A decision by the Pacific Junior Hockey League’s board of governors to allow for potential cross-over playoff spot is looking better all the time.
A 2-1 loss to the vastly-improved White Rock Whalers on Tuesday night in Ladner knocked the Delta Ice Hawks out of the top four in the Tom Shaw Conference despite having the league’s sixth best record at 8-5-3-2.
The league opted to go back to the conference playoff format after just one season but still continue a balanced 44-game schedule that sees every team play each other four times. Currently, the Shaw Conference features five of the league’s top six teams with North Vancouver, Grandview and Richmond at least three points clear of the Harold Brittain Conference leading Langley Trappers.
To help ensure the top eight clubs will move onto the post-season, the governors agreed on a similar CFL rule that allows the fifth place team to cross-over to the other conference if they finish with more points. Currently, the Ice Hawks are seven points ahead of the Aldergrove Kodiaks who do enjoy two games in hand.
The second-year Whalers improved to 10-6-0-1 on the season with Cole Svendson’s early third period power play goal providing the difference against the Ice Hawks. Blueliner Leo Lin had the lone goal for the hosts.
Delta was coming off a wild 8-7 overtime win against the Richmond Sockeyes but continue to lack consistency in the goal scoring department and produced one of its poorer efforts of the season.
“It was disappointing for the guys to come out a play really flat,” said GM and head coach Steve Robinson. “Coming off an emotional win over Richmond, playing a divisional opponent, you’d hope that the guys would respond with a hard-working, effort game, but it just felt like three-quarters of the team were passengers tonight and we didn’t deserve a better outcome.”
The Hawks welcomed back Jordin Kojima following a junior “A” stint in Saskatchewan, however, the second-year forward was in the penalty box on the game-winning goal.
Delta visits Ridge Meadows on Friday and return home Tuesday to take on Aldergrove at 7:35 p.m.
With files from Katie Lawrence
