Playoff Picture Gets a Little Clearer
There were four games on Sunday and all had playoff implications, or at least positioning, involved. The Missouri Mavericks won for the 10th time in their last 15 games (10-3-2) and clinched a playoff berth in their expansion season and Odessa, Laredo and Bossier-Shreveport all won strengthening their playoff seeds.
Here is a closer look:
-The Mudbugs beat Corpus Christi, 5-4, meaning they are just one point from clinching at least the third seed in the Northern Conference avoiding a best-of-three Opening round series. For the Rays, it was a lost opportunity to clinch the final Southern Conference playoff berth but they have time with three games remaining and only one win (or two points) between themselves and a chance in the post-season.
-In Wichita, the Mavericks beat the Thunder 5-2 clinching their first playoff berth. Missouri can get as high as the number four seed as they trail the fourth place Mississippi RiverKings by a point with one week remaining in the regular season.
-Laredo beat Texas in a shootout giving the Bucks a three point lead for the third seed in the South and the fortune of side-stepping the best-of-three Opening Round series. Both teams have three games remaining.
-Odessa has already won the Southern Conference but still have their sights set on the Governors’ Cup given to the CHL regular season champs. The Jacks beat Amarillo 2-1 on Sunday moving them one point away from claiming the regular season crown.
Rapid City, Colorado, Bossier-Shreveport, Mississippi and Missouri will all fight it out for the Northern Conference title as their playoff forecast is clear.
In the South, the IceRays are keeping things interesting needing one win to join the Jackalopes, Allen, Laredo and Texas in the Southern brackets.
There are no games on Monday as play reconvenes on Tuesday.