The penultimate weekend of January featured 267 regular-season games and also saw the crowning of our first 2015-16 Kraft Cup champions, the Minor Midget AAA Toronto Marlboros.
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Minor Peewee A
Six teams will make the Scotiabank GTHL Playoffs in the eight-team West Division, where only five points separate the bottom four clubs.
The Toronto Eagles (9-17-3, 21 points) and Vaughan Rangers (6-15-6, 18 points) both picked up three points over the weekend to keep pace in the postseason race. The teams began their weekend by playing to a 2-2 tie in their head-to-head matchup on Friday.
On Sunday, the No. 6-ranked Eagles picked up a 5-2 win over the Duffield Devils (9-14-4, 22 points) to move within one point of that club for fifth place. Meanwhile, the Rangers, who sit just outside the playoff picture, earned a 3-1 win over the No. 2-ranked Toronto Wolverines (18-7-3, 39 points).
The Avalanche (18-5-4, 40 points) played to a 1-1 tie with the Devils to move into sole possession of first place, one point ahead of the Wolverines.
The No. 3-ranked Vaughan Panthers (16-10-1, 33 points) recorded a pair of shutout wins against the Humber Valley Sharks (5-0 W) and Wolverines (2-0 W).
In the East, the North York Knights (10-16-2, 22 points) and Forest Hill (6-16-5, 17 points) both picked up a win on the weekend to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Knights defeated the Hillcrest Canadiens by a 5-2 margin to move within four points of the idle Goulding Park Rangers (12-15-2, 26 points) for the final playoff spot in the East. North York owns one game in hand.
Forest Hill, meanwhile, posted a 3-1 win against the No. 3-ranked Leaside Flames (20-5-2, 42 points) to stay in the playoff hunt. They own two games in hand on Goulding Park but also sit nine points back.
The Knights also dropped a decision on the weekend, losing 3-2 to the Toronto Aeros (12-2-3, 27 points) – another club battling for one of the final playoff positions. With the win, the Aeros moved past the Rangers into the No. 7 seed.
Other finals from Minor Peewee A weekend action:
East – Toronto Shamrocks 6, Willowdale Blackhawks 1
East – Don Mills Mustangs 4, Toronto Shamrocks 2
East –North Toronto 4, Leaside Flames 4
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Minor Midget AA
The Vaughan Rangers picked up a 7-2 win over the Toronto Royals on Sunday to pull to the front of a six-team pack separated by only five points in the race to the postseason in the West Division:
6. Vaughan Rangers: 14-9-4 (32 points) – 9 GR
7. Vaughan Panthers: 14-11-4 (32 points) – 7 GR
8. Mississauga Jets: 16-15-0 (32 points) – 5 GR
9. Streetsville Tigers: 14-13-3 (31 points) – 6 GR
10. Humber Valley Sharks: 14-16-1 (29 points) – 5 GR
11. Toronto Wolverines: 13-15-1 (27 points) – 6 GR
With 4-0 and 4-1 wins over the Royals and Sharks, respectively, the Greater Toronto Capitals (18-7-2, 38 points) moved into third place in the division, where only four points divide teams Nos. 2-5. The Humberview Huskies (19-7-1, 39 points) hold the No. 2 position following a 2-1 win over the Mississauga Braves (17-9-1, 35 points), while the Mississauga Terriers (18-10-0, 36 points) sit in fourth place after a 5-2 win over the Tigers.
In the East, the Ted Reeve Thunder (25-1-4, 54 points) inched closer to clinching the Kraft Cup with a 5-0 win over the East Enders Ticats on Sunday. The Thunder sit 10 points ahead of the Toronto Aeros (20-5-4, 44 points) – who played to a 4-4 tie against the Markham Islanders (15-11-4, 34 points) – with five games remaining. The Aeros, meanwhile, have six contests left, including a game tonight (Monday, Jan. 25) against the Toronto Shamrocks (10-17-2, 22 points).
Other finals from Minor Midget AA weekend action:
West – Toronto Wolverines 1, Duffield Devils 1
West – Ice Warriors 11, Mississauga North Stars 0
East – Toronto Shamrocks 4, Scarborough Young Bruins 3
East – Leaside Flames 3, North York Knights 1
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Peewee AAA
The Toronto Marlboros (22-3-5, 49 points) are alone in first place following a 3-0 win over the Toronto Red Wings (12-10-6, 30 points) on Friday. The victory propelled the Marlboros ahead of the idle Don Mills Flyers (23-4-2, 48 points) with just 15 days remaining in the season.
The Red Wings, who hold the No. 7 seed, rebounded Saturday with a 3-0 victory of their own over the Toronto Jr. Canadiens.
Battling in the No. 3 and No. 4 positions are the Toronto Titans (19-4-5, 43 points) and Toronto Young Nationals (19-5-4, 42 points). The Titans cruised to a 7-2 win over the No. 8-ranked Mississauga Rebels (11-15-4, 26 points) while the Young Nationals posted a 3-0 shutout against the No. 6-ranked North York Rangers (15-11-4, 34 points). The two Toronto clubs have five games remaining and still have a shot at the Kraft Cup
The Vaughan Kings put a dent in the Mississauga Senators’ (10-18-1, 21 points) playoff hopes with a 3-2 victory on Saturday, while the Toronto Jr. Canadiens rounded out the weekend by snapping a 10-game skid against the Markham Majors (6-1 W).
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Minor Midget AAA
The Toronto Marlboros enter the 2016 postseason in search of their second straight Scotiabank GTHL Playoffs title, this time as Kraft Cup champions. The Marlboros – who also are pursuing their third consecutive OHL Cup – clinched first place with a 6-0 win over the Toronto Young Nationals on Friday.
The first round of the playoffs begins tonight with the No. 2-ranked Mississauga Rebels hosting the No. 7-ranked Mississauga Senators at Hershey Centre. The Marlboros also open their series with the No. 8-ranked Vaughan Kings at Westwood Arena.
MINOR MIDGET AAA SCOTIABANK GTHL PLAYOFFS: FIRST ROUND PREVIEW
(1) Toronto Marlboros vs. (8) Vaughan Kings
Streak: TML – Won 4 VAK – Won 3
Last 10: TML – 9-1-0 VAK – 5-5-0
Season series: 4-1 TML, 3-2 TML, 6-3 TML
Game 1 – Monday, Jan. 25 at 9:25 p.m. (Westwood)
Game 2 – Friday, Jan. 29 at 9:00 p.m. (Etobicoke Ice Sports)
Game 3 – Sunday, Jan. 31 at 4:45 p.m. (Scotiabank Pond)
Game 4 – Monday, Feb. 1 at 9:00 p.m. (Hershey Centre)
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(2) Mississauga Rebels vs. (7) Mississauga Senators
Streak: MRB – Won 8 MSE – Tied 1
Last 10: MRB – 9-0-1 MSE – 4-1-5
Season series: 0-0 tie, 7-2 MRB, 3-3 tie
Game 1 – Monday, Jan. 25 at 9:00 p.m. (Hershey Centre)
Game 2 – Thursday, Jan. 28 at 9:15 p.m. (Iceland)
Game 3 – Saturday, Jan. 30 at 5:50 p.m. (Herb Carnegie)
Game 4 – Tuesday, Feb. 2 at 9:20 p.m. (Scotiabank Pond)
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(3) Toronto Red Wings vs. (6) Markham Majors
Streak: TRW – Won 1 MAJ – Lost 1
Last 10: TRW – 7-1-2 MAJ – 4-3-3
Season series: 1-1 tie, 2-1 TRW, 3-0 MAJ
Game 1 – Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 9:20 p.m. (Scotiabank Pond)
Game 2 – Friday, Jan. 29 at 9:15 p.m. (Chesswood)
Game 3 – Sunday, Jan. 31 at 4:15 p.m. (Thornhill Centre)
Game 4 – Tuesday, Feb. 2 at 7:25 p.m. (Scotiabank Pond)
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(4) Toronto Jr. Canadiens vs. (5) Don Mills Flyers
Streak: JRC – Lost 1 DMF – Won 1
Last 10: JRC – 6-2-2 DMF – 4-3-3
Season series: 5-0 JRC, 5-1 JRC, 2-1 DMF
Game 1 – Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 9:00 p.m. (Victoria Village)
Game 2 – Saturday, Jan. 30 at 5:30 p.m. (Scotiabank Pond)
Game 3 – Monday, Feb. 1 at 9:25 p.m. (Scotiabank Pond)
Game 4 – Wednesday, Feb. 3 at 9:30 p.m. (Westwood)
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