No two clubs in the Central Hockey League are currently playing better hockey than Northwest Division foes Indianapolis and Bossier-Shreveport. With five weeks remaining in the CHL’s regular season, they couldn’t have picked a better time to get hot, with President’s Cup playoff berths at stake and a host of teams trying to qualify for the four Northern Conference playoff spots.

In Indianapolis, the Northern Conference leading Ice has won nine straight contests, and 13 of their last 14, while still earning a single point in their one loss, via a shootout to Wichita January 18th. Shawn Silver hasn’t shown any sign of slowing down in the Indianapolis net, and aside from claiming both December and January CHL Goaltender of the Month honors, has won 19 of his last 23 starts. Offensively, Kevin St. Jacques is red hot, with 18 points in his last 10 games, as is All-Star defenseman Bernie John, with 17 points in his last 10 outings. While passing out credit, Ice Coach Ken McRae is most deserving of the lion’s share for the team’s success this year. A strong candidate for CHL Coach of the Year, Mcrae took over a club that posted a dismal winning percentage of .367 last season and a record of 20-37-7 en route to missing the playoffs. This year, the Ice currently sit at 33-9-6 (.750 winning percentage) and have opened up a 13 point division lead on the defending champion Memphis RiverKings. Indianapolis now faces a daunting eight-game stretch, with four contests against Memphis, two against Tulsa, and single games against Oklahoma City and Bossier-Shreveport.

In Bossier-Shreveport, the 3-time WPHL Champion Mudbugs are nearly as hot. The Mudbugs have rolled up six straight victories, and are 11-0-1 in their last dozen contests, with their lone loss coming to Indianapolis (who else?) in overtime January 29th. Offensively, Forbes MacPherson (18 points in his last 10 games) is leading the charge, with help from Dan Wildfong (13), Jason Campbell (12) and Chris Brassard (11), while Ken Carroll is playing his best hockey of the season in the Mudbugs net. He has posted a 7-0-1 record his last eight games, with a miniscule goals against average of just 1.203. The Mudbugs now face three quality opponents, including a huge Friday night showdown against visiting Memphis, who holds a three-point lead on Bossier-Shreveport in the playoff race. Saturday, the Lubbock Cotton Kings visit, followed by a Sunday visit to Austin to face the CHL’s current top club. Despite their excellent play as of late, the Mudbugs are currently out of playoff position, and will need to continue playing quality hockey to secure a post-season spot and a shot at the President’s Cup.