RACE TO THE FINISH

With a month to go in the regular season, and the Terriers, Bruins and Millionaires basically tied, I thought it'd be a good time to break down each team's remaining schedules as they battle for 2nd and 3rd, and try to avoid a Best-of-Five Survivor Series date.

Yorkton Terriers (22-18-1-2, 47 points, T-2nd)
15 games remaining (9 home, 6 away)
Wed/Jan/18 vs Nipawin
Fri/Jan/20 vs Melville
Sat/Jan/21 @ Melville
Tue/Jan/24 @ Nipawin
Wed/Jan/25 @ Flin Flon
Fri/Jan/27 vs Kindersley
Sun/Jan/29 vs Kindersley
Wed/Feb/1 vs Flin Flon
Fri/Feb/3 vs Melfort
Tue/Feb/7 vs Battlefords
Wed/Feb/8 @ Estevan
Sat/Feb/11 @ Notre Dame
Sun/Feb/12 vs La Ronge
Wed/Feb/15 vs La Ronge
Sat/Feb/18 @ Notre Dame

Remaining Opponents
Melville: 2 (1H, 1A)
Kindersley: 2 (2H)
Notre Dame: 2 (2A)
La Ronge: 2 (2H)
Nipawin: 2 (1H, 1A)
Flin Flon: 2 (1H, 1A)
Estevan: 1 (1A)
Battlefords: 1 (1A)
Melfort: 1 (1A)

Melville Millionaires (20-14-2-4, 46 pts, 4th)
18 games remaining (10 home, 8 away)
Tue/Jan/17 vs Nipawin
Fri/Jan/20 @ Yorkton
Sat/Jan/21 vs Yorkton
Tue/Jan/24 @ Battlefords
Wed/Jan/25 @ Kindersley
Fri/Jan/27 @ Melfort
Sat/Jan/28 vs Kindersley
Tue/Jan/31 vs Flin Flon
Wed/Feb/1 @ Humboldt
Fri/Feb/3 @ Notre Dame
Sat/Feb/4 vs Melfort
Tue/Feb/7 @ Weyburn
Wed/Feb/8 vs Battlefords
Thu/Feb/9 @ Nipawin
Sat/Feb/11 vs La Ronge
Tue/Feb/14 vs La Ronge
Fri/Feb/17 vs Humboldt
Tue/Feb/21 vs Notre Dame

Remaining Opponents
Yorkton: 2 (1H, 1A)
Kindersley: 2 (1H, 1A)
Notre Dame: 2 (1H, 1A)
Battlefords: 2 (1H, 1A)
Humboldt: 2 (1H, 1A)
Nipawin: 2 (1H, 1A)
La Ronge: 2 (2H)
Melfort: 2 (1H, 1A)
Flin Flon: 1 (1H)
Weyburn: 1 (1A)

Estevan Bruins (23-23-0-1, 47 points, T-2nd)
11 games remaining (7 home, 4 away)
Fri/Jan/20 vs Kindersley
Fri/Jan/27 vs Nipawin
Sun/Jan/29 vs Battlefords
Thu/Feb/2 @ Kindersley
Fri/Feb/3 @ Battlefords
Sat/Feb/4 @ Kindersley
Wed/Feb/8 vs Yorkton
Fri/Feb/10 vs Kindersley
Sat/Feb/11 vs Humboldt
Fri/Feb/17 @ Weyburn
Sat/Feb/18 vs Weyburn

Remaining Opponents
Kindersley: 4 (2 H, 2A)
Weyburn: 2 (1H, 1A)
Battlefords: 2 (1H, 1A)
Yorkton: 1 (1H)
Humboldt: 1 (1H)
Nipawin: 1 (1H)

The Bruins are running out of games, and will need a great record in their final 11, and some help, to get a top three spot. They do see the rebuilding Kindersley Klippers four times in their last 11 games, and in 2 of their 4 remaining road games. Their other 7 games are all against teams with winning records. Their year-end home-and-home with Weyburn also might not have a lot on the line for the Wings, who could very well have first place sewn up by then.

If the Bruins go 8-3 in their last 11 games, Yorkton would need to go 8-7 in their last 15 to keep pace. Melville would have to go 9-9 in their last 18.

So really, if Yorkton & Melville both go above .500 from here to the finish line, it would almost force Estevan to win out. The Bruins do, on paper, have an easier, and less intense (packed) schedule to finish up.

Tie-Breakers: The first tie-breaker is head-to-head wins. Estevan has it over Melville. Yorkton has it over Estevan. Right now, Melville has it over Yorkton, but two Terrier wins this weekend would tie the season series at 4 wins each. Anything less than that, and Melville wins the season series.