Friday the St. Albert Merchants host the last-place Edmonton Mustangs in the Capital Junior B Hockey League.
Faceoff is 8 p.m. at Akinsdale Arena.
The Merchants (10-1-1) are coming off their first loss in regulation time, 4-3 to the Wetaskiwin Icemen (5-5-2) Sunday in St. Albert.
The Icemen sniped the winner with 12 minutes left in period three.
Shots were 30-25 for the Merchants and Max Cathcart (3-2, 2.23 GAA) was in net.
It was 3-1 for the Icemen when Brent McGugan struck with 71 seconds left in the middle frame and in the third he tied it up with 12:55 remaining.
Casey Reid also scored and Josh Jewell added two helpers against the team that eliminated the Merchants in game seven in the 2013 CJHL semifinals. It was the Icemen’s third win of the playoff series in St. Albert.
Sunday’s loss ended a 10-game winning streak for the Merchants, who dropped a season-opening 6-5 overtime loss to the Morinville Jets (5-5-1) in St. Albert.
The 10th win was Friday’s 10-1 rout of the Leduc Riggers (4-6-1). McGugan potted a pair for the visitors.
Saturday the St. Albert Sabres entertain the SSAC Southgate Lions in the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League.
Game time is 8 p.m. at Akinsdale Arena.
It’s the first meeting since the Sabres (5-5-1) surprised the 2013 league, provincial and western Canadian champions 5-3 Sunday in Edmonton.
Nate Reinhart stopped 42 shots and the Sabres were credited with only 12 shots against the Lions (8-2).
The Morinville Kings are gunning for win No. 3 in their inaugural North Central Hockey League season Saturday in Edson.
Puck drop is 7:30 p.m. against the hometown Ice (1-1-1).
The next home game is Nov. 9 versus the NCHL champion Devon Barons (2-1) at 8:30 p.m. at the Ray McDonald Sports Centre.
The home opener for the senior AA Kings (2-1) was Saturday’s 6-5 decision against the Westlock Warriors (1-1).
Kyle Beddows broke a five-all deadlock with 12:31 to play.
Dalen Paul tallied twice and Brayden Arcand, Ben Lamer, Adam Tomkow and Kyle Beddows also scored in support of netminder Curtis Ronaldson.
The night before in Mayerthorpe the Kings edged the Whitecourt Wild 6-5. Paul led the way with two goals and Tomkow picked up three assists. Arcand, LaFleche, Beddows and Tim Nolte also connected and Ronaldson was between the pipes against the Wild (1-2).
