With the third round a bit hectic due to travel and building constraints, the Portland Winterhawks and Prince George Cougars will resume in the Northern city with games 6 and 7. The score of 6-1 in the last game is not a factor, as the teams have traded wild goal differentials of 3 to 5 goals per game. The key will be to bounce back. After taking the past three games, Portland lost the reigned with its final game of the series at home. Both teams have shown resiliency in this series. Refusing to back down, this may come down to the seventh game. Portland has the advantage as they can win one of the two, whereas Prince George must win out. Prince George has the advantage on the home crowd. Both games early in the series were sellouts, and one can expect the same for the next two if it goes that far.
In Moose Jaw, they looked to get by Saskatoon after falling behind in the series 3-2. Saskatoon’s Evan Gardner kept the Blades in the contest throughout with stellar saves, especially when the Warriors scored 38 seconds into the game. The Blades evened it up three minutes later, with Moose Jaw regaining the lead just past the 17-minute mark of the first period. The Blades tied it up on the powerplay nearly sixteen minutes into the second period and took the lead just three minutes into the third. Moose Jaw tied it up just past the midway point, and the two teams tried to break the ties during the period with a combined 23 shots. However, it went to overtime and ended relatively early at under 3 minutes in. Moose Jaw scored the winner, tied the series with the seventh and deciding game, and headed to Saskatoon on Tuesday.
The QMJHL has solved the President Cup with Baie Comeau Drakkar hosting the Drummondville Voltigeurs. Both teams were atop the division standings and will begin their series on May 9, with the potential seventh game on May 21. The Voltigeurs won against Victoriaville Tigres in overtime to advance in 6 games
The OHL is going to see a game seven in an unlikely scenario. North Bay Battalion has forced a seventh game after walloping Oshawa Generals 8-1 in North Bay. The North Bay Battalion had at one point been down 3-0 in the series, but three straight wins, including the 8-1 drubbing, have forced a game seven. During the season, only two points separated the two teams, and it may be only fitting that this series will go down to the wire. One way or another, the series will end on Monday night.
The other matchup also faced two teams who were one or two in the division. Two points also separated the London Knights and Saginaw Spirit; both teams left it all on the ice. Saginaw unloaded 35 shots to 26 for London. A breakout play while shorthanded gave London a 2 on 1 advantage, and they blistered it past Nolan Lalonde for the opening goal with just 50 seconds left in the period. A goal dribbled past goalie Michael Simpson to tie the game and settle the showdown in the third. Six minutes later, Saginaw tied it up to make the battle even tighter. However, a minute later, London found a way to score and made Saginaw pull their goaltender for the equalizer. With 37 seconds to go in regulation, London popped in the empty net goal to take the game and series 4-2. London awaits the winner of North Bay and Oshawa to take place.
Now, the nail-biting begins. There are three series left, with one game left in all but one series, which has two. Who will emerge to compete in the Memorial Cup?
