Memorial Cup Burials

The first wave of teams to be eliminated from Memorial Cup contention began yesterday.  In the QMJHL, the Saint John Sea Dogs and Sherbrooke Phoenix were both swept out by the Halifax Mooseheads and Baie-Comeau Drakkar, respectively.  The remaining six series in that league continue tonight, with Acadie-Bathurst (against Blainville-Boisbriand), Rimouski (Gatineau), Chicoutimi (Quebec), Moncton (Victoriaville), and Drummondville (Rouyn-Noranda) all needing a win to live another day.  Val D'Or and Prince Edward Island are tied at two games a piece.

In the OHL, both Sarnia and Kingston saw their seasons end at the hands of the Plymouth Whalers and Barrie Colts, respectively.  Defending champions London Knights have a chance to close out Saginaw tonight and Kitchener (Guelph), Oshawa (Niagara), and Sudbury (Brampton) all have a chance to go up 3-1 in the series tonight. Both the Owen Sound and Sault Ste. Marie and the Belleville and Mississauga series are tied at two a piece.

The WHL sees the Saskatoon Blades and Prince Albert Raiders getting swept by the Medicine Hat Tigers and Red Deer Rebels, respectively, though the Blades will be playing in the Memorial Cup this year due to them being the host.  The Blades' exit was particulary shocking, as not many gave Medicine Hat a chance in this series while the Raiders' exit was expected, since they struggled late in the season.  Calgary has a chance to advance against Swift Current tonight, and Kamloops (Victoria) and Spokane (Tri-City) will look to go up 3-1 in their respective series.  Kelowna staved off elimination at the hands of Seattle last night and will look to extend their season at home while Edmonton looks to end Kootenay's season.  Portland resumes their series against Everett tomorrow with the intention of going up 3-1.

Moose Streaks

The Halifax Mooseheads are the only other team in the CHL that can claim only one regulation loss, after the Kamloops Blazers lost in regulation on Thursday.  Today, the Mooseheads were aiming for their 15th straight victory, but would be denied in a shootout loss.  Still, 15 games with at least a point in the standings is nothing to sneeze at, and with a record of 16-1-0-1, they are only one win less than Kamloops.  Despite the loss, Halifax is still the class of the QMJHL, and having a potential first overall pick in next year's draft (Nathan McKinnon) has a profound effect on the team's chances of representing the QMJHL in this year's Memorial Cup.