In the East, the top four seeds for the first round are set: Edmonton will be #1, Saskatoon will be #2, Calgary will be #3, and Red Deer will be #4.
Lethbridge, Regina, Moose Jaw, and Brandon will miss the playoffs in the East.
The #5 through #8 spots are still wide open though and will go to Prince Albert, Swift Current, Medicine Hat, and Kootenay in some order. Swift and Medicine Hat can still finish 5th, 6th, 7th, or 8th and could still play any of the top four seeds in the first round year. Prince Albert cannot finish 8th (so they will for sure not face Edmonton in the first round) but can still be 5th, 6th, or 7th. And Kootenay cannot finish 5th (so they cannot play Red Deer in the opening round) but could still be 6th, 7th, or 8th.
Currently Swift Current is 2 points behind the Raiders. The Tigers are 2 points behind the Broncos. And the Ice are 3 points behind the Tigers. So it's all very close, pretty wide-open yet pending the results of the next few games.
The other race in the East is a race for potential second round seeding, as Calgary and Saskatoon are jockeying for the 2nd best record in the conference behind Edmonton. Saskatoon gets the #2 seed for the first round by virtue of being the Eastern Division champion, but teams get re-seeded for the second round so if Calgary finishes with more points than Saskatoon then Calgary would be #2 seed for the second round. Assuming, naturally, that they get there.....it's kind of moot if one or both go out in the first round, isn't it.
Anyway, Calgary has a 3 point lead over the Blades in that race; with both teams having two games left to play, the Hitmen can clinch it by winning either of their remaining games (a home-and-home with the Ice) or having the Blades lose two points from their remaining two games (a pair of road games in Prince Albert).
In the Western conference.....
Portland has clinched #1 seed, Kelowna #2, Kamloops #3, and Victoria #6. So #3 Kamloops will definitely host #6 Victoria in the first round - the sort-of only first round matchup to be set in stone.
I say sort-of because Spokane and Tri-City know they will be the #4 and #5 seeds and therefore will play each other - it's just not decided yet who will be #4 and who will be #5. Spokane has a two point lead and they both have three games left to play - including a home-and-home on Friday & Saturday nights. If that doesn't settle it one way or another then it'll come down to how they do against different opponents on Sunday afternoon.
In the lower portion of the West standings, Vancouver will miss the playoffs. Seattle has clinched a playoff spot but it could be either #7 or #8.
Prince George can still make the playoffs in the #8 spot (I bet Portland is looking forward to THAT bus trip) but it seems unlikely; they are four points behind Everett with both teams having three games left. Realistically Prince George has to win all three of their remaining games (Kelowna, then Kamloops twice) while hoping Everett loses at least three points from games against Victoria (twice) and Tri-City. Any combination of three squandered points by the Cougars or gained points by the Silvertips and it's all over for the Cougars.
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