FB: Wild week adds intrigue to regular season finales
Semifinal hosting rights up for grabs
EDMONTON – It all comes down to this for the four teams jockeying in the lead up to the Hardy Cup Playoffs.
After a wild Saturday last weekend, which saw the conference's top three teams all lose, there's plenty on the line as the 2019 regular season comes to a conclusion Friday and Saturday.
Here's a look at the playoff scenarios entering this weekend's regular season finales.
SCHEDULE
Friday, October 25
- Manitoba @ Regina / 7:00 p.m. CST
- WATCH: SaskTel: 48 (SD), 348 (HD) / TELUS: 997 (HD) / BellMTS: 1802 (HD) & Canada West TV Presented by Co-op
Saturday, October 26
- Alberta @ Saskatchewan / 2:00 p.m. CST
- WATCH: SaskTel: 49 (SD), 349 (HD) / TELUS: 998 (HD) / BellMTS: 1802 (HD) & Canada West TV Presented by Co-op
- UBC @ Calgary / 3:00 p.m. MDT
STANDINGS (As of Oct. 24)
- X - Calgary Dinos (5-2)
- X - Alberta Golden Bears (4-3)
- X - Saskatchewan Huskies (4-3)
- X - Manitoba Bisons (4-3)
- e - Regina Rams (2-5)
- e - UBC Thunderbirds (2-5)
NOTES: X - clinched playoff spot / e - eliminated from playoffs
- Calgary has clinched a playoff spot for the 13th consecutive season
- Calgary clinches FIRST in the following scenarios:
- Win vs. UBC
- Two-way tie with ALB at 5-3
- Three-way tie with ALB and MAN at 5-3
- Calgary (likely) finishes SECOND in the following scenario:
- Three-way tie with SSK and MAN at 5-3
- See NOTES under MAN for detailed tie-breaker explanation and possibility of MAN finishing second in a three-way tie at 5-3 between SSK, CGY, and MAN.
- Three-way tie with SSK and MAN at 5-3
- Alberta has clinched a playoff spot for the second time in the last three seasons
- Alberta CAN'T finish FIRST
- Alberta finishes SECOND and clinches their first home playoff date since 2005 with:
- Win vs. SSK
- Saskatchewan has clinched a playoff spot for the second consecutive season after missing out in 2017
- Saskatchewan finishes FIRST in the following scenario:
- Win vs. ALB + CGY loss vs. UBC
- Saskatchewan finishes SECOND with:
- Win vs. ALB
- Manitoba has clinched a second consecutive playoff spot
- Manitoba CAN'T finish first
- Manitoba finishes SECOND in the following scenario:
- Win vs. REG + CGY loss vs. UBC
- NOTES: MAN and CGY are tied in the first two tie-breakers – 1) head-to-head record; 2) PF/PA in head-to-head games.
- The third tie-breaker is overall conference PF/PA. MAN margin of victory + CGY's margin of defeat would need to equal 50 or more points to guarantee a second-place finish for MAN.
- If the combination of MAN's margin of victory + CGY's margin of defeat equalled exactly 49, the fourth and final tie-breaker of a coin toss would be applied.
- Win vs. REG + CGY loss vs. UBC