Senior and junior C playoffs kick off

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This article was published 14/02/2024 (440 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Stands across Mantioba are filling with passionate fans, as the playoff season officially kicked off last week.

Teams from the Hanover-Tache Junior Hockey League (HTJHL), South East Manitoba Hockey League (SEMHL) and top tier of high school got the party started Feb. 7, with more leagues set to join them in the coming weeks.

Two teams set the pace in Manitoba’s only junior C league this regular season, and it’s no surprise those two teams have continued to dominate in the quarterfinals.

The Steinbach Huskies finished in first place, only three points ahead of Springfield, but 15 points ahead of third-place Red River.

It’s been easy sailing for the Huskies in round one, as they face off against the expansion St Clements Gators in a five-game series picking up two convincing wins. Steinbach dismantled the Gators 8-1 in game one, scoring four goals in three minutes in the third period to turn a somewhat competitive game into a blowout.

Game two was a blowout of historic proportions, with the Huskies putting up 20 goals in a victory, including 9 in the third period.

Game three is set for Feb. 16 at the T.G. Smith Centre. A list of results and all upcoming games can be found in the Carillon Sports scoreboard on page B4.

Springfield has had more problems with the fiesty Landmark Blues in their quarterfinal, but still lead 2-0. The Xtreme used a strong powerplay to muscle a 4-2 win in game one Feb. 10, scoring three times with the man advantage.

Braeden Rebeck scored a back-breaker of a goal just three minutes into the third period. Entering the frame, Springfield held a 2-1 lead, but import player Sam Sass scored a minute and a half into the period, before Rebeck tallied with Hudson Skajaerlund sitting in the box for tripping.

Game two was the next day in Landmark, and fans were treated to a thrilling game, with an unfortunate end. The Blues and Xtreme battled back and forth, with the teams finishing the third period tied 2-2, despite multiple posts in the final minutes.

Back and forth play continued into the overtime, before Payton Plett burst up ice on a two-on-one rush. The Landmark forward tried to shoot the puck, but it was blocked by a sprawling Springfield defender, as the two players tangled with Plett falling hard into the boards.

The Blues forward hit the boards back-first, with his head whipping into the siding behind the Xtreme net, and fell motionless to the ice, with referees immediately blowing the play dead, and trainers rushing to Plett’s aid.

After a few minutes of silence, Plett was able to get back to his feet, and he left the ice, albeit with heavy assistance from trainers and teammates.

Landmark coach Dan Skjaerlund said Plett was actually knocked completely out on the ice, but has reported no ill-effects from the incident over the next few days, and even wants to return to the ice for game three.

“Now it’s on our safety and trainer to evaluate him, and keep an eye on him,” Skjaerlund said.

“We’re going to let the trainer make that call… That’s what she’s trained for… There’s a lot of life left after hockey.”

Just a couple minutes after the injury, Springfield would end the game, with Rebeck once again scoring a decisive goal, jamming home a loose rebound past Blues starter Luke Giesbrecht.

It’s been a spirited affair between the Red River Mudbugs and Niverville Clippers, if suspensions are anything to go by. William Sawatzky and Gavin Hildebrandt received match penalties in the third period of Red River’s 3-1 victory Feb. 10 to tie the series at one.

Hildebrandt has received an indefinite suspension, for striking an official with his stick in the waning moments of the game.

It was a race down to the wire to see who would earn home-ice advantage between Macdonald and Lorette, but it may not have mattered in the end, as the lower-seeded Comets have taken a 2-0 series lead, winning games in Sanford and Ile des Chenes.

Games three and four are scheduled in Sanford, with Lorette picking up key home-ice advantage in the fifth and deciding game thanks to a scheduling quirk. The Comets will have a chance to end the series Feb. 14, in a game played after press time.

In Lorette’s 4-2 victory Feb. 10, referees handed out 52 penalty minutes in a four minute span during the second period, but didn’t call a single foul for the rest of the game.

Games are played at a much slower pace in the SEMHL, with round one ending as late as Feb. 28. Only three of the four series had even played a game as of Feb. 13, with Warren leading Notre Dame 1-0, and Winkler taking game one in St Jean against Red River before picking up game two Feb. 13. Red River’s season will be on the line in a home game Feb. 15.

Red River will look to get back in the series Feb. 15 in St Jean.

In the all-Eastman match-up between top-ranked Ste Anne and Ile des Chenes, the Aces took a 1-0 lead on the strength of a 5-1 home victory Feb. 10.

Games in that series go Feb. 16 (Ile des Chenes) and Feb. 17 (Ste Anne).