SOUTHEAST SASKATCHEWAN - Entering the final weekend of the Big Six Hockey League's season, about the only thing that appears to be for certain is the Carnduff Red Devils will be the fourth seed in the playoffs.
Carnduff (10-6) sits fourth with 20 points. The fifth-place Oxbow Huskies (7-7-2, 16 points) can catch the Red Devils, but Carnduff would hold the tie-breaker with the most wins.
Big Six teams play an 18-game schedule this season.
The Carlyle Cougars (14-2-1) lead the overall standings with 29 points, one better than the Redvers Rockets (14-2, 28 points) and the Moosomin Rangers (13-2-1, 27 points), but Carlyle has played one more game.
The Bienfait Coalers (7-9, 14 points) are sixth.
There is also a battle for the final two playoff spots. The Wawota Flyer are seventh (4-13, eight points), the Midale Mustangs (2-12-2, six points) occupy eighth and the Kipling-Windthorst Oil Kings (2-13-1, five points) sit ninth.
Eight games are on the docket for next weekend, which is the last of the regular season. On Feb. 9, the Oil Kings will visit the Rangers, the Coalers are at the Huskies and the Rockets will be at the Red Devils.
Four more games are set for Feb. 10: Redvers at Wawota, Kipling-Windthorst at Bienfait, Midale at Oxbow and Carlyle at Carnduff. Games on both days are set for 8 p.m.
The final game for the regular season, Moosomin at Midale, is Feb. 11 at 5:30 p.m.
•••
Two games were played on Friday night. The Cougars defeated the Mustangs 8-5, a game the Cougars led 6-2 only to have Midale score three times to make it a one-goal game at one point in the third before Carlyle pulled away.
Jon Gaudet had two goals and three assists for Carlyle, and Josh Romanyk also scored twice. Nathan Deck, Jesse Gabrielle, Ben Johnstone and Brent McLean also scored. Tanner Froese had five helpers.
Jonas Thomson was in on all five Midale goals with a goal and four assists. Brayden Bjorndal, Steven Lindenbach, Brad Tomiski and Cain Thomson also scored.
Landon Audet was in goal for Carlyle, while Talen King was Midale's goalie.
The Rangers routed the Coalers 12-4. Brock Trotter had two goals and five assists for a seven-point night. Carter Sawchuk had two goals and three assists, Drayson Skulmoski had two goals and two assists and Bud Holloway had a goal and three helpers. Ryker Cole, Justin Lamontagne, Paul Stapleton and Jaxon Elmes also scored for the Rangers. Levin Horn was the goalie.
Carson Cayer had two goals for Bienfait. Wyatt Garagan and Kaiden Tuchscherer also scored. Jackson Walliser was Bienfait's goalie.
In Saturday's action, the Rockets edged the Huskies 2-1 in overtime. Presten Kopeck scored the winning goal 3:22 into the extra frame.
Jordon Miller opened the scoring for Redvers in the first period, and Dimtry Kalashnikov tied the game in the second.
Cody Levesque (Oxbow) and Cody Matthewson (Redvers) were in goal for their respective teams.
The Red Devils knocked off the Mustangs 7-4. Ben Hiltz had three goals and an assist for Carnduff, while Matthew Audette scored twice. Kody Martin and Matthew Audette also scored. Mason Plews was in goal.
Lindenbach, Bjorndal, Tomiski and Sterling Bear had Midale's goals. Talen King was the Mustangs' goalie.
The Flyers defeated the Oil Kings 5-2. Kaleb Rasmusson, Brady Dinwoodie, Wyatt Nixon, Lucas Hislop and Ty Brown scored for Wawota.
Lucas Fleck and Ty Kotylak notched the goals for the Oil Kings.
Kye Steinke (Wawota) and Dylan Dedecker (Kipling-Windthorst) were in goal.
In Sunday's action, the Cougars walloped the Oil Kings 12-1. Johnstone had six goals and two assists for Carlyle, and Gabrielle assisted on seven of the goals. Dakota Rose had a goal and three assists.
Gaudet scored twice, and Romanyk, Brett Turgeon and Valdez Bear also scored. Cameron Pateman was in goal.
Reace Faubert had the Oil Kings' lone goal. Austin Toth was the Oil Kings' goalie.
Also, the Oxbow Huskies knocked off the Wawota Flyers 5-1. Brycen Odgers, Colton Schell, Derek Cooney, Jordan Williams and Alex Von Sprecken scored for Oxbow.
Taylor Ernst notched the Flyers' marker.
Cody Levesque (Oxbow) and Winston Drayson (Wawota) were the goalies.
•••
The Ranges have been eliminated from Hockey Saskatchewan provincial play.
Moosomin lost 4-1 at home to Balcarres Sunday night in Game 3 of the best-of-three senior A first-round series. The Rangers forced Game 3 with a 4-3 win in Balcarres on Saturday.
The Carlyle Cougars will open their senior A provincial playoffs on Feb. 7 at Balgonie. Game 2 is Feb. 17 in Carlyle at 7:30 p.m., and Game 3, if necessary, would be the following night in Carlyle, also at 7:30 p.m.
