Metalfab MHL Cup Playoff Capsule: Summerside vs Amherst

2024 Eastlink South Division Final

(1) Summerside Western Capitals vs (2) Amherst Ramblers

    • Game 1 – Tuesday, April 2nd, 7 p.m. – Credit Union Place
    • Game 2 – Thursday, April 4th, 7:30 p.m. – Amherst Stadium
    • Game 3 – Saturday, April 6th, 7:30 p.m. – Credit Union Place
    • Game 4 – Monday, April 8th, 7:30 p.m. – Amherst Stadium
    • Game 5 – Wednesday, April 10th, 7 p.m. – Credit Union Place*
    • Game 6 – Friday, April 12th, 7:30 p.m. – Amherst Stadium*
    • Game 7 – Sunday, April 14th, 7 p.m. – Credit Union Place*

*if necessary

Summerside Amherst
38-5-3-6 (1st) Regular Season Record (MHL Rank) 27-0-3-2 (5th)
4-1 vs Yarmouth Semifinal Result 4-2 vs Pictou County
4.20 Playoff Goals For per game 4.00
2.40 Playoff Goals Against per game 2.83
26.3% Playoff Powerplay % 23.5%
79.2% Playoff Penalty Kill % 90.0%
Paul Hughes – 4 G, 3 A
William Irvine – 2 G, 5 A
Playoff Top Scorer Jonah Jelley – 4 G, 4 A
William Irvine – 2 G, 5 A Playoff Top Scoring Defenseman Coen Strang – 5 A
Drew Sim – 4-1-0-0, 2.34 GAA, .917 SV% Playoff Goaltender Stats Lyam Leblanc – 3-0-0-0, 1.91 GAA, .943 SV%
Jack Howatt – 1-2-0-0, 3.38 GAA, .907 SV%
6-0-1-1 Head-to-Head Record 2-5-1-0
Trentyn Crane – 2 G, 9 A
Paul Hughes – 6 G, 5 A
Leading Scorer in Season Series Jonah Jelley – 7 G, 3 A

Previous Meetings

    • October 9th – Summerside 5 Amherst 6 (OT)
    • October 26th – Amherst 4 Summerside 7
    • December 10th – Summerside 4 Amherst 3 (OT)
    • December 16th – Summerside 7 Amherst 0
    • December 19th – Amherst 2 Summerside 6
    • February 1st – Amherst 2 Summerside 1 (SO)
    • February 17th – Summerside 5 Amherst 2
    • March 2nd – Amherst 3 Summerside 6

Notes

    • This is the first time Summerside and Amherst have faced off in the playoffs. The closest they came was in the 2005-06 season, but the Western Capitals lost to Woodstock in the Roger Meek Division Final. Amherst, who defeated Pictou County in seven games to capture the Maurice Bent Division Final, lost to Woodstock in five games.
    • Summerside has seven players with multiple goals in the Metalfab MHL Cup Playoffs, with Paul Hughes’ four leading the way. Hughes has two game-winning goals thus far, which is the second-most in the league behind Edmundston’s Dominic LeBlanc who has three.
    • Jonah Jelley, Amherst’s leading scorer in the regular season and so far in the playoffs, had points in seven games against Summerside, including goals in six of eight matchups.
    • Summerside had 52 shots on goal in Games 3 and 5 against Yarmouth, the highest for any team in the first round of the playoffs. They have averaged a league-best 43.8 shots per game and allowed the fewest per game at 28.8. Amherst has averaged 33.67 shots per game while allowing 35.5 per game against Pictou County.
    • Head-to-head, Drew Sim of the Western Capitals had a 2-0-0-0 record against Amherst with a 2.43 goals against average and a .934 save percentage. Teammate Niko Boudreau started the last three regular season games against the Ramblers and had a 2-0-0-1 record with a 1.62 GAA and .940 SV%. For Amherst, Lyam LeBlanc was 2-2-0-0 against Summerside in five games with a 4.07 GAA and .910 SV%. Jack Howatt was 0-3-1-0 with a 6.17 GAA and .836 SV%.
    • The second period has been interesting for both of these clubs in the playoffs. Amherst outscored Pictou County 9-4 in the middle frame in the first round, while Summerside was outscored by Yarmouth 6-4.
    • The Ramblers have scored two shorthanded goals this post-season, tops in the MHL, after scoring just four in the regular season. Summerside scored twelve shorthanded goals in the regular season and allowed just two.