Blast Ready To Kick Off 106th Allan Cup Against the Kenora Thistles

The moment Blast Nation has been waiting for has finally arrived. The Blast are set to kick off the 106^th Allan Cup this afternoon at 3:30 at JL Grightmire Arena in Dundas against the Kenora Thistles. This game will become a rematch of last year’s Renwick Cup against the same Kenora team that beat the Blast 2-0 in the best-of-three series. Both teams have gotten faster and stronger since this time last year. It sets the stage for an interesting game.

The Blast will open the tournament and then take part in the Tournament Opening Ceremonies just before the Dundas game tonight at 7:30. The Blast close out their Round Robin portion of the tournament on Wednesday against Terry Ryan and the Clarenville Caribous.

This is the Blast’s second Allan Cup appearance in franchise history. The last time they appeared in the tournament was when they hosted the 100^th Allan Cup in 2008 (and won it!). The City of Brantford in total has 3 Allan Cup Championships (1977 – Brantford Alexanders, 1987 – Brantford Motts Clamatos, 2008 – Brantford Blast). Another interesting fact about Peter Ham led Brantford franchises in the Allan Cup is that when he won in 1977, the Alexanders finished 4^th in their league and won, and in 2008 – the Blast finished 2^nd and won the Allan Cup. Back in 1978 the Brantford Alexanders finished first in their league and made it to the Allan Cup Final but lost. This season the Blast finished 3^rd in their league.

No roster updates have been provided to us, but Brett Leggat should start in goal for the Blast. The lineup more or less should be very similar to the one that beat the Dundas Real McCoy’s in Game Six of the Robertson Cup Final last Sunday. Updates on the lineup will be posted prior to the game this afternoon.

Kenora’s roster can be found here: http://bit.ly/1gvJqBp. The roster features former Blast (2008 Allan Cup winner) and Real McCoy’s defenceman Dan Pitre, as well as former Dundas player TJ Sakaluk.

Tickets are available with a limited quantity at the door (doors at 2:30) for $20 a person this afternoon. Get there early if you’re planning on coming out to make sure you get yours. If you can’t make the game, be sure to follow live via Twitter @BrantfordBlast or on Pointstreak at: http://bit.ly/1iial3Z

The journey is just beginning… GO BLAST GO!

BLAST TO KICK OFF 106^th ALLAN CUP CHAMPIONSHIP IN DUNDAS

TOURNAMENT STARTS MONDAY AT JL GRIGHTMIRE ARENA

BRANTFORD, April 10, 2014 – The Brantford Blast will kick off the 106^th Allan Cup Championship on Monday April 14^th at 3:30 against Northern Ontario based team, the Kenora Thistles in the first game of the tournament. The tournament runs from the 14^th to the 19^th of April, with all games at JL Grightmire Arena in Dundas.   This is the team’s second appearance in the last six years, having won back in 2008 when they hosted the 100^th Allan Cup in Brantford. The Blast are the last Ontario based franchise to win the Allan Cup.

The Blast gained momentum heading into the Allan Cup tournament as they beat the Dundas Real McCoy’s in the Robertson Cup Final 4-2 to win their second consecutive ACH League Title. The Blast won three of those games in their “home-away-from-home” at JL Grightmire Arena in Dundas on route to the Championship. The arena has become a second home for the team, with their recent success there and great fan support the team receives in Dundas.

The Blast will play in Division One with the Kenora Thistles (Hockey Northern Ontario) and the Newfoundland-based Clarenville Caribous (Atlantic). Division Two will consists of ACH Rival the Dundas Real McCoy’s (Host), joined by the Alberta-based Bentley Generals (Pacific) and the Manitoba-based South East Prairie Thunder (South East). The Blast will play their second and final game of the round robin on Wednesday the 16^th at 3:30 against the Clarenville Caribous.

The Round Robin portion of the tournament will see each team play the respective teams in their division once. The leader of each Division will receive an automatic bye to the Semi Final, while seeds two and three will play in the Quarter Finals on Thursday (3:30 or 7:30). The Semi Final games will then be played on Friday (3:30 or 7:30), with the Final being broadcast on TSN on Saturday the 19^th at 3:00 PM.

The Blast have six remaining players from the 2008 Allan Cup Championship team remaining on their roster. Dubbed “The Silver Six”, Blast Captain and forward Chad Spurr, forwards Bryan Hamm and Ryan Healy and defensemen Jeremy Bloomfield and Dave Russell, as well as back-up goaltender Anthony Marshall were all members of the team that captured the 100^th Allan Cup.

Brantford Blast At the Allan Cup

WHEN: Game #1 Round Robin – Monday April 14^th , Game #5 Round Robin – Wednesday April 16^th

TIME: Doors: 2:30 PM – Puck Drop: 3:30 PM (Both Games)

WHO: Brantford Blast vs. Kenora Thistles – Round Robin Game #1, Brantford Blast vs Clarenville Caribous – Round Robin Game #5

WHERE: JL Grightmire Arena, 35 Market St. S, Dundas, Ontario

Visit our website at www.brantfordblast.com and find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and Vine at Brantford Blast

The Blast have momentum on their side heading into the Allan Cup, fresh off their second consecutive Robertson Cup Championship on Sunday in Brantford

Blast Can Clinch Robertson Cup This Afternoon In Front Of Home Crowd in Brantford

Win this afternoon and they are Provincial Senior AAA Champions. The Blast are just one win away from hoisting the J.Ross Robertson Cup and that could happen this afternoon at home for Game Six. The Blast currently lead the best-of-seven ACH Final against the Dundas Real McCoy’s 3-2. The Robertson Cup will be in the house and all the Blast have to do is change that fact that the road team wins for one game and the trophy will be theirs. The Blast are defending Robertson Cup Champions and will look to win their second in a row. It all begins this afternoon for the Blast’s final home game of the 2013-2014 season at 2:00 PM at the Brantford Civic Centre (Doors open at 1:00 PM).

The Blast played  one of their best games of the season on Friday night in Dundas for Game Five. They battled back from a 3-0 second period deficit and an early 4-3 third period deficit on route to a 6-4 victory over the Real McCoy’s to take a crucial 3-2 series lead.

Offense and special teams have become the big story in this series. The two teams have combined for 43 goals in the series so far (8.6 GPG), with the Blast scoring 23 and the Real McCoy’s putting 20 past Brett Leggat. Despite the high level of offense, it hasn’t been for lack of goaltending on either side. Brett Leggat and Mike Mole have had many big saves, but the offensive fire power has been too high to make the games low scoring.

After Dundas dominated special teams through the first three games of the series, the Blast have taken the advantage in that category. The Blast power play is striking at 24.1% (7 for 29), thanks to a big game on Friday where the team went 3 for 5 with the man advantage. Dundas is striking at a 23.5% success rate (8 for 34), just barely behind the Blast. On the penalty kill, the Blast have a 76.5% success rate (26 for 34), while Dundas has a 75.9% success rate.

Goaltenders are expected to be the same for Game Six as they were in Game Five. Brett Leggat should start for the Blast, while Mike Mole will likely be seen between the pipes for the Real McCoy’s. On the Blast side of the roster, the roster will should stay the same from Friday night in Dundas. Greg Bullock, who didn’t play Friday’s game in Dundas could jump back in in Hammer’s place, but expect the rest of the lineup to stay intact.  

ICE CHIPS: If necessary, the Blast and Real McCoy’s will faceoff in Game Seven on Monday night at 7:30 in Dundas. After this series is complete, both the Blast and Real McCoy’s will begin preparations for the 106^th Allan Cup Championship which will take place in Dundas at JL Grightmire Arena from April 14-19. They will join the other four best Senior AAA teams in the Nation to compete for the holy grail, the Allan Cup. The other four teams were finalized as of last night: Clarenville Caribous (East), Kenora Thistles (Northern Ontario), South East Prairie Thunder (Manitoba/Saskatchewan) and the Bentley Generals (BC/Alberta).  The Blast kick off the tournament with the first game on Monday the 14^th at 3:30 against the Kenora Thistles, before playing in the fifth game of the tournament on Wednesday at 3:30 against the Clarenville Caribous. 

Blast and Real McCoy’s Set to Faceoff in Final Weekend of Robertson Cup Finals

Heading into tonight’s crucial Game Five in Dundas (JL Grightmire Arena at 7:30), the Blast hope that the story of the series so far remains the same – the road team always wins. The series is currently tied 2-2, with only road wins coming for each team. The Blast will look to win on the road for the third time this series and for the fifth time in the playoffs. Following Game Five, the Blast will be back at home for their Home Finale of the 2013-2014 season for Game Six at 2:00 PM (Doors at 1:00 PM).

The Blast suffered a tough loss in Brantford on Sunday where Dundas won 5-1 and tied the series back up. In the process Brantford lost defenseman Ryan Tocher for a minimum of 4 games for spearing. Dundas also lost tough guy Adam Deeleuw for one game for slashing Kyle Spurr with :04 seconds left in the game on Sunday.  These suspensions could see long-time Blast defenseman Jeremy Bloomfield draw back into the lineup in Tocher’s place, while a player like Scott Stafford could replace Deeleuw for Dundas.

The series has been as close as one would have imagined. Along with being tied 2-2 through four games, the teams have been almost identical in every other statistical category. The Blast currently have outscored Dundas 17-16, for a total of 33 goals in the series (8.25 goals-per-game). The Blast have 108 PIM, while Dundas has 105, for a total of 213.

Even the Special Teams Situation has become very close. Dundas is striking on 20% of their man advantages (5 for 25), and killing off 83.3% of their penalty kills (20 for 24), while the Blast are firing at 16.7% on the power play (4 for 24) and 80% on the penalty kill (20 for 25).

Even the goaltending stats have been very, very similar. Blast goalie Brett Leggat has gone 2-2 with a 4.00 GAA, 117 saves and a .880 SV%, while Dundas goaltenders (Mike Mole and Darren Machesney) have combined for a 2-2 record, with a 4.25 GAA, 115 saves, and a .871 SV%. I repeat, VERY similar, it’s borderline crazy how closely matched these two teams have been.

Goaltenders are expected to be the same for Game Five as they were in Game Four in Brantford. Brett Leggat should start for the Blast, while Mike Mole will likely be seen between the pipes for the Real McCoy’s. On the Blast side of the roster, the roster will pretty much remain intact to Sunday afternoon’s game.  Ryan Healy – who is nursing a minor injury could draw back in and take part in his 200^th Blast game, but it will be a game time decision. It’s always hard to say about the Dundas roster.

Doors in Dundas open at 6:30, with puck drop at 7:30 at JL Grightmire Arena in Dundas.

ICE CHIPS:  Fans looking to see the Blast compete in the Allan Cup beginning April 14^th are able to purchase Individual tickets (Cash ONLY). The Blast begin the Tournament with their two round robin games on Monday the 14^th at 3:30 against Kenora, and Wednesday the 16^th at 3:30 against Clarenville. Tickets for this round (and the Quarter Final round) will be $20/person. As the rounds progress the prices get slightly higher. If the Blast receive a bye to the Semi Finals (or win their Quarter Final to move on) the prices will be $25, and if they make it to the Finals it will be $30/person.

 

Blast and Real McCoy’s Renew Rivalary in Robertson Cup Battle Tonight in Dundas

With an Allan Cup berth already secured for the Blast after defeating the Whitby Dunlops in the first round and Dundas receiving a spot as the Allan Cup hosts, there’s still one step to go before the 106^th National Senior Championship begins on April 14^th. The Blast and Dundas Real McCoy’s will faceoff for the Robertson Cup as ACH League Champions. The Blast will try and defend their title for Game One beginning tomorrow night in Dundas at 7:30, before heading home on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 PM for a matinee at the Civic Centre for Game Two.

The Blast received a spot in the Final with an opening round 4-2 series win against the Whitby Dunlops, while Dundas swept the Stoney Creek Generals 4-0 to earn a spot in the League Final. That set the stage for the two biggest ACH Rivals to faceoff for the Robertson Cup.

The Blast and Real McCoy’s faced off eight times throughout the regular season. Dundas narrowly led the season series with a record of 4-2-0-2 for 10 points, while the Blast went 4-3-0-1 for 9 points. The Blast went 2/42 on the power play for a 4.7% success rate, while Dundas went 7/44 for a 15.9% success rate. The Blast killed off 36/44 Dundas power play opportunities (84.1% success rate), while Dundas killed off 40/42 Blast power play (95.3%). The Blast were led by Joel Prpic who had 6 points in the season series, and Dundas was led by Scott Mifsud who had 11.

The Brantford/Dundas series will feature the Top Eight Playoff scorers in the league. Led by Brantford’s Chad Spurr (3G 7A), Joel Prpic (5G 3A), Cam Sault (3G 4A), Chris Leveille (2G 5A), and Dundas’ Nick Smith (3G 7A), Darryl Smith (2G 8A), Scott Mifsud (4G 4A) and Cam Watson (3G 5A). This series will also feature the top two goaltenders from the regular season, Brantford’s Brett Leggat and Dundas’ Mike Mole. Blast Forward Joel Prpic (4^th) and Dundas forward Scott Mifsud (tied for 1^st) were also both in the top four players in points this season.

The Blast have a wealth of experience when it comes to pressure situations in this league. The team has six remaining players from their 2008 Allan Cup winning team, who are looking forward to have a chance to compete for their second Allan Cup in the last six years. Forwards Chad Spurr, Ryan Healy, and Bryan Hamm, defensemen Jeremy Bloomfield and Dave Russell and goaltender Anthony Marshall are the remaining six, dubbed the “Silver Six” remaining from that team.

The remainder of the best-of-seven Semi Final series is below:

Game Three: Friday March 28^th @ Dundas – 7:30 PM

Game Four: Sunday March 30^th @ Brantford – 2:00 PM

Game Five (If Necessary): Friday April 4^th @ Dundas – 7:30 PM

Game Six (If Necessary): Sunday April 6^th @ Brantford – 2:00 PM

Game Seven (If Necessary): Monday April 7^th @ Dundas – 7:30 PM

*All Brantford games at the Brantford Civic Centre, all Dundas games at JL Grightmire Arena

Blast Begin Quest for 106th Allan Cup With First Round Series Vs Whitby Dunlops

Preview

Tonight’s first game of the playoffs will feature the third seeded Blast (16-7-0-1) hosting the second seeded Whitby Dunlops  (18-4-0-2) for game one of the best-of-seven ACH Semi Final playoff series.

The playoff series begins each team’s quest for the 106^th Allan Cup Championship. Should Dundas beat the Stoney Creek Generals in the first round, the winner of this series will automatically receive a berth in the Allan Cup which will be held in Dundas from April 14-19^th at JL Grightmire Arena in Dundas.

Game one of this series will be played at the Civic Centre in Brantford. Doors open at 6:45, with puck drop at 7:45 PM.

Theme

There is no specific theme for the Game 1 of the playoffs. There will be the usual – Blast Lung Association 50/50, Ted Beare Sports Experience Fund Frisbee Toss, Montana’s Rib Eating Contest, and Free Harvey’s Hamburgers if the Blast score five or more goals. The Blast are also excited to announce that since the 2008 Allan Cup, the Lung Association 50/50 has raised over $96,000, meaning fans have walked away with over $48,000 in prize money.

Season Series

The two teams played four total games against each other (two in Brantford, two in Whitby). They split the season series, each winning two games. The Blast won their first two on the road and at home 6-2, and 4-1. Whitby won their two at home and on the road near the end of the season 5-2 and 4-3.The Blast outscored the Dunlops 15-12 in the season series.

The two teams combined for 185 PIM throughout the four games in the regular season, with Whitby receiving 100 and Brantford receiving 85. The Blast went 4/23 on the powerplay (16.4%) and killed off 18/20 Whitby power plays (90%), while Whitby went 2/20 on the power play (10%) and killed off 19/23 chances for the Blast (82.6%).

The Blast were led in scoring in the season series by new comer Brandon Dietrich who had 6 points (3 goals, 3 assists) in four games. Scott Freeman led the way for Whitby with 3 goals and 1 assist in the season series.

Recent Games  

The Blast lost their final game of the regular season in Dundas last Friday 7-3 to the Real McCoy’s. Whitby won their regular season finale in Welland 12-0. The Blast finished the season with a 2-3 record in their last five and 5-5 in their last ten. Whitby finished the year with a 4-1 record in their last five and a 8-1-0-1 record in their last ten.  

Players to Watch

The Dunlops were led during the regular season by co-scoring leader John Scrymgeour who had 49 points (21 goals, 28 assists) in only 18 games. Forwards Patrick Jobb, Shane Terry, Brett McConnachie, and Peter MacKellar were all also in the top 15 in scoring with 39, 32, 30, and 29 points respectively.

The Blast players who led the way during the regular season were Joel Prpic who finished 4^th in league scoring with 43 points in 21 games, Captain Chad Spurr (18 goals, 10 assists – 28 points in 24 games), newcomer Brandon Dietrich (11 goals, 15 assists – 26 points in 19 games), and Mike Ruberto (9 goals, 15 assists – 24 points in 24 games).

Blast To Close Out Regular Season Against Arch-Rivals Dundas Real McCoy’s

Preview

Tonight’s game will feature the Blast (16-6-0-1) visiting the Dundas Real McCoy’s (17-4-0-2) for the eighth and final game between the two teams this season. It’s also the regular season finale for both ACH Heavyweights. The Blast lead the season series 4-2-0-1 this season (9 points), while Dundas boasts a 3-2-0-2 record (8 points). Three of the seven games between the two teams have gone to a shootout, three others were 1-3 goal games, with the biggest victory going to Dundas in December, a 10-2 victory over the home Blast.

The game will be played at the JL Grightmire Arena on Market St in Dundas. Doors open at 6:30, with puck drop at 7:30. Be sure to follow live via Twitter @BrantfordBlast for live game updates.

Playoff Implications

With Dundas’ 7-3 win over Whitby last night in Whitby, the Blast are frozen at third place in the league. However, the Blast can play spoiler to the Real McCoy’s with a win in regulation tonight. A win combined with a Whitby win over Welland tomorrow night, would mean that Whitby would clinch first place in the league and would host Stoney Creek, while the Blast would face the Real McCoy’s who would have home ice advantage.

A Blast loss tonight would mean that Dundas would clinch first place in the league, and the Blast would play Whitby in the first round, where they would have home ice. Basically it’s the Blast’s time to become a spoiler for their Arch-Rivals and set up a first round date between the two teams. 

This year it’s a bit different to qualify for the Allan Cup. Since Dundas is the host and Kenora already has a spot in the 106^th Allan Cup, if any team makes it to the Final against Dundas, then they automatically qualify for the Championship, which will be played in Dundas April 14-19. Should Dundas get eliminated in the first round, the winner of the ACH Final and the Roberston Cup, would receive a berth into the Allan Cup.

 

Recent Games  

The Blast won their most recent game in Norwood 12-5 over the Vipers in their regular season home finale. Dundas won their last game last night in Whitby as mentioned 7-3.   

The Blast draw in at 3-2 in their last five games played and 6-4  in their last 10, while Dundas has a record of 3-1-0-1  in their last five games played and 6-2-0-2 in their last ten games played.

Players to Watch

Players to look out for on Dundas are their top scorer Scott Mifsud who is first in league scoring by 4 points over Brantford’s Joel Prpic with 47 points (18 goals, 29 assists) in 21 games. He also has 6 points in his last five games and 20 points in his last ten. Cam Watson and Joe Koudys are two other players to keep an eye on as they have 37 and 30 points this season respectively.

Players on the Blast who are riding their own hot streaks include Joel Prpic who has 43 points in 20 games, including 13 points in his last five games. A few other players who have been performing exceptionally lately are Chris Rebernik and Jon Jankus (9 points each in their last five games), and Chad Spurr and Brandon Dietrich (8 points each in their last five games played).

Players Leading the Way in the Season Series

Blast players currently leading the way in the season series against Dundas are Joel Prpic who has 6 points in his 5 games played against the Real McCoy’s, and Chris Leveille and Mark Taylor who each have 5 points so far.

The Real McCoy’s are lead by Scott Mifsud (9 points in 7 games) and Darryl Smith (7 points in 4 games).

Playoff Tentative Schedule

The playoffs are set for a soft date of Friday February 28^th. However, with the Blast most likely not having home ice advantage it may not be until the following week before they play a home playoff game. The finalized schedule will be posted all over social media as soon as it is made available to us. Stay tuned.  

Blast Head on a Roadtrip to Norwood to Take on the Vipers Tonight

Preview

Tonight’s game will feature the Blast (15-6-0-1) visiting the Norwood Vipers (2-19-0-1) for the fourth and final game between the two teams this season. The Blast lead the season series 3-0, off of 7-6, 6-4 and 16-2 victories over the team. This is the fourth and final time this season these two teams will faceoff against one another.

The game will be played at the Norwood Community Centre, with puck drop  at 6:30 PM. Be sure to follow live via Twitter @BrantfordBlast for live game updates.

Playoff Implications

With the Blast loss to Whitby on Friday night, they have to have a bit of luck on their side in order to get first place. A Blast win will put them one point behind Dundas for second place and two points behind Whitby for first place.  

The best the Blast could do would be to tie Whitby, but since the tie breaker is first the head to head results, it would come down to goals for, which the Blast are currently losing 136-111. It could very well become a battle for second place with Dundas. Only time will tell what happens.

Recent Games  

The Blast lost their most recent game against Whitby 4-3. Dundas won their last game against Welland  

The Blast draw in at 3-2 in their last five games played and 5-5 in their last 10, while Norwood has a record of 0-5  in their last five games played and 0-9-0-1 in their last 10 games played.  

Players to Watch

Players to look out for on Norwood are their top 3 scorers: #14 Darren Doherty (19  goals, 21 assists – 40 points in 21  games), #10  Murray Free (11  goals, 13 assists – 24 points in 18 games) and #23 defenceman Mike Madgett (6 goals, 17 assists – 23 points in 22 games). They have 10, 7 and 9 points in their last five games respectively.

Players on the Blast who are riding their own hot streaks include Joel Prpic who has 37 points in 19 games, and Cam Sault who has 17 points (5 goals, 12 assists) in 14 games since coming back from injury.

Players Leading the Way in the Season Series

Blast players currently leading the way in the season series against Norwood are Chad Spurr (6 goals, 4 assists – 10 points in 3 games), Joel Prpic (5 goals, 3 assists – 8 points in 3 games), Cam Sault (2 goals, 6 assists – 8 points in 3 games) and Jon Jankus (1 goal, 6 assists – 7 points in 3 games).

The Norwood players leading the way in the season series are Darren Doherty (7 points in 3 games), Mike Madgett (6 points in 3 games), and Chris Johnston (4 points in 3 games). 

Blast Beat the Welland Whalers 9-2 at the Whale Tank in Welland

Entering the make up game on Monday night against the Welland Whalers, the Blast knew this game was a must-win to keep pace in the tight playoff race and the hunt for first place. They stuck to their guns and pulled it off with a big 9-2 win over Welland.

The victory allowed the Blast to jump into first place with 31 points (1 ahead of Dundas and 2 ahead of Whitby) and clinched top three in the league as Stoney Creek can’t finish higher than the Blast.

The first period both teams came out flying with Welland dominating most of the play and scoring chances. The shots would be 19-18 at the end of the first for the Blast. The Blast however wouldn’t score until the final minute of play in the period as Chad Spurr scored his 15^th goal of the season, with assists to Joel Prpic and his brother Kyle Spurr.

The Blast would come out flying to start the second period. Ryan Healy scored only 41 seconds into the frame and the Blast didn’t look back from there. Mark Taylor, Joel Prpic (2), and Jon Jankus drew the goals in the second period for a 6-0 lead heading into the third period. Assists went to Tocher (2), Caister, Jankus, Williams, Dietrich, Healy and Rebernik in the period. The Blast outshot the Whalers 19-6 in the second frame as they completely dominated the play.

The third period would be more of an even affair. Curtis Campbell got Welland on the board only 45 seconds into the third. Prpic would then complete his hat trick for his team leading 17^th goal of the season at 5:50, with assists to Caister and Jankus. Tanner McGowan would make it 7-2 just over half way through the period at the 12:27 mark. Jeff Caister and Ryan Healy (2^nd of the night) would close out the scoring at 13:23 and 15:15 to put the Blast back up by seven goals for a 9-2 lead. The Blast would finish the game leading the shots 51-37. Anthony Marshall was incredible in goal making 35 saves for his 7^th win of the season.

The Three Stars of the game went to: 1. Joel Prpic (3 G 2A) 2. Anthony Marshall (35/37 ,946 SV%) 3. Ryan Healy (2 G 1A). The Blast are next in action this Friday night in Brantford for the Sandy O’Rafferty Pink the Rink Night against the Whitby Dunlops for another must-win game in the chase for first place. 

Blast Travel to the Whale Tank for Rematch Game Against the Welland Whalers

Preview

Tonight’s game will feature the Blast (14-5-0-1) travelling to face the Welland Whalers (4-11-3-1) for the fourth and final game between the two teams this season. The Blast lead the season series 3-0 off of 7-1, 5-2 and 5-0 wins against the Whalers.  This game will also see Bryan “HammerTime” Hamm return to action after a two game suspension made him miss the 2-1 SO win over Dundas and 5-2 loss to Whitby.

Playoff Implications

As of right now the Blast are tied for second place with Whitby with 29 points (Whitby has one game in hand), while Dundas is first with 30 points and Stoney Creek is 4^th with 24 points. Welland just recently got eliminated from playoff contention as the closest they could come to Stoney Creek is within two points if they won out and Stoney Creek lost their remaining games.

With a win over the Whalers tonight, the Blast can jump into first place with 31 points, overtaking Dundas. The Real McCoy’s would have a game in hand, while Whitby would remain two points behind with two games in hand. Also with a win tonight, the Blast would guarantee themselves top 3 in the league.

Recent Games

The Blast who will be playing their 3^rd game in 4 nights are fresh off a 5-2 loss to the Dunlops in Whitby on Saturday night. The Whalers are fresh off their 4^th win of the season 10-7 on Saturday night against a short staffed Norwood Vipers team, who only had 9 skaters and 1 goaltender dressed.

The Blast draw in at 3-2 in their last five games played and 6-4 in their last 10, while Welland has a record of 2-2-1-0 in their last five games played and 3-6-1-0 in their last 10 games played.

Players to Watch

Players to look out for on Welland are leading scorer #11 Drew Minor who has 27 points (15 goals, 12 assists) in only 19 games so far this season, including 14 points in his last 5 games played. #18 Mike Marquis is the other Welland player to watch as he has 8 goals and 15 assists for 23 points in 18 games this season. Recent Welland player signing Jason Hill has been dynamite  for the Whalers with 14 points (3 goals, 11 assists) in only 5 games, 11 of which have come in his last three games played.

Players on the Blast who are riding their own hot streaks include Joel Prpic who has 32 points in 17 games this year, and has only failed to get a point in one game this season.  Prpic has 9 points in his last 5 games played. Chad Spurr and Jon Jankus have both been on fire lately with 8 points each in their last five games. Chad Spurr jumped into the team goal lead with Joel Prpic as they both have 14 goals.

Players Leading the Way in the Season Series

Blast players currently leading the way in the season series against Welland include Chad Spurr, Joel Prpic, Mark Taylor and Mike Ruberto who all have 5 points in 3 games against the Whalers. Leveille, Burgoyne, and Dietrich all have 4 points.

The Whalers player leading the way is Chris Downey who has 2 assists in 3 games and is currently the only Whaler player with more than one point against the Blast.