Friday the first-place St. Albert Merchants visit the Morinville Jets in the Capital Junior B Hockey League.
Puck drop is 8:30 p.m. at Ray McDonald Sports Centre.
The Merchants (16-2-1) have won five in a row and the Jets (7-10-1) are 2-3 in their last five games.
Head to head the Jets won 6-5 in the league opener in St. Albert and the Merchants rallied in the third period for a 6-5 decision Nov. 10 in Morinville.
The Merchants are the top team in goals scored (113) and goals against (44).
The Jets are the runaway penalty minute leaders with 782, which is 70 PIM more than the Strathcona Bruins (9-9-1). The Merchants’ PIM total is 526.
The Money Men wrapped up a winning four-game homestand in Sunday’s 5-2 victory against the Spruce Grove Regals (6-13) at Akinsdale Arena.
Josh Jewell tallied twice and added two assists as the Merchants improved to 9-1-1 on home ice.
Casey Reid scored once for a three-point night. Brent McGugan and Taylor Wiebe also sniped goals.
Shots were 33-29 for the Merchants and in net was Max Cathcart (5-2, 2.26 GAA).
Friday the Merchants posted their second-straight shutout at home as Justin Pawlenchuk (11-1, 2.34 GAA) faced 27 shots in the 5-0 win over the Beverly Warriors (10-8).
Jewell and Mitch McNamara potted a pair each and Thomas Rotundo also scored.
The Jets are coming off a 5-4 overtime win against the North Edmonton Red Wings (11-6-1) Friday in Morinville.
Wayne Gatza’s second goal of the game was the winner.
Gatza, Travis Geislinger, Justin Proulx, Branden Domoslai scored in the first period before the Red Wings replied with four in a row.
Jets’ goalie Mike Brown stopped a game-high 43 shots.
The division leaders in the North Central Hockey League collide Saturday, as the Morinville Kings entertain the Drayton Valley Wildcats at 8:30 p.m. at Ray McDonald Sports Centre.
The first-year Kings and the Devon Barons, the defending NCHL champions, share top spot in the north at 6-2. The Wildcats are No. 1 in the south at 7-2.
The fourth-straight victory for the Kings was 5-3 against the hometown Athabasca Aces (3-6) Saturday.
Dalen Paul lit the lamp twice and Ryan Ternowski, Morgan Cardinal and Brayden Arcand (empty netter) also scored.
Jordan Panasiuk and Curtis Ronaldson split time in net.
The Kings are the NCHL sin-bin leaders with 350 PIM.
