The St. Albert Gregg Distributors Sabres have three games left until the playoffs start Feb. 16 in the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League.
The Sabres (22-5-6) skate Thursday against the Leduc Oil Kings (9-16-4) at 7 p.m. at Akinsdale Arena, Saturday against the PAC Saints (12-16-4) at 7 p.m. at Grant Fuhr Arena and Feb. 13 against the Lloydminster Heat (11-13-6) at 4:15 p.m. in St. Albert.
The Sabres and third-place SSAC Southgate Lions (17-9-4) will face-off in the best-of-three nitro north division opening round. The Sabres are 2-0-2 against the Lions in league play.
The Sabres suffered their first shutout loss of the season in Tuesday’s 2-0 setback to the Sherwood Park Flyers (27-2-1) in St. Albert.
Ethan Browne scored at 2:44 of the first period and 21 seconds into the third for the nitro north leaders and the top team in the AMBHL.
Shots were 28-23 for the Sabres in the penalty-free contest. In net was Evan Fradette (12-2-3, 1.75 GAA).
The loss left the Sabres five points back of the Flyers in the standings and the Sherwood Park team has three games in hand.
The Sabres were 5-0-2 in their last seven games before the loss to finish 0-3-1 against the Flyers this season.
The St. Albert Lady Raiders dropped one point back of the Sherwood Park Royals in the Alberta Major Bantam Female Hockey League after Thursday’s loss at Go Auto Arena.
The Royals blanked the Raiders 4-0 in the penalty-filled affair. Shots were 31-21 for the Royals and Elle Boyko (4-3, 2.79 GAA) was in net.
The Royals made it 3-0 on the power play at 12:54 of the third period and closed out the win with an empty-net goal at the 15:50 mark.
The Royals (12-5-3) and Raiders (11-6-4) are second and third, respectively, in the north division. The teams meet again Saturday at 7:45 p.m. in St. Albert.
The Raiders are 2-1 during their six-game homestand and the second win was Wednesday’s 3-2 decision against the Edmonton Lightning (15-3-2), the top team in the north and defending league champions.
A power-play goal by Payden Bialowas snapped a 2-2 tie with 3:10 to play.
It was 2-0 Raiders after 40 minutes on scoring plays by Kristen Legge and Isabelle Lajoie. The Lightning replied with goals 86 seconds apart with the man advantage and then shorthanded.
The Raiders were outshot 28-20 and Natasha Borrett (6-5, 1.73 GAA) was between the pipes.
The St. Albert Crusaders host the Whitecourt Wolverines in the Northern Alberta Midget AA Hockey League Sunday.
Puck drop is 2:30 p.m. at Akinsdale Arena.
The Crusaders (16-7-2) are first and Whitecourt (8-14-3) is third in the Clean Harbors division.
The Crusaders are winless in their last two games by scores of 8-2 to CAC Butchers and Packers (17-6-3) and 7-2 against the Sherwood Park Oilers (11-11-3) from the Investors Group division.
Mattias Neset is tied for fifth in the league scoring race with 41 points in 24 games for the 2015 Fountain Tire Cup playoff finalists. He is also the team leader in goals with 19.
Meanwhile, the next game for the St. Albert Blues is Thursday versus CAC at 8:15 p.m. at Callingwood Arena.
The Blues (11-11-5) are winless in their last seven games while going 1-5-2 in January.
The fifth-place team in the Investors Group division is led by Sam Smith-Ackerl’s 29 points in 25 games Brett Mossing’s 19 goals in 24 games.
