froese and Tyson Newell gave Melville the 2-0 first period lead.

The stats online are way off on a few. They have Jeremy Boyer scoring Remenda's goal, and Remenda without even an assist. He CLEARLY walked in off the point and ripped one over a sprawled Zach Rakochy on a late first period PP. I think Remenda also got gypped on Paterson's game winner. I think it was him who sent a point shot through and Patty tipped it. Anyway, it says unassisted.

Yorkton was 3/5 on the PP, Melville was 1/3.

The win was a huge one for the Terriers, who now have a 5 point lead atop the Conference, with Kindersley falling 5-4 in overtime to the Weyburn Red Wings. The Klippers out-shot the Wings 50-something to 20-something. It was 4-1 Weyburn in the third, so credit the KK's for storming back late.

Really, a 5 point lead is just as good as 6 (almost) for the Terriers... since it still take 3 games for Kindersley to make that spread up, and they only have 5 games left. In baseball terms, the Terriers' "Magic Number" to clinch the pennant is 3. Any combination of Terriers wins and/or Klipper losses equalling 3 would wrap up top spot. I still think it's far from a done deal though. 4 of Kindersley's 5 remaining games are on home ice, and they finish with a home and home against Battleford. The North Stars COULD know their fate by that point. And if they know where they're finishing, and if it's 4th or 5th, do you think they'd dress their big guns when they start a Survivor Series 3 days later? The Terriers need to take care of business on their own, and now wait for Kindersley to lose 3. 4 of Yorkton's last 6 games are on the road, including one in Kindersley. Obviously if the Terriers were to win that one, it would all but ice it... but after the way the last meeting there.... they don't want to bank on HAVING to win that one!

The Klippers don't play on Saturday, while the Terriers return to home ice against Melville. Yorkton has, kinda quitely, won 4 in a row, and 7 of their last 9... after snapping a 7 game losing skid.

-----------------

Shelby Gray and Tony Partridge each had a goal and two assists, and Ryan Marshall also scored as the Swan Valley Stampeders shaded the Neepawa Natives 3-2 on the road.

That puts the Stamps 8 points up on Neepawa for 5th, and both teams have 10 games left. Another win Saturday at home over the Natives might be enough to start burying Neepawa.

Swan's also now one point back of Wayway for 4th with a game in hand.

The Wolverines are also on home ice Saturday night, against the Winnipeg Saints.

One Last Go-Round

If the Yorkton Terriers can hold down top spot in the Sherwood Conference, and the Melville Millionaires get into the Survivor Series, and win, the Mils and Terriers would meet up in the playoffs for a 5th consecutive season.

If all of that doesn't happen, then this weekend could be the last time these two teams will see each other in 2010-2011.

Despite the Terriers holding a 21 point edge in the standings over Melville, the Millionaires have won 4 of the first 6 head-to-head meetings, but three of which being in overtime or shootouts.

Parks Cup Standings
While the Parks Cup is good for bragging rights and nothing more, both teams want to beat the other in the season series, and this year's Park's Cup will come down to the final weekend.

Millionaires vs Yorkton
4-2 (8/12 possible points)

Terriers vs Melville
2-1-1-2 (7/12 possible points)

Goals For/Against are a dead-even 17-17 through 6 games.

Season Series

October 8th: Melville 2 @ Yorkton 1, (SO)
Kyle Jahraus played perhaps his best game in a Melville jersey, stopping 33/34 shots, and 3/3 shootout attempts, as the Millionaires got the extra point in the first regular season meeting. Roger Tagoona opened the scoring for Melville in the first, while Terrier captain Blaine Tendler tied it on the powerplay in the third.

October 9th: Yorkton 5 @ Melville 2
As has been the case in recent years, home ice advantage doesn't mean a lot when these two teams meet up, as the Terriers bounced back on the road the following night. Zak Majkowski scored his 7th and 8th goals of the young season for Yorkton, while Brayden Metz had 1g-1a for the Mils. The goaltending matchup was the same as the night before, but this time it was Devin Peters coming out on top, making 29/31 saves. Clarke Breitkreuz and Metz dropped the mitts late in the second period.

November 19th: Yorkton 3 @ Melville 4 (SO)
A third different goalie stole the show again in the third head to head matchup. This time 17-year-old Mils' tender Zach Rakochy made 55 saves, all three Yorkton shooters in the shootout, as the Terriers out-shot Melville 58-31, but fell in a shootout for a second time. Brayden Metz had another two-point night (1g-1a), while Breitkreuz had his second scrap of the season against the Mils, this time against rugged defenseman Craig Karius.

November 20th: Melville 2 @ Yorkton 4
The second home and home, was a "homer" series, with the Terriers once again answering the bell after a shootout loss, to grab 3 of a possible 4 points for the second straight Highway 10 series. Davis Vandane, now with the Spokane Chiefs, had one of Yorkton's 4 goals, while Lucas Froese potted both for the Mils. At the halfway point of the season series, each team had 2 wins, but Yorkton had 6 points compared to Melville's 4.

December 30th: Melville 5 @ Yorkton 1
The annual New Years home-and-home started with the most lopsided game of the season series to date, and this time it was the visitors getting the early jump after a long Christmas break. Melville led 4-0 after the first period, and that was all the scoring until Metz and Breitkreuz traded third period goals. That was Metz's final goal as a Melville Millionaire. Roger Tagoona scored twice in the 5-1 win, while Cody Hanson had 3 assists.

January 1st: Yorkton 3 @ Melville 4 (OT)
A third game going to extra time, and once again the Mils came out on top, this time in overtime with Roger Tagoona's winner. Mike Rogoschewsky had 1g-2a, while Metz had 2 assists in his final game in Millionaire colours. Cody Hanson had 1g-1a, scoring his last goal as a Mil as well, as both Hanson and Metz were later traded to the Melfort Mustangs in seperate deals. Breitkreuz scored twice for Yorkton, as he continues to be a handful for Melville defensemen this season.

February 4 @ Melville
February 5 @ Yorkton

Head to Head Numbers

- The Millionaires will face the Terriers for the first time since dealing away Brayden Metz and Cody Hanson, their top two scorers overall, and against the Terriers. Metz had 11 points (3g-8a) in 6 games against Yorkton, while Hanson had 2g-5a-7p. Their next biggest producers against the Terriers have been Lucas Froese (5g-1a in 4 games) and Roger Tagoona (4g-2a in 6 games), both with 6 points, and then it really drops off. Infact players not named Metz, Hanson, Froese or Tagoona, have combined for just 3 goals in those 6 games. Michael Rogschewsky (2) and Justin Hollinger. The young guys have picked it up since the trades, and they'll have to this weekend if they hope to get some points against a Terrier team that was a buyer at the deadline.

- This will also be the first game against Melville with the Terriers having Justin Buzzeo and Jeremy Boyer in the lineup. In 10 games with the Terriers, Buzzeo has 7g-14a-21p (and has points in all 10 games) while Boyer has 10g-10a-20p. Head to Head, Zak Majkowski has 5g-1a-6p, Breitkreuz has 4g-1a-5p.

- In goal, Devin Peters has started every game against Melville for the Terriers. Despite being pulled late in the first period of the December 30th matchup, his numbers are still solid, at 2-2-2, 2.90, .905. Don't expect to see him this weekend though, after getting hurt in Wednesday's warmup before the Battleford game. Warren Shymko is expected to the get the nod, and in 43 minutes of relief, allowed just one goal, for a SV% of .938 against the Mils.

- Zach Rakochy's been very good against the Terriers, and he's played every minute of the last 4 meetings. He's 3-1, 2.66, .932. In shootouts, he's a perfect 2-0, and 6-for-6.

More Overtime?
The Millionaires have gone to overtime 11 times this season, while Yorkton's been there 10 times (3 against each other). Extra time has favoured the Mils, who are 8-and-3 in games that go beyond 3 periods (4-1 in OT, 4-2 in SO). The Terriers have struggled with shootouts this season, going 3-for-17 as a team, with a record of 1-4, while they're 3-2 in overtime, and a combined 4-6 after regulation.

Special Teams
Powerplay: Yorkton- 19.8% (8th) / Melville- 19.3% (9th)
Penalty Kill: Yorkton- 80.1% (4th) / Melville- 79.4% (6th)

- I cover both these teams have great working relationships with both coaching staffs, and I've experienced SJHL finals with both, in each of the last two seasons, both losses, in series that could have gone either way. I'm not affiliated directly with either, and can honestly say I don't "prefer" one over the other. I've been accused of BOTH, at times, which means I'm doing it right, since I've heard it from both sides. I do admit, in most of these home-and-homes, I usually think before hand, "Boy, it'd be nice if _______ got a sweep this time," or, "if ________ can at least get a split," or, "3 out of 4 points,"... depending who's where in the standings and needs the points the most. This time... I have no idea what to think! There's no question the Terriers are favoured on paper. And both teams need points, for very different reasons. I suppose it's more important that Melville get some, being that they're fighting for their playoff lives, while the Terriers are hoping to get a more firm hold on first place. Of course I'm hoping the Terriers can stay where they are, AND that Melville gets in. And, it'd be even better if they meet up AGAIN, for a 5th straight season in the playoffs. How bout both games go to OT and each team wins! Too much to ask? Should be a heck of a weekend... We've got the call from Melville tonight, starting at 7:20, but by all means, make the trip to the Vault, and FAA tomorrow. It's gorgeous out... so why not head to the rink both nights... and then Sunday you can relax and watch football!!!

Let's get 'er goin'!