Jr. Blues in desperation mode against Jets

There is only one junior game involving Midwest teams tonight, but its a doozy if you are a fan of the Springfield Jr. Blues.

March 28, 2017

NAHL

Janesville at Springfield

Its desperation time for the Junior Blues who begin a final five game run to the NAHL finish line tonight with a home game against the Midwest  Division leading Janesville Jets.

The Blues have seen its grip on a playoff position loosen and finally expire in recent weeks but back to back wins at home against the Minnesota Magicians last weekend helped the cause. Those wins snapped a five-game losing streak that saw the team sink into fifth spot in the division. They enter play tonight four points behind the fourth-place Coulee Chill and at the end of the night, the Blues will have played two extra games.

The good news for the Blues though is after this game, it will have four games to go and all of them will be against the Chill.

The Jets meanwhile have not only locked up a playoff spot but already clinched the top position in the division with its 38-11-0-4 record. But perhaps that comfort has played a part in the team dropping each of its past three games.

The Jets and Jr. Blues will be meeting for the 12^th and final time this season (barring a playoff encounter). The Jets hold a 9-2 edge so far but the Blues have taken two of the five home games so far as well.

Silver Cup preview

The NA3HL is heading into its final weekend with the Silver Cup bringing together all eight of the Division champions to decide the league champion and winner of the Silver Cup.

The past five Silver Cup championships have gone to either the North Iowa Bulls or the Granite City Lumberjacks and both are back once again this spring, winners of the Central and West Divisions respectively.

Also representing the Midwest Region will be the St. Louis Jr. Blues, winners of the Midwest Division regular season and playoffs and the Metro Jets who wrapped up a perfect 47-0 regular season but discovered the road through the playoffs was a little more bumpy.

Other teams taking part are the Long Beach Sharks from the Coastal Division; Yellowstone Quake from the Frontier Division; Binghamton Jr. Senators from the Northeast and the Atlanta Capitals out of the South.

Teams have been divided into two four team pools, the defending Silver Cup Champion Bulls playing in a group that includes the Quake, Jr. Sens and Sharks while the other three Midwest entries will battle head to head in a group along with the Capitals.

Opening matches include:

Metro Jets vs. Granite City – A major test for both teams who have not met this season. While the Jets wrapped up the regular season title easily, it was pressed in the post season dropping the first game of best-of-three sets against the West Michigan Wolves and Pittsburgh Vengeance and going to overtime in the third and deciding game on home ice against the Vengeance in both games two and three.

Granite City meanwhile finished at 32-8-5-2 and swept Breezy Point North Stars before rallying back after losing its opener against New Ulm Steel.

St. Louis Jr. Blues vs. Atlanta Capitals – Like the Jets and Lumberjacks, the Jr. Blues are no strangers to the Silver Cup tournament, but the Blues will be in tough in this group, looking to get off to a winning start against the Capitals.

The Blues swept Cincinnati Thunder in its opening playoff round, but went the three-game distance against Peoria Mustangs in the Division championship round, home ice the deciding factor in this one.

The Blues were 36-9-0-2 through the regular season, winning its division while the Caps were second in the south at 36-10-0-1.

North Iowa Bulls vs. Yellowstone Quake – The defending champs enjoyed a dominant season in the Central Division, its 35-10-1-1 record giving it a margin of 24 points on second place La Crosse Freeze, but 10 losses seems positively pedestrian for a team that in the past had generally lost five or fewer in a season.