Jockeying for position: second to fourth up for grabs as regular season winds down

news2017-01-19
(Jan. 19, 2017) -- With a win over the Hickman Chrysler Bell Island Blues last weekend, the Harbour Grace Ocean Enterprises CeeBee Stars simultaneously locked up first place in the Avalon East Senior Hockey League regular season and officially eliminated the Blues from playoff contention. With just three games remaining, the Blues can't catch the third-place St. John's Green Sleeves Caps, the team they'll face twice this weekend, the final full weekend of the circuit's 60-game schedule. However, the Caps -- with a pair of wins this weekend, a little help from the CeeBees and Puglisevich Southern Shore Breakers, and a win over the Tapper’s Northeast Eagles in the teams' regular-season finale -- can put themselves in a good position to leapfrog the Eagles and claim third place heading into the post-season. That said with postponed games still to be scheduled and teams with games in hand over others, it's too early to pontificate on the possible playoff permutations until the action gets underway 8 o'clock tomorrow night at the Jack Byrne Arena where the Eagles welcome the CeeBees. On Saturday, in addition to the 7 p.m. Bell Island-St. John's contest at Msrg. the Bartlett Memorial Arena, the Breakers head over the road to Harbour Grace to meet the CeeBees at 7:30 p.m. at the Danny Cleary Community Centre. Sunday's action will see the Breakers play host to the Eagles at the Southern Shore Arena in what could be a crucial game to decide second place. Game time in Mobile is 7 p.m. The Caps and Blues round out the weekend Monday, 8:30 p.m., at the Goulds Sports Arena.