OHL down to the wire
As teams continue to jockey for position with the Ontario Hockey League into the final week of the 2016-2017 regular season, one first-round playoff matchup has been determined — Hamilton Bulldogs v. Kingston Frontenacs.
Hamilton and Kingston will finish fourth and fifth in the Eastern Conference standings though home-ice advantage for the first-round playoff series has yet to be determined. Both teams have three games to play in the regular season with the Bulldogs holding a three-point edge on the Frontenacs, 72 to 69.
The final three playoff spots in the Eastern block are still at stake.
Ottawa 67’s currently hold the sixth seed with 58 points followed by Niagara IceDogs with 56, Sudbury Wolves with 55 and North Bay Battalion with 52. Ottawa, Niagara and North Bay all have three games to play while Sudbury has four.
North Bay missed a glorious opportunity to move up from ninth place on the weekend by dropping a pair of one-sided games to Niagara and the 10th-seeded Barrie Colts, who will miss the playoffs.
Ottawa, on the flip side, is on a 3-0-2 streak in its last 5 games and is 5-3-2 over its recent 10 outings.
In the Western Conference, only six points separate the top four teams. Erie Otters lead the parade with 99 points followed by Soo Greyhounds with 96, Owen Sound Attack with 94 and London Knights with 93.
Seven of the eight playoff spots in the Western world have been confirmed.
And Sarnia Sting has all but clinched the eighth seed with a six-point lead on the ninth-place Saginaw Spirit. Sarnia has two games left and Saginaw still has three.
Guelph Storm has already been eliminated from the Western Conference playoffs.
PHOTO: Hamilton Bulldogs and Kingston Frontenacs in regular-season action. The two teams will face off in the first round of the OHL playoffs. (Photo by Postmedia.)