S72 is at the midway point for almost all of the teams in the SMJHL, so let’s take a look at which teams feel like they are pushing for a higher spot in the standings. This isn’t just a repeat of the points order, that wouldn’t be too much fun. So besides just points to date, I will focus on the last 10 games. Also, its important who a team is getting their wins against and who is beating them. But don’t worry, this is just for a deep dive and completely meaningless as far as anything else is concerned ?

1. Maine Timber 56 pts 8-2-0 in last 10
Whether you look at the standings, statistics, or the last 10 games, the Timber are the top dogs of the SMJHL. You really can’t ask them to do much more, as they hold a 12-point lead over the next team in the standings. They do drop a game here or there, but as you’ll see in the rest of the league that cannot be avoided.

2. Vancouver Whalers 44 pts 9-1-0 in last 10
Vancouver has made a huge push as shown in those last 10 games. What is also very impressive about that stretch is 4 (!) of those wins came against another top echelon team, the St. Louis Scarecrows. That’s a massive swing that has really helped Vancouver catch up to the Elk in their tight division race.

3. Regina Elk 44 pts 7-3-0 in last 10
Where Vancouver has been meeting and beating some great SMJHL teams, Regina is more or less holding their own against their own expectations. 7-3 is a great stretch to be proud of to be sure, and many teams would kill for that run right about now. But that run has felt like Regina is taking their W’s against the bad teams and losing to other teams that should be winnable. They are still in a great spot in the standings for now, but those tough teams will be waiting for them in the playoffs.

4. Newfoundland Berserkers 43 pts 4-5-1 in last 10
Similar to Regina, Newfoundland is in a great spot standings wise. They have amassed a good lead over most of the conference and shouldn’t be worried about missing the playoffs. HOWEVER, these last 10 games came with some losses to bad teams. When you are already looking to the post season, those are games that need to be closed out. Don’t want to make a habit of it.

5. St. Louis Scarecrows 42 pts 3-7-0 in last 10
If only these power rankings came out a few days ago, the Scarecrows would be sitting much higher. St. Louis went on an absolute tear, rocketing out of the basement of their division and climbing as high as 2nd in the J. This team is a solid team that will be making waves come playoffs, but these rankings catch them after a very rapid cooling off.

6. Nevada Battleborn 35 pts 6-4-0 in last 10
What was cited above as a weakness for Regina and Newfoundland is feeling like more of a compliment for a Nevada squad that struggled the first half of the season. Exactly as stated above, Nevada has been beating the bad teams and losing to the more talented ones. There’s not a lot of head scratching box scores in their schedule. But that’s okay!  That dependable level of play is pushing Nevada into safer and safer territory as the rest of the teams in their division slug it out.

7. Carolina Kraken 41 pts 5-4-1 in last 10
The Kraken won’t be sinking to the bottom of their division or the league. They may be suffering an odd loss here or there, but overall, this team is conquering the cupcakes. I expect them to stay below the surface for now.

8.  Anchorage Armada 32 pts 3-8-0 in last 10
Anchorage has got to be one of the hardest working teams in the SMJHL right now. It seems just about every one of their games goes is within 1 or 2 goals. That can be great when you’re winning those games, but heartbreaking when they keep sneaking away. How’d you feel about just going with coin flips the rest of the way?

9. Yukon Malamutes 27pts 7-3-0 in last 10
Someone finally woke this dog up! There’s still a long way to go for Yukon to stabilize but those last 10 games have been great for a team that was in dangerous territory. I’m not sure what is going on in this division, but everyone has appeared to be snakebit for a portion of the season. Yukon is hoping they are done with their stint in the doghouse.

10. Kelowna Knights 29ts 5-5-0 in last 10
Don’t take this the wrong way, but the Knights feel like they are a vanilla option right now. And for where they are in the league standings, that’s not such a bad thing! Playing 500 hockey is better than most of the teams below them, so it is bound to keep them no worse than they are. However, the ceiling is limited with this kind of success.

11. Quebec City Citadelles 31 pts 4-6-0 in last 10
Quebec is in a little bit of a tough spot, but there are some nice takeaways that could turn into a better 2nd half of the season. Included in those 4 wins are wins against STL and MET. If QCC can take down those teams, they should be able to keep pushing the rest of the way. Just don’t drop games to YUM or KEL anymore. You’re better than that!

12. Detroit Falcons 21 pts 5-5-0 in last 10
Pretty much the opposite here for DET compared to STL. DET went almost winless the first entire week of the season and has since gotten right back into the hunt in a down division. The Falcons are basically fighting to stay out of 4th here and missing the playoffs. They may need to do more than 500 hockey to guarantee that.

13. Great Falls Grizzlies 20 pts 4-6-0 in last 10
When reviewing the last 10 games for GFG, I was impressed with their scoring. Now the league stats say they are 13th in goals for, so maybe this is a recent development. The more surprising stat is GFG is 8th in goals against! More goals please!!

14. Colorado Raptors 18 pts 2-7-1 in last 10
The Raptors have a tough record in both the last 10 games and the season overall. However, this is a young team with room to grow. And their recent games do show promise, like wins against NBB and STL. This team will be fighting to stay out of the basement, which is still very doable in their division.


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