Following one of the closest regular seasons in recent memory, the Saskatchewan Prairie Hockey League playoffs are set to get underway this week.
When it comes to the Battleford Beaver Blues and Meota Combines, both teams feel like they are heading into the post-season with momentum on their sides.
“The boys are really feeling it right now,” Combines goaltender Dallas Wright said. “We’ve really come together as a group over the last few weeks, and that’s a big deal with how close this league is among the top five teams.”
“Everyone’s rolling at both ends of the ice for us,” Beaver Blues forward Mitch Phillips said. “The entire team’s healthy and we’re coming into the playoffs feeling good.”
The Combines rattled off five straight wins to finish off the regular season with a 12-6-0 record and were in fifth place in the SPHL standings.
They will go up against the defending league champion Shellbrook Silvertips in the first round of the playoffs, with their best-of-five series getting underway Friday in Shellbrook at 8:30 p.m.
Game two of the series will take place at the Civic Centre Sunday at 7:30 p.m., while game three will be in Shellbrook Wednesday at 8:30 p.m.
If required, a fourth game would be held in North Battleford on Feb. 17 at 7:30 p.m.
The date and time for a fifth and deciding game in Shellbrook, if necessary, has yet to be finalized.
The two sides have played twice this season, with the Silvertips winning at home by a score of 10-4 on Nov. 18 and the Combines prevailing in the rematch last Thursday in a 3-2 contest at the Civic Centre.
“It’s a quick game between both teams right from the opening face-off,” Wright said. “I didn’t know that I was going to be starting until just before the game, so I was a little bit shaky in the first few minutes, but I was able to work through it and the guys did a great job of helping out.”
Vince Sauvie led the way on offence for the Combines with a goal and an assist with the other goals coming from Bo Gervais and Ryan McKay.
The Beaver Blues, meanwhile, finished the regular season in second place in the SPHL standings with a 13-5-0 record.
They’ve won their last five games, with their most recent win coming Saturday with an 8-3 triumph at the Battleford Arena over the Radisson Wheatkings.
“It was a nice way to finish out the regular season,” Phillips said. “Everyone was rolling along at both ends of the ice and it was a total team effort from start to finish thanks to our roster depth.”
Mike George had a hat trick and two assists in the win, while Keegan Sparrow had a goal and four assists and captain Brent Salzl had a three-point night
The Beaver Blues will be taking on the Glaslyn North Stars in the quarter-finals, with that series getting underway at the Battleford Arena Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
The two teams will then play in Glaslyn at 8 p.m. Friday before returning to Battleford next Thursday for a 7:30 p.m. contest.
If needed, a fourth game would take place in Glaslyn on Feb. 18 at 8 p.m. and a fifth and deciding contest would occur in Battleford at 1 p.m. on Feb. 19.
The top-ranked Hafford Hawks start their playoffs Wednesday at home against the eighth-seeded Cut Knife Colts at 8:30 p.m.
The Colts will host game two Friday at 8:30 p.m. while the third game in the series will be in Hafford at 8 p.m. Saturday.
The dates and times for a fourth and fifth game, if needed, are still being finalized.
The other quarter-final series will see the third-ranked Edam Three Stars taking on the sixth-seeded Maymont Settlers.
That series will begin Thursday in Edam at 8:30 p.m., with the Settlers hosting game two Sunday at 7 p.m.
Both teams will then travel to Edam for a third game on Feb. 17 at 8:30 p.m.
If necessary, game four would take place 8 p.m. in Maymont on Feb. 18 and game five would be held in Edam on Feb. 19 at 8:30 p.m.
In other SPHL news, the Silvertips and Three Stars are both competing in the provincial playoffs in the Senior C and Senior D divisions respectively.
The Silvertips lost the first game of their two-game total goals opening round series to the Delisle Bruins by a score of 8-2 on Jan. 31 in Delisle.
The two teams will square off again in Shellbrook Saturday.
The Three Stars, meanwhile, begin a two-game total goal quarter-final series in Edam Saturday in an 8 p.m. battle with the Kyle Elks.
The second game will take place in Kyle on Feb. 25 at 7 p.m.
