By Craig Stein
MILLIONAIRES FALL SHORT ON FINAL NIGHT OF REGULAR SEASON
The two time defending Canalta Cup Champion Melfort Mustangs are heading back to the playoffs, and kept their chances at a three-peat alive, and their spot in the 2017 playoffs were clinched before their final game was over.
The Estevan Bruins helped out the Mustangs, by beating the Melville Millionaires 4-2, ending Melville’s hopes of catching Melfort for that final playoff spot. The Millionaires needed a win, coupled with a Melfort regulation loss in order to get in.
Melfort went on to surrender a late lead in Humboldt and fall 5-4 in overtime to the Broncos, but end up two points ahead of Melville for that final playoff spot, and they’ll face the Notre Dame Hounds in the Wild Card series, likely beginning Friday in Notre Dame.
Meanwhile the Flin Flon Bombers took back first place in the Sherwood Division on the final night of the regular season, beating Nipawin 4-0. The Bombers and Hawks finish tied for 1st in the division, and the Hawks had one extra win, but head to head is the first tie-breaker, and the Bombers went 7-1-0 vs the Hawks in 8 meetings this season.
That sends Nipawin to a Quarter-Final matchup with Humboldt beginning next weekend, while the Bombers get the #2 seed and will face the highest remaining Wild Card seed. They’ll face Notre Dame if the Hounds beat Melfort. Should Melfort win, the Bombers would get the winner out of Weyburn and Kindersley.
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FINAL STANDINGS
1) Battlefords
2) Flin Flon
3) Estevan
4) Nipawin
5) Humboldt
6) Yorkton
7) Notre Dame
8) Weyburn
9) Kindersley
10) Melfort
11) Melville
12) La Ronge
PLAYOFF MATCHUPS
WILD CARD SERIES
7) ND vs 10) MFT
8) WEY vs 9) KIN
QUARTER-FINALS
1) BAT vs WC #2
2) FF vs WC #1
3) EST vs 6) YOR
4) NIP vs 5) HUM
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