By USPHL Staff
In The Playoff Push, we will take a look at the busiest game days’ most integral games in regards to teams clinching playoffs or clinching specific playoff berths, as we head down the stretch toward the start of playoffs in early March.
USPHL Premier
7 games today
The New England Division is getting interesting. The Cyclones have locked up second and will host the Boston Junior Bruins (No. 7). Division Champions the Utica Jr. Comets (No. 1) have a first round bye.
South Shore (currently No. 5) have only two games left and can finish no higher than fifth. The Islanders Hockey Club (No. 3) and College Universel Gatineau (No. 4) are battling to settle the last two home slots. Springfield (No. 6) are also in that race to host, but have about five points to make up with five games left. Gatineau likely will travel to South Shore or Springfield and play as the home team.
Gatineau visits the Junior Bruins today. South Shore visits the IHC. They can’t move today, but IHC could slide back to fourth with a loss and a Gatineau win.
To the Midwest West! A Moose (No. 5) win at the Mullets (No. 7) will consign Steele County to locking up sixth place. It will also lock in the Minnesota Moose playing the Blue Ox (currently fourth) in the first round – we just don’t know where yet.
USPHL Elite
3 games today
A point gained by Tampa (No. 1) over the Florida Eels (No. 3) ensures that Tampa will finish first. That would leave the Eels playing Atlanta (No. 4) the second weekend in March although we won’t know who gets last change until later this month. That Tampa point, when it comes, will mean that Tampa hosts whomever emerges from the Florida Jr. Blades-Bold City Battalion-Palm Beach Typhoon dogfight for the final spot. Current fourth place holders the Jr. Blades play the local rival Eels this weekend. The other two are idle. A Blades point will eliminate Bold City.
The New England Division is completely settled, so the Junior Bruins (No. 4) at the Islanders Hockey Club (No. 2) is just a bragging rights game.
Metro Jets Elite (No. 1) faces the Chicago Cougars (No. 5). The Jets can keep extending the gap between them and No. 2 Fort Wayne, while Chicago can improve to a tie for fourth with a win.
