With CHL All-Star break behind, run for playoffs continues

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, Texas – Now that the 2010 Central Hockey League All-Star Game has been played, teams are ready to pick up where they left off and continue the push for a playoff berth. Beginning on Friday night, 14 teams will meet up to play the first seven games of the rest of the regular season.
 

In the Northern Conference, the Colorado Eagles and the upstart Rapid City Rush will continue their battle for the top slot with both teams presently tied at 45 points. The Rush have a game in hand. But objects in the rear view mirror are closer than they appear as four teams remain on the hunt.
 
The Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs are currently in third place with 39 points and the Mississippi RiverKings are in fourth with 38 points.   The Tulsa Oilers and the expansion Missouri Mavericks are currently battling for the final playoff berth with 35 and 33 points, respectively. The Wichita Thunder remains the only team out of the race with a 3-27-3 record and a 20-game winless streak.
 
The Southern Conference has been dominated by the Odessa Jackalopes since the start of the season. With a 26-6-3 record and 55 points, a trip to the league championship series is theirs to lose.
 
That’s just what the expansion Allen Americans are working towards. The Americans have held the number two spot in the conference for the better part of the season with no indication they are going to give it up. At 23-8-2 with 48 points, Allen has nothing less than the top slot in their sights and has proven to be a formidable opponent.
 
The current league champions, the Texas Brahmas, have had the customary difficulties associated with defending the President’s Cup, but continue to make adjustments, deal with injuries and battle their way forward. Currently in third place with a 17-13-5 record and 39 points, the Brahmas have four teams trailing them with no more than six points between them.
 
The Laredo Bucks have struggled with consistency all season long but remain in the war for third place with 37 points. Rio Grande Valley (36 points) currently sits in fifth place and Amarillo (34 points) and Corpus Christi (33 points) are still battling to move up. Only the hapless Arizona Sundogs who have failed to return to the form that won them the 2008 Ray Miron President’s Cup seem out of contention with a 13-18-3 record and 29 points.
 
This season’s playoff format works like this – a total of ten of the league’s 15 teams will qualify for the post-season, consisting of five clubs from each conference. Both conference winners will be seeded 1st in their conference heading into the playoffs based on point totals. The next four highest teams in each conference’s regular season standings based on point totals will be seeded 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th in each conference and will also qualify for post-season play.  
 
Starting on Friday night, the race is on.
 
Contact the author at robert.keith@prohockeynews.com