Hello sports fans. Let’s turn our attention
to the ever-tough Corfield Conference and see where things are as of day 118.
Your faithful Siberia reporter went behind the scenes to check-in on the
playoff races!
As
we saw at the third-of-the-way point in the season, the top 2 teams are still
holding the same positions. The defending conference champs, the Falcons, are
pushing to get back to the finals this year. They have a strong team as always,
with a strong balance of offense and defense. They have the highest scoring
team as well as the stingiest defensive team in the CCHL! That is a dangerous
combination! Can they find that extra gear in the playoffs?
Second
in the conference is Team Sweden… I mean, the Donuts. The Donuts have kept up a
very strong pace throughout the year, having been in first place for part of
the season before relinquishing the conference lead back to the Falcons. Can
the Donuts get themselves back in shape and overtake the Falcons? They
currently sit 7 points out of first, but there is plenty of season to go.
The
surprise team of these last few months is the Bismarck Ibex. GM Condon has made
some key trades to strengthen the Ibex and has them currently sitting in 3rd
place, 1 point behind the Donuts, but with two very important games in hand. GM
Condon is no stranger to the playoffs, having previously won back-to-back
championships. He certainly seems to have the Ibex poised to try to dethrone
the Falcons.
The
Chinook are exactly where they were when we reported earlier in the season,
still holding onto 4th place thanks to other-worldly scoring from
“Pasta”. This guy just knows how to score and score in bunches. With the
Tkachuk brothers reunited in Calgary, we know that they won’t be an easy game
for anyone in the Corfield. The Reign and the Owls are fighting hard to climb
the standings and are holding on to 5th and 6th place
respectively. The Owls had previously been 3rd but have struggled a
bit these past 4 months. The Tampere Lynx, with new owner Scott Smith, are
solidly in 7th place. Can Scott keep the Lynx in position for the
playoffs?
Just
as with the Canosa Conference, the real race is for the final playoff spot.
Four points separates the Orrsmen, Thunder and Crackerjacks for that final an
elusive playoff spot. None of 3 teams have had a winning record in the past 10
games, so they will have to ratchet up their games to push for that final
playoff spot. While the possibility of facing the Falcon, Donuts or Ibex may seem
daunting, getting hot in the playoffs can be all a team needs to surprise
everyone! Just ask the Niagara Falls Thunder who won the 2012-13 Kehler Cup as
a #6 seed in the Corfield, taking down the Donuts and Falcons along the way?
Could we see a similar Cinderella story in the Corfield this year?
The
playoffs are just around the corner and if history has taught us anything is
that the final stretch of the season will be intense and dramatic. Stay tuned
until next time, sports fans!
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