I agree it can be confusing.
The best way to explain it is this way.
The Bruins need 11 more points to officially eliminate the Rockets and earn the final playoff spot in the B.C division.
Or looking the other way, 11 points that the Rockets fail to get wil give the Bruins the birth.
The Bruins have a 2 point lead on the Rockets with 6 games left to go which would give them a total of 12 points if they won all of their remaining games in the regular season.
Yet they don't need a maximum of 12 points because of their 2 point lead on the Rockets, so essentially the Bruins need 5 wins and an overtime loss or shoot-out loss or a maximum of 11 points to clinch 4th spot.
So the magic number is indeed 5.5.
Any combination of Bruins wins and Rockets losses adding up to that number gives the expansion franchise the playoff birth.
Talking to Vice President of Hockey Richard Doerksen at the league office in Calgary this morning, he told me if the two teams are tied after the regular season, a one game playoff will take place.
Who get's home ice advantage in that one game?
The team with the most wins.
At this point Chilliwack would get the home game because of more regular season wins.
Clear as mud?
Prince George Cougars forward Nick Drazenovic has been suspended for his hit on Rockets rookie defenseman Tysen Barrie.
Drazenovic won't play tonight when the Cougars host the Calgary Hitmen.
The full details of that suspension will be released later today, but Drazenovic will be punished for his hit on Barrie in the late stages of the Cougars 7-4 win over the Rockets Saturday night.
Barrie is ok, but has returned back to Victoria where his midget team is involved in the playoffs.
The Rockets will have Daniel Salamandyk backing up Torrie Jung tomorrow night against the Blazers.
Salamandyk was acquired from Kootenay in the Clayton Bauer trade earlier this season.
Salamandyk is playing this season for the Midget Okanagan Rockets based in Kelowna.
Congrat's to David Schulz.
The 21 year-old d-man celebrated his 300th W.H.L game Friday night in Prince George.
Schulz has had a career filled with ups and downs since breaking into the W.H.L with the Swift Current Broncos as a 15 year-old back in 2001-2002.
Schulz was the Broncos #1 bantam pick in that 2001 draft, and was eventually traded to Spokane where he spent part of one season with the Chiefs before being shipped to Saskatoon.
The Rockets picked him up from the Blades in early October.
Schulz becomes the second Rocket defenseman to celebrate 300 games in the W.H.L this season.
Clayton Barthel reached the milestone prior to Christmas.
Schulz is a guy you like to cheer for. He always has a smile on his face, and seems to be a likeable guy.
He has pretty decent size, can great skating ability and has a extremely hard shot.
His only drawback over his career was playing a soft game, something that doesn't sit well in the eyes of pro scouts.
Justin Bernhardt may be a scratch for the Rockets tomorrow night.
The Rockets second leading scorer has the flu.
Bernhardt didn't practice with the team yesterday.
Clayton Barthel missed both games on the weekend because of illness, but should be ready to go tomorrow night.
I heard today that Minnesota Wild Scout Doug Mosher is battling cancer.
Mosher is one of the good guys in hockey, and I had the privilege of getting to know Doug when I was cutting my teeth with the Swift Current Broncos, as he was the club's General Manager.
Every time he see's me at the rink, he gives me a hard time about the tie I'm wearing.
I hope to hear more of that ribbing from 'Mosh' on my next visit to the 'Hat'.
Mosher is now based in Medicine Hat.
No comments:
Post a Comment