The two teams that will be playing for the Canalta Cup have taken differing paths to reach Friday’s series opener.
For the Battlefords North Stars, it’s been a walk in the park so far through the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League playoffs, as they swept aside the Weyburn Red Wings and Estevan Bruins.
Meanwhile, the Flin Flon Bombers had to claw their way back from a 3-1 deficit against the Nipawin Hawks before picking up a huge 3-0 win on home ice Tuesday in the first Game 7 at the Whitney Forum since 1974.
Before I make my sure to be wrong prediction for which team will end a long title drought in the coming days, let’s take a quick look at the two sides that just missed out on making it to the league final.
4) Estevan Bruins – 37-18-2-1 – 1st in Viterra Division – Lost 4-0 to Battlefords in Semifinal
Having been knocked out early in last year’s playoffs and going winless as the hosts of the Western Canada Cup, to see the Bruins bounce back with a division title and their first trip to the semifinals since 2005 was rather impressive.
As was documented throughout the campaign, the Bruins could score a ton of goals but also could allow the puck to go into the back of their own net, which proved to be a tough task to come back from against the North Stars.
Although they will be losing leading scorers Matt McNeil and Jason Miller, captain Lynnden Pastachak and future North Dakota Fighting Hawks blueliner Josh Rieger to graduation, the Bruins will still have a number of key weapons.
That’s especially true on offence, as Kaelan Holt, Zach Goberis, Jake Fletcher and Hayden Guilderson can all come back for their final seasons of junior hockey. Another player to keep an eye out for is SJHL rookie of the year finalist Michael McChesney, who led the Bruins in post-season scoring with nine points in nine game.
Losing the veteran presence of Rieger and the hulking Evan Scott will be tough, but almost of the blueline can return and a guy like Johnny Witzke should have a solid sophomore campaign.
With Nathan Alalouf also graduating, the starting goaltending role looks set to go to Curtis Meger. However, keep an eye out for affiliated player Matthew Lenz, who put up a sparkling 1.89 goals against average with the Moose Jaw Generals of the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League this season. Â
3) Nipawin Hawks – 40-15-2-1 – 2nd in Sherwood Division – Lost 4-3 to Flin Flon in Semifinal
For the second year in a row, the Hawks were knocked out in the seventh and deciding game of a semifinal series, having lost to the Melfort Mustangs last season in a tightly contested battle.
This defeat, however, might be tougher to take as they had their division rivals down 3-1 but were unable to punch their ticket to the league final for the first time since 2001.
While I’m sure the finish is a tough pill to swallow, this was still an impressive season for the Hawks as they raced up the standings in the second half of the campaign and became a legit title threat.
Much of that has to do with the offensive firepower that was added in the second half, with Josh Bly being acquired from the Kindersley Klippers, Eric Bolden coming back to the Hawks from Elmira College in the NCAA Division III ranks, Keegan Milligan joining the squad after a trade with the Melville Millionaires and Brandan Arnold playing in a brief but effective role in between stints with the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos.
There of those additions (Bly, Bolden and Milligan) are all leaving the Hawks along with veteran forward Keegan Kjargaard, but the Hawks can still have a ton of firepower on their roster when the 2017-18 season begins.
Leading scorer Brett Harasymuk, Michael Grant, Tanner Thompson and Grant Baetsen all cracked the 40-point plateau, and Arnold should be another effective piece to that group if he comes back.
The biggest loss though will be in between the pipes, as SJHL goaltender of the year and most valuable award winner Kristian Stead will be moving on to the NCAA’s Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves.
It does look like the Hawks already have their replacement for Stead lined up in Declan Hobbs, who had a 1.94 goals against average in 13 games after starting the year with the WHL’s Kootenay Ice.
Alright, that’s enough dilly-dallying. Let’s get to the finals and who I have winning it all.
1) Battlefords North Stars vs. 2) Flin Flon Bombers
Last Playoff Meeting: 2016 Semifinal (Flin Flon won 4-1 – Battlefords last defeated Flin Flon 4-1 in 2006 Semifinal)
Finals History:
Battlefords: 1-4 (Won in 2000 over Weyburn – Lost in 1995 to Weyburn, 1997 to Weyburn, 2005 to Yorkton and 2006 to Yorkton)
Flin Flon: 1-1 (Won in 1993 over Melville – Lost in 2016 to Melfort)
Season Series: Battlefords 3-1 (Battlefords outscored Flin Flon 12-9)
Season Series Scoring Leader:
Battlefords – Layne Young – 5 points
Flin Flon – Dondre Watson (later traded to the AJHL’s Canmore Eagles) – 4 points (Braden Lacoursiere, Nick Shumlanski and Rylee Zimmer all had 3 points)
Season Series Goaltending Leader:
Battlefords – Taryn Kotchorek – 2-0 record with a 2.24 goals against average (Joel Grzybowski had a 1-1 record with a 2.22 goals against average)
Flin Flon – Zac Robidoux – 1-2 record with a 2.64 goals against average (Brenden Newton was 0-1 with a 2.11 goals against average)
Prediction: Battlefords in six
Full disclosure, this is a bit of a change from a blog post I had way back at the start of the year where I had the Bombers ahead of the North Stars in my pre-season power rankings (I also had Melfort in third and Nipawin in 11th, so you shouldn’t really put that much stock into them).
So why did I go with the North Stars? Well for starters, seeing that this is being published in a North Battleford news paper, I’d like to keep on living here.
Secondly, if you look at how the North Stars have played through the playoffs, especially when it comes to their offence with the dynamic duo of Coby Downs and Layne Young putting a combined 38 points in eight games, they are looking to be rolling on all cylinders.
Now granted, they have been without blueliners Kendall Fransoo and Zach Nedelec for most of the post-season, and the goaltending hasn’t been quite as sharp on some nights as it had been in the regular season, but the North Stars have done a good job of adapting to those challenges and having different guys step up.
With that said, discount the Bombers are your own peril. After all, they beat the North Stars a year ago in the semifinals, have the experience of playing for a league championship after a six-game battle with the Mustangs last spring and they just rattled off three straight wins over the Hawks to get to the finals once again.
A huge part in that comeback in the semifinals was the play of Brendan Newton, who took over in goal from Zac Robidoux in Game 4 against the Hawks. So far in the playoffs, he’s compiled a 3-1 record with a 1.14 goals against average and a .965 save percentage.
Newton’s familiar with strong playoff performances. In his rookie campaign last year he had a 7-3 record and a 2.40 goals against average as the Bombers made it to the finals for the first time since 1993.
When it comes to the offence, Greyson Reitmeier, Rylee Zimmer and Kristian St. Onge have all cracked double digits so far, while two-time SJHL defenceman of the year winner Eric Sinclair is having another excellent post-season with 12 points in 12 games as he looks to win a third straight league title after picking up two straight crowns with the Mustangs.
All in all, this should be a dandy of a final. If it ends up going less than six games, my jaw will be on the floor.
CJHL Finalists Stats
Seeing that the championship series are now underway in all 10 Junior A leagues across Canada, I figured this would be a good time to see where the Bombers and North Stars stack up compared to the rest of the pack. This allowed me to use my poor math skills, but I digress.
A couple of quick notes here. Firstly, the two SIJHL finalists (the Dryden Ice Dogs and French River Miners) have only played one playoff round so their stats are a bit askew compared to the others. Also, these stats were done prior to the MJHL final getting underway, which currently sees the OCN Blizzard holding a 2-0 lead over the Portage Terriers heading to Game 3 Thursday night.
Also of note, the North Stars are one of four teams to have a perfect record heading into the finals. The MHL’s Miramichi Timberwolves and the NOJHL’s Powassan Voodos both share the 8-0 mark the North Stars currently have, while the Ice Dogs are 4-0 at the moment.
Goals Per Game
1.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Longueuil College Francais – 6.55
2.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Brooks Bandits – 6.22
3.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Battlefords North Stars – 5.87
4.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Miramichi Timberwolves – 5.62
5.      Powassan Voodoos – 5.62
6.      Terrebonne Cobras – 5.45
7.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Dryden Ice Dogs – 5.00
8.      English River Miners – 4.40
9.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Georgetown Raiders – 4.06
10.ÌýÌý Truro Bearcats – 4.00
11.ÌýÌý Carleton Place Canadians – 3.81
12.ÌýÌý Whitecourt Wolverines – 3.75
13.  Chilliwack Chiefs – 3.68
14.ÌýÌý Trenton Golden Hawks – 3.35
15.  OCN Blizzard – 3.33
16.ÌýÌý Portage Terriers – 3.33
17.  Blind River Beavers – 3.16
18.  Ottawa Jr. Senators – 3.00
19.ÌýÌý Flin Flon Bombers – 2.83
20.ÌýÌý Penticton Vees – 2.78
Goals Against Per Game
1.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Brooks Bandits – 1.33
2.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Trenton Golden Hawks – 1.50
3.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý OCN Blizzard – 1.55
4.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Ottawa Jr. Senators – 1.55
5.      Miramichi Timberwolves – 1.62
6.      Dryden Ice Dogs – 1.75
7.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Powassan Voodoos – 1.75
8.      Longueuil College Francais – 1.77
9.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Flin Flon Bombers – 2.00
10.ÌýÌý Carleton Place Canadians – 2.09
11.ÌýÌý Whitecourt Wolverines – 2.12
12.ÌýÌý Portage Terriers – 2.16
13.  Chilliwack Chiefs – 2.18
14.ÌýÌý Battlefords North Stars – 2.25
15.  Blind River Beavers – 2.25
16.ÌýÌý Georgetown Raiders – 2.26
17.  Truro Bearcats – 2.30
18.  Penticton Vees – 2.50
19.ÌýÌý Terrebonne Cobras – 3.00
20.ÌýÌý English River Miners – 4.40
Shots For Per Game
1.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Brooks Bandits – 46.77
2.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Georgetown Raiders – 45.06
3.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Terrebonne Cobras – 45.00
4.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý English River Miners – 43.60
5.      Miramichi Timberwolves – 42.25
6.      Longueuil College Francais – 41.33
7.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Battlefords North Stars – 40.75
8.      Dryden Ice Dogs – 40.50
9.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Ottawa Jr. Senators – 40.22
10.ÌýÌý Powassan Voodoos – 39.12
11.ÌýÌý Flin Flon Bombers – 38.25
12.ÌýÌý Blind River Beavers – 36.33
13.  Carleton Place Canadians – 35.72
14.ÌýÌý Penticton Vees – 35.64
15.  Whitecourt Wolverines – 35.25
16.ÌýÌý Trenton Golden Hawks – 34.14
17.  Portage Terriers – 32.58
18.  Chilliwack Chiefs – 30.87
19.ÌýÌý OCN Blizzard – 28.88
20.ÌýÌý Truro Bearcats – 28.70
Shots Against Per Game
1.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Longueuil College Francais – 24.22
2.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Brooks Bandits – 24.55
3.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Whitecourt Wolverines – 26.00
4.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Battlefords North Stars – 26.62
5.      Dryden Ice Dogs – 26.75
6.      Truro Bearcats – 27.20
7.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Powassan Voodoos – 27.25
8.      Carleton Place Canadians – 27.63
9.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Chilliwack Chiefs – 28.18
10.ÌýÌý Flin Flon Bombers – 28.41
11.ÌýÌý Georgetown Raiders – 28.53
12.ÌýÌý Ottawa Jr. Senators – 28.55
13.  Miramichi Timberwolves – 29.00
14.ÌýÌý Penticton Vees – 29.07
15.  Trenton Golden Hawks – 29.42
16.ÌýÌý Portage Terriers – 30.83
17.  OCN Blizzard – 31.11
18.  Terrebonne Cobras – 33.18
19.ÌýÌý English River Miners – 41.60
20.ÌýÌý Blind River Beavers – 42.08
Shooting Percentage
1.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Longueuil College Francais – 15.86
2.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Battlefords North Stars – 14.50
3.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Powassan Voodoos – 14.37
4.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Truro Bearcats – 13.93
5.      Miramichi Timberwolves – 13.31
6.      Brooks Bandits – 13.30
7.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Dryden Ice Dogs – 12.34
8.      Terrebonne Cobras – 12.12
9.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Chilliwack Chiefs – 11.94
10.ÌýÌý OCN Blizzard – 11.53
11.ÌýÌý Carleton Place Canadians – 10.68
12.ÌýÌý Whitecourt Wolverines – 10.63
13.  Portage Terriers – 10.23
14.ÌýÌý English River Miners – 10.09
15.  Trenton Golden Hawks – 9.83
16.ÌýÌý Georgetown Raiders – 9.02
17.  Blind River Beavers – 8.71
18.  Penticton Vees – 7.81
19.ÌýÌý Ottawa Jr. Senators – 7.45
20.ÌýÌý Flin Flon Bombers – 7.40
Save Percentage
1.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý OCN Blizzard - .950
2.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Trenton Golden Hawks - .949
3.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Blind River Beavers - .946
4.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Ottawa Jr. Senators - .946
5.      Brooks Bandits - .945
6.      Miramichi Timberwolves - .943
7.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Powassan Voodoos - .935
8.      Dryden IceDogs - .934
9.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Flin Flon Bombers - .929
10.ÌýÌý Portage Terriers – .929
11.ÌýÌý Longueuil College Francais - .926
12.ÌýÌý Carleton Place Canadians - .924
13.  Chilliwack Chiefs - .922
14.ÌýÌý Georgetown Raiders - .920
15.  Whitecourt Wolverines - .918
16.ÌýÌý Battlefords North Stars - .915
17.  Truro Bearcats - .915
18.  Penticton Vees - .914
19.ÌýÌý Terrebonne Cobras - .909
20.ÌýÌý English River Miners - .894
Power Play Percentage
1.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Longueuil College Francais – 37.73
2.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Blind River Beavers – 33.33
3.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Battlefords North Stars – 30.76
4.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Powassan Voodoos – 30.43
5.      Whitecourt Wolverines – 28.13
6.      Chilliwack Chiefs – 27.77
7.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Dryden Ice Dogs – 26.66
8.      Ottawa Jr. Senators – 26.32
9.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Brooks Bandits – 23.68
10.ÌýÌý Portage Terriers – 23.68
11.ÌýÌý Terrebonne Cobras – 23.52
12.ÌýÌý Georgetown Raiders – 23.38
13.  Truro Bearcats – 19.51
14.ÌýÌý OCN Blizzard – 19.35
15.  Carleton Place Canadians – 18.18
16.ÌýÌý Flin Flon Bombers – 18.18
17.  English River Miners – 16.66
18.  Penticton Vees – 15.78
19.ÌýÌý Trenton Golden Hawks – 15.00
20.ÌýÌý Miramichi Timberwolves – 13.15
Penalty Kill Percentage
1.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Battlefords North Stars – 93.75
2.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Ottawa Jr. Senators – 93.02
3.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Powassan Voodoos – 93.02
4.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Dryden Ice Dogs – 92.59
5.      OCN Blizzard – 92.50
6.      Georgetown Raiders – 92.45
7.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Miramichi Timberwolves – 90.00
8.      Brooks Bandits – 87.80
9.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Truro Bearcats – 87.50
10.ÌýÌý Longueil College Francais – 86.48
11.ÌýÌý Carleton Place Canadians – 86.00
12.ÌýÌý Flin Flon Bombers – 85.41
13.  Trenton Golden Hawks – 85.25
14.ÌýÌý Chilliwack Chiefs – 84.21
15.  Penticton Vees – 82.92
16.ÌýÌý Whitecourt Wolverines – 82.79
17.  Portage Terriers – 80.85
18.  Blind River Beavers – 76.47
19.ÌýÌý Terrebonne Cobras – 74.07
20.ÌýÌý English River Miners – 58.33
