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.
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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.
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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).
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