The Playoff Push: Feb. 24, 2024

USPHL Premier

 24 games today

 In the Midwest East, Fort Wayne and MJDP are tied for first. The Spacemen – who have completed their regular season – hold the head-to-head, so MJDP needs a point today vs. the Chicago Crush (3) to take the honors.

In Florida, none of the slots are settled even though the four teams are in. Two of those teams will be home teams, and two series winners will go to Nationals. 

Great Lakes Division: Numbers 1 through 6 are now set. Cincinnati (No. 6) will visit Toledo (No. 3), Buffalo (No. 5) will visit Columbus (No. 4). The Metro Jets (No. 1) and Nashville (No. 2) watch the scoreboard next weekend to see who comes to visit on March 8.

Atlantic Division: Three teams are knotted in the 3-4-5 spots. The WBS Knights (No. 2) visit Elmira (No. 5); Hershey (No. 3) visits the Jersey Hitmen (No. 7); and Brooklyn (No. 8) visits P.A.L. (No. 4). 

A Hershey win gives them first round home ice and, with an Elmira loss, they’d place third at the end.

Today is P.A.L.’s last game of the season. A win, with an Elmira loss, gives them home ice. P.A.L. holds the head-to-head tie breaker. Hershey/P.A.L./WBS Knights, on the plus side, will settle it today.

Midwest West Division:   

Wisconsin (No. 1) at Hudson (No. 3)

Mullets (No. 7) at Blue Ox (No. 5)

Isanti (No. 8) at Moose (No. 4) 

With a win today, Wisconsin captures first. Hudson needs a win today and a Squatch loss in regulation tomorrow to take second. The Blue Ox and Moose are tied. If the tie doesn’t break today, the Moose will visit the Ox in round 1 based on head to head.

The Mullets are up by a point on Isanti with a game in hand. An Isanti regulation loss or a Mullets win gives the Mullets seventh place.

New England Division: The Gatineau (No. 4), Springfield (No. 5) and South Shore (No. 6) placement is still unresolved. A Gatineau point today in Utica (No. 1) gives them uncontested fourth.

The Pics (No. 5) are hosting the Kings (No. 6). A Pics point today keeps the Kings in sixth. The Pics need two wins and a Gatineau regulation loss to finish fourth.

USPHL Elite

11 games today 

In Florida, Atlanta (No. 3) visits Tampa (No. 1) for the second game of their three-game set. Atlanta won yesterday.

 To grab second, Atlanta needs to win out and hope that Palm Beach (No. 5) wins on the road tomorrow vs. the Eels (No. 2). 

The Eels (No. 2), idle today, need a regulation Atlanta loss to nail down second permanently and get last change in their first playoff game. Either way, the game is in their building.

The Blades (No. 4) won yesterday and secured 4th place. They will face Tampa (No. 1) in March.

Midwest Division: The Jets took sole possession of first with their win over the Crush (No. 2)  yesterday. Both clubs have a first round bye.

Fort Wayne (No. 4) visits Motor City (No. 3) in the last game of the season for both. Fort Wayne needs a regulation win to clinch third. Motor City grabs third with a single point.

The Cougars (No. 5) visit Decatur (No. 6). They need their own win and a Spacemen regulation victory to keep their slim hopes for home ice alive.

Atlantic Division: P.A.L. and WBS are tied for first with two games left. WBS visits Elmira (No. 6) while P.A.L. travels to the Rockets (No. 3). WBS holds the tiebreaker, so a WBS sweep guarantees them bragging rights and a home set with the Hitmen (No. 4).

The Rockets are four points back with two games in hand. They can’t control WBS, but they need to sweep P.A.L. this weekend to stay in the discussion for first. The Rockets will likely face P.A.L. in March, but the where is to be decided.