Merch Madness
Friday marks the last home game before the Merch Madness playoffs in the Capital Junior B Hockey League playoffs.Puck drop is 8 p.m. between the St. Albert Merchants and Spruce Grove Regals (4-29-2) at Akinsdale Arena. The Merchants are 8-9-1 on home ice.
Sunday the Merchants face-off against the Beverly Warriors (24-11-1) at 8 p.m., at Clareview Arena and the regular season ends Tuesday against the Morinville Jets (23-10-2) at 8:30 p.m. at Ray McDonald Sports Centre.
The Merchants were in action Tuesday against the host Sherwood Park Knights (14-17-3) but the score was unavailable at press time.
The Blue Guys had lost three straight while outscored 17-7 before Sunday’s 5-1 win over the Stony Plain Flyers (14-19-3) in St. Albert.
Matt Havens, Adrian Parth and Jack Langenhahn scored and the second of two goals by Sam Milner in the third period was generated on the power play.
Peter Corrigan finished with three assists and Mike Bruni had two helpers.
The Merchants outshot the Flyers 34-26 and Ethan Crotty (11-10, 3.77 GAA) was in net.
If the playoffs started today, the Merchants and Flyers would tangle for the third year in a row in the best-of-three west division qualifying round.
Jets roaring
The Morinville Jets have their sights set on first place in the west division when the winners of four consecutive games play the North Edmonton Red Wings tonight in the Capital Junior B Hockey League.Faceoff is 8 p.m. at Londonderry Arena.
The Jets (23-10-2) and Red Wings (23-11-2) share second place with one less point than the Beverly Warriors (24-11-1).
The Warriors also have a game on tap tonight against the Spruce Grove Regals (4-29-2) at Clareview Arena.
The top two teams in the west receive a first-round bye and the next four teams are paired off in a best-of-three qualifying round.
Sunday the Jets knocked off the Warriors 4-1 at Ray McDonald Sports Centre as Scott Woloshyn assisted on two goals by Lee Gadoury and singles by Brett Dubuc and Josh Perrott. Brett Kampjes also chipped in with two helpers.
Perrott and Gadoury struck on the power play.
The teams combined for 25 infractions for 90 penalty minutes.
The Jets are the most penalized team in the west while averaging 26.74 minutes per game for sixth overall in the 14-team league.
Shots were 35-30 for the Jets and Colton Kucher (10-5, 2.01 GAA) tended the twine.
Dubuc continues to rack up the points as the fourth-highest scorer in the CJHL with 77 in 35 games and his 41 goals rank second overall.
The Jets close out the regular season Sunday against the Strathcona Bruins (16-18-2) at 3:30 p.m. at Strathcona Olympiette Centre and Tuesday against the St. Albert Merchants (18-15-1) at 8:30 p.m. at Ray McDonald Sports Centre.
Raiders scoreless
The St. Albert Tire Warehouse Raiders failed to find the back of the net for the third game in a row in the Albert Midget AAA Hockey League.The Raiders are also winless in six games after Sunday’s 3-0 shutout loss against the host Red Deer Chiefs.
The last goal by the Raiders was scored by Jacob Hiemstra at 6:20 of the third period in the 4-1 loss to the KC Pats on Jan. 7 at Bill Hunter Arena.
The Pats (17-10-3) and Raiders (13-12-5) are separated by six points as the top two teams in the north division with five games left in the regular season.
The Raiders are also the lowest-scoring team (2.53 per game) and the best division team (2.23 per game) in the north.
During the scoreless drought the Raiders have allowed 11 goals against in the three losses.
Shots were 25-25 for the Chiefs (20-4-6), ranked second in the south division
Evan Fradette (5-7-2, 2.22 GAA) was beaten once on the power play and twice at even strength as the Chiefs scored in every period.
The Raiders are 0-4-1 since going 4-2 as semifinalists at the 40th annual Mac’s Midget AAA World Invitational Tournament in Calgary when they visit the Grande Peace Storm (8-16-6) Saturday at 2 p.m.
The Chiefs beat the Raiders 1-0 on a third-period goal in the Mac’s playoffs.
The next home game is Sunday versus the Calgary Flames (15-8-6) at 1:15 p.m.
Flyers rebound
Two losses in seven days were two too many for the St. Albert Flyers in the Alberta Minor Midget AAA Hockey League.Sunday’s 4-1 victory over the Lloydminster Bobcats at Akinsdale Arena ended the longest losing streak of the season for midget 15 Flyers (17-5-6).
The day before, the Flyers dropped a 4-1 decision to the host Leduc Oil Kings (11-11-4).
The first loss for the Flyers after going undefeated in 14 games at 10-0-4 was 2-1 against the Grande Peace Storm (10-12-8) Jan. 21 in St. Albert.
Luke Cust scored against Leduc and Ethan Barwick faced a game-high 27 shots.
The Flyers rebounded against the Bobcats (8-11-8) as Dylan McFatridge, Ethan McKinley (power play), Mathieu Gautier and Maddux Nollski (empty net) potted goals and Nollski added two assists.
Shots were 34-31 for the Flyers and Barwick (12-4-3, 2.11 GAA) was in net.
The Flyers trail the Sherwood Park Squires (19-4-3) by one point for the north division pennant and the Squires have two games in hand.
Saturday’s game against CRAA Gold (14-10-3), a south division team, starts at 5:30 p.m. at the Akinsdale rink.
