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Sports 01: Regals face uphill battle
Chris Clegg
for South Peace News
Like a good horse race, the battle for the final two playoff berths in the North Peace Hockey League’s East Division will go down to the wire.
The 9-11-2-0 Fairview Kings, 9-12-1-0 Peace River Stampeders and 9-13-0-0 High Prairie Regals are battling for two playoff berths after action concluded last week.
But no matter how you look at it, the Regals have the toughest road to travel in their quest to get in.
The Kings host the Falher Pirates on Thursday while the Stamps host the Valleyview Jets. The Regals, meanwhile, play arch-rival Lakeland at home. Should the Regals lose in regulation time and the Kings and Stamps win, it’s over. If not, the Saturday games – the last of the season – will decide everyone’s fortune. The Kings travel to Valleyview, the Stamps are in Lakeland and Regals in Falher.
There is no double the Kings have the easiest road to travel and are in third, while the Regals have the toughest road and are now on the outside looking in.
However, the story may not be as bleak as one would think. The Regals have won 10 of the last 12 at home against Lakeland and have defeated Falher twice in three games this season including a 5-4 win in Falher.
And, should the Regals garner a point of any kind and tie the Stamps, the Regals would likely win the fourth tiebreaker and gain a playoff berth. The teams would tie in wins, they split the season series with two wins each, and tied in goals for and against in the season series with 28. The fourth tiebreaker is goals for and against during the entire season. The Regals are -30 while the Stamps are -41 entering play the final week. Unless the Stamps, who are on a five-game losing streak, lay a supreme licking on the Jets, the Regals would win the tiebreaker.
The Regals began the week with a much-needed 6-3 win in Valleyview to keep pace with the Kings, who shocked Lakeland 7-2 at the Fish Tank for their second straight win over the East Division champs in a week. Stan Auger opened the scoring for the Regals while Mac Caron replied for the Jets.
In the second period, Shawn Listhaeghe put the Jets up 2-1 but Lloyd Ah-Kim-Nachie tied it with a short-handed goal with one second left.
In the third, Lawrence Anderson gave the Regals the lead until Caron tied it 3-3 with 11:49 left.
However, Eli Cunningham’s power play goal with 6:11 left gave the Regals the lead they would not surrender. Kelly Cunningham’s short-handed effort with 3:02 left and Anderson’s second of the night, this time on a power play, with 28 seconds left sealed the win.
The Regals returned home Jan. 30 to face the West Division cellar dwelling Mustangs, who won a hard-fought game 6-4 to complete a 5-1 record against East teams this season.
Mike Lefley and Brant Stilwell gave the Mustangs a 2-0 first period lead in a game they never trailed. However, the Regals battled back with a pair of goals from Rollie Gladue and Ah-Kim-Nachie by the early part of the third period and the game was tied 3-3. Brenin Rycroft had scored the Mustangs’ other goal in the second period to make it 3-1.
But Colin Lefley spoiled the Regals’ hopes with three third period goals. His first was a power play marker, then he scored even strength to make it 5-3 with 13:33 left.
Kelly Cunningham scored to make it 5-4 with 5:49 left and the Regals had hope. Lawrence Anderson’s penalty for roughing with 2:26 left was a killer but the Regals killed it off and had the puck behind their net for one final rush.
But fate dealt the Regals a crushing blow when a long pass up the middle bounced off Colin Lefley’s body and into the net to complete the hat trick with 21 seconds left.
Special teams were the different in the game. The Mustangs clicked on three of nine chances while the Regals scored only once on 10 chances.
The Mustangs outshot the Regals 36-27.
Awards voting
The NPHL executive is currently preparing ballots for the season awards and All-Star teams.
Each team is nominating players in each category; the ballot is then prepared and forwarded to the panel for voting.
Teams nominate players on their team for Most Valuable Player, Rookie-of-the-Year, Most Gentlemanly Player and at defence, centre, right wing and left wing. Eligible goaltenders are determined by minimum minutes played.
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High Prairie goaltender Ian Chwok has to deal with a fallen Dayne Baker of the Hythe Mustangs during North Peace Hockey League action at the Sports Palace Jan. 30. Baker’s Mustangs defeated the Regals 6-4 thus dealing them a serious blow to their playoff chances.
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