With the trade deadline behind us, the CCHL season is now in the home stretch. The Loons have lost their hold on the top seed in the CCHL but are still hanging onto the top seed in the Corfield conference. As expected GM Czepiel made some moves at the deadline, mainly to strengthen the Loons overall defense. Pageau and Gourde both have reputations as strong defensive forwards, McNabb and Hamhuis are stay at home, physical defensemen. However, as often is the case this year, additions to the roster have sent the Loons into a slump as the teams searches to find the right line combinations. The Loons are playing their worst hockey of the year right now and have gone 4-6 in their past 10 games. Wisborg has gotten hot as of late and are right back into the race for the conference title, while Seattle has been trading blows with the Loons all season long.
Then late last night a story broke that is being called #Goaliegate. Seattle, along with a few other CCHL teams have been found guilty of breaking CCHL rule Q.1. Admittedly there are a lot of rules to keep track of in the CCHL but this one has massive ramifications on the team and the playoff race. Due to an oversight by the Reign head coach, Corey Crawford was allowed to play more than the league allows and now the Reign will have to forfeit 30 points, and thus crippling their playoff hopes.
Capeside has 14 games to go and has a 5 point lead on Wisborg and a game in hand on the Donuts. Portland has gotten hot lately and is within 10 points while both the Thunder and Musicmen have games in hand on the Loons. Goaliegate has definitely put the Loons in a great position to have a first round bye in the playoffs but all that can quickly fall apart if Coach Janney can't get this team to turn it around. A championship team is supposed to get hot before the playoffs not the other way around.
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