What is happening in Calgary? With the loss on Thursday night, the Dinos have now dropped three straight and four of the last five games, bumping them down the rankings. It is no surprise to see University of Alberta and University of New Brunswick atop the national Power Rankings.
What I like the most about the Golden Bears is their scoring depth. Alberta currently has nine skaters with at least a point per game average. Jordan Hickmott is the team leader with 29 points, but isn’t even in the top 20 in scoring in the CIS.
It will be an emotional night in Halifax when Saint Mary’s hosts Acadia this weekend. The Huskies will honour former assistant coach Tom Lee, who was forced to step aside this season because of his battle with Lymphoma. Tom has passed the 100-day mark since his bone marrow transplant in the fall. His fight with cancer goes back 10 years and he continues to overcome the odds of survival. He is an extremely special person that has had a positive impact on anyone who has had the privilege of knowing him.
CIS Men’s Hockey coverage: Scores & schedule | Standings
For this week’s rankings, there are big changes at the top. Here is how they break down:
1. Alberta (21-2-1) | Last week: 2
Minus a hiccup in 2011-2012, the Golden Bears have finished first in the Canada West conference regular season each year dating back to 2001. This year, they have had the fortune of a strong Calgary team to push them more than normal and now they find themselves back atop the rankings.
2. UNB (20-3-1) | Last week: 3
Remember when I asked if UNB would sink or swim down the stretch? Well right now they resemble Michael Phleps circa 2008. All they have done since then is win. It hasn’t been as easy for the Varsity Reds as it has for Alberta, but that’s what helps the AUS teams at the University Cup — playing competitive games week in and week out. Make it yet another 20-win season for UNB.
3. UQTR (20-4-0) | Last week: 4
I’m not sure what happened the first two weeks of the season, but this UQTR team continues to impress me. They have now won 19 of their last 20 games. You would hope UQTR faces some sort of on-ice adversity soon to see what the response would be — much like we’re seeing in Calgary right now. Competition will be much tougher in Saskatoon at the U-Cup, where I expect they’ll be one of the front-runners.
4. Calgary (20-2-3) | Last week: 1
Are the wheels falling off in Calgary or what? All week I tried to find reasons why they should still be in the No. 2 spot but Thursday night it became clear: this team is in a major funk. Luckily, their previous 20 games secured them a spot in the Canada West semifinals.
5. Acadia (18-3-3) | Last week: 5
Acadia slipped up again last Friday falling to UPEI. They have now lost three of their last six. It won’t get any easier this weekend as they face last year’s U-Cup finalist Saint Mary’s in a very emotional game for the Huskies. That matchup might be a good indication as to how the next four games will look for the Axemen.
6. Carleton (18-5-1) | Last week: 7
Undefeated in 2014, Carleton will play their biggest game of the season when the host UQTR. Their only encounter with the Patriotes was in October, when they were beaten 2-1. Another loss this time will virtually eliminate any chance the Ravens have to finish first in the OUA East.
7. McGill (19-5-2) | Last week: 6
There isn’t a more competitive division in the CIS than the OUA East. Just three points separate the top four teams. The Redmen will take the country’s hottest penalty kill into the final two games of their regular season. In the past four games, McGill has killed off 22 of 23 penalties, good for 96 percent.
8. Western (17-6-1) | Last week: 8
The Mustangs blew a four-goal first period lead to Guelph last week and eventually lost in overtime. The good news is, with his four points Saturday, Daniel Erlich moves in a tie for top spot in the CIS scoring race with 43 points in 24 games.
9. Moncton (16-8-0) | Last week: 10
Moncton can solidify third place in the AUS standings with a win against fourth-placed UPEI this weekend. With four games remaining, the focus for Moncton is more on catching Acadia than their third-place position; this will be no easy task. After Friday night, they have the final three games on the road, two of which are versus UNB and Acadia.
10. Saskatchewan (14-9-1) | Last week: N/A
This year the Huskies would like to be considered more than just hosts at the University Cup in Saskatoon. They did exactly that in a loud way last weekend upsetting top-ranked Calgary in back-to-back games. Leading the charge for Saskatchewan is senior Derek Hulak. The forward quarterbacked a lethal powerplay versus the Dinos, recording eight points in the two wins, and he leads the Canada West conference in scoring.