ST. PAUL – The North Eastern Alberta Jr. B Hockey League (NEAJBHL) playoffs officially started over the weekend, with two Lakeland teams facing off in the first round. The St. Paul Canadiens and the Cold Lake are currently playing in a best-of-seven series, and so far, the Canadiens are ahead.
On Feb. 14, despite strong defensive plays from the Ice, the Canadiens' found the net twice during the first period. Neither team scored in the second period, and the Ice scored once in the final period. Ultimately, the Canadiens took the first game 2-1.
The teams played in St. Paul again for the second game of the series on Feb. 15. The Canadiens started slow but finished strong with a 2-0 lead after the first period. Riding on that momentum, the Canadiens widened the gap to 4-0 by the end of the second period.
About three minutes into the last period, the Canadiens scored another point, but the Ice responded with two back-to-back goals, closing the gap 5-2. While the Ice attempted a comeback, the Canadiens won the game, 6-3.
The series now shifts to Cold Lake, where the Ice will look to even the odds at the Cold Lake Energy Centre on Monday evening. After the Monday game, the two teams will play on Feb. 20, in Cold Lake.
