As we enter the final week of the 2024-25 regular season, there is still lots of intrigue as the Metalfab MHL Cup Playoffs draw closer. In the Eastlink North, Edmundston will face the defending league champion Miramichi Timberwolves in the first round, with the MHL-leading Blizzard holding home ice advantage throughout the playoffs. West Kent and Campbellton is the other matchup, with a little work left to be done there for second place. In the Eastlink South, no seeds have been determined, so any combination of the four teams in a playoff series are up in the air. Summerside and Amherst have to sort out first and second place in the division, while Truro and Pictou County battle for third place.
Here’s what to watch for:
| Summerside Western Capitals | Amherst Ramblers |
| Thurs, March 6 – Home vs Truro Sat, March 8 – At Yarmouth Sun, March 9 – At Valley |
Thurs, March 6 – At Pictou County Fri, Match 7 – At Pictou County |
Summerside enter the final week with a two-point advantage on Amherst for first place in the Eastlink South. The Western Capitals have three games remaining, including two against non-playoff teams in Yarmouth and Valley. The Ramblers, for their part, have a doubleheader left against Pictou County. The first tie-breaker is regulation plus overtime wins, with both currently teams sitting at 34. Should it go to a second tie-breaker, Amherst won the head-to-head matchup with a 6-1-1-0 record against the Western Capitals this season.
| Truro Bearcats | Pictou County |
| Thurs, March 6 – At Summerside Sat, March 8 – Home vs Valley |
Thurs, March 6 – Home vs Amherst Fri, March 7 – Home vs Amherst Sun, March 9 – At Yarmouth |
With Sunday’s results, the Bearcats need just one point or a Crushers loss to clinch third place in the South as they control the first tie-breaker. Pictou County is in tough with the two games against an Amherst team still with everything to play for and then face Yarmouth, who just beat the Crushers on Sunday. The Bearcats would love to pick up that point Thursday against Summerside and avoid any pressure against Valley on Saturday.
| West Kent Steamers | Campbellton Tigers |
| Wed, March 5 – Home vs Fredericton Sat, March 8 – At Fredericton Sun, March 9 – Home vs Grand Falls |
Fri, March 7 – Home vs Grand Falls Sun, March 9 – At Edmundston |
We know that West Kent and Campbellton will face off in the first round of the playoffs, but they still have to determine who will have home ice advantage in the series. West Kent have three games remaining, all against non-playoff teams as they face Fredericton twice and Grand Falls once. Campbellton also have a game left against the Rapids and then finish up against Edmundston. Sitting four points back of the Steamers, the Tigers have to win both of their remaining games and get some help to overtake West Kent.
Some other things to watch for this week:
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- Regular season scoring race: Four players have hit the 80-point mark this season. Edmundston’s Philippe Collette leads the scoring race with 83 points. Summerside’s Dominik Godin and Amherst’s Mathis Perron are second with 81, while Pictou County’s Lucas Canning is next with 80.
- Goals, goals, goals: Lucas Canning set a new Crushers record this season, blowing past Alexis Roy’s 37 goals in 2016-17. He leads the MHL with 49 goals entering the final week and could become just the third player since 2014-15 to hit the 50-goal mark. If we want to talk about the Crusher franchise, Francis Cloutier had 51 goals in 2001-02 for the then-Halifax Oland Exports.
- Even more goals: Edmundston rookie Émile Fournier has 37 goals in 50 games this season, setting a new Blizzard record, and closing in on the 42 scored by Jarvis Loga of the Campbellton Tigers back in 1999-00.
- Shorthanded goals: Pictou County’s Logan O’Neil has nine shorthanded goals this season, beating the mark of eight scored by Jason Imbeault in 2019-20 as a member of Miramichi and Truro. Can he add to that in the Crushers’ final three games?
- Goals against average: Edmundston’s Austin Caley sits with a 2.08 goals against average in 21 games played, which could be in range of the best mark in the past ten years held by Yarmouth Justin Sumarah who had a 1.95 GAA in 26 games in 2020-21.