GrayJay Sports
League News
Playoff Pairings now decided
As a result of action Saturday night across the province, playoff pairings have now been established for the 24-25 Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League Playoffs Opening Round. The following is a rundown of action from Saturday evening to outline how the playoff pairings came about.
Sackville 3 South Shore 2 (Sudden-Death OT)
The Lumberjacks entered the game trailing the Blazers by four points for third place in the Fox Division but even if they had tied the Blazers in points, Sackville would have secured the third spot in the standings because of a better seasonal record in games played between the clubs. However, as a result of Saturday night’s 3-2 sudden-death overtime victory by the Blazers over the Lumberjacks, it improved the Blazers to16-11-2 for 34 points while the Lumberjacks fell to 13-13-3 and 29 points. The semi-finals in the Fox Division will now see the Lumberjacks playing the potent East Hants Penguins while the Blazers will go up against the Capstone Colts. In last year’s opening round of the playoffs, the Colts defeated the Blazers in five games in a Best-of-Seven series while the Penguins took a 3-0 lead in their series with the South Shore only to lose four straight and the series in seven games.
In play in Bridgewater Saturday night, the Blazers Ryan Welsh scored with only two seconds remaining in the 3 on 3 overtime to give the Blazers the win, their fourth in five games over the Lumberjacks this season. Welsh's goal came on the power-play as Daniel Kline had been sent off for holding with only 1:37 left in the OT period. Will Meek scored the Blazers first goal of the game in the opening period also on the power-play. Daniel Kline scored for the Lumberjacks in the opening frame to send the clubs to their dressing rooms tied at 1-1 after the first.
South Shore took a 2-1 lead after forty minutes as MJ Bottomley playing in his first NSJHL Game of the season tallied to put the Lumberjacks up 2-1. He also assisted on Kline’s goal in the first. Will Meek scored his second marker of the game to knot the game at 2-2 in the third and send it to overtime.
The Lumberjacks will conclude their regular season Monday afternoon at home against the Brookfield Elks.
Membertou 5 Brookfield 4
This game saw the Elks give up a 3-1 second period lead and allow the Jr. Miners Tyler Seymour to score the game winner with only 1:04 left in regulation to give Membertou a 5-4 win while allowing them to clinch third place in the Rowe Division. The Jr. Miners who defeated the Port Hawkesbury Strait Pirates in four straight games in last year’s opening round will go up against the Pictou County Scotians in the first round this year.
As for Saturday’s game, Ty Oliver put the Jr. Miners in front 1-0 before Duggan Gauthier and Bryson Currie’s power-play goal gave the Elks a 2-1 lead after the opening period. Jackson Spraggon put the Elks up by a pair early in the second before Brady Doucette and Jarred Hicks tied the game at 3-3 after two periods. Currie scored his second power-lay goal of the game to put the Elks back on top 4-3 before Keagan Corbett tied the game once again, tis time at 4-4 prior to Seymour’s game winner. Jack Piper assisted on three of the four Elks goals while Drew Baldwin collected a pair of assists for the Jr. Miners who close out their regular season Tuesday night in Antigonish. Game time is 7:30 p.m.
Port Hawkesbury 4 Eskasoni Jr. Eagles 1
The Strait went into this game knowing third place was still a remote possibility but that they would require help from the Brookfield Elks. That help never materialized despite the Pirates 4-1 win over Eskasoni.
The Strait trailed 1-0 after one period after Kent Wolodka’s power-play goal with under five minutes to go. Keir Jordan tied the game for the Strait just 17 seconds into the middle period and that is the way the game stood 1-1 entering the third period. The Strait Pirates let loose in the third scoring three unanswered goals by Cohen MacIsaac, Landon MacIntosh and Ryland Hanrahan’s power-play goal with just over three minutes remaining. Andrew Burke stood tall in the Jr. Eagles net stopping 46 of 50 shots fired at him while Manny Strong in the Strait nets stopped 28 of 29 shots. Jesse Gillis picked up a pair of assists for the Strait, who will finish their regular season Monday morning in Pictou with an 11:15 start on the Holiday Monday and then prepare for the opening round of the playoffs against the potent and three-time defending Provincial Champions - the Antigonish Jr. Bulldogs later this week.