For the first time in GOJHL history, two teams riding 10+ game point streaks will meet when the Chatham Maroons face the St. Marys Lincolns Friday night at the Pyramid Rec Centre in St. Marys. Game time is 7:30
The Lincolns (41-6-1-1, 84 points) have clinched first place in the Western Conference and have points in a franchise record 22 straight games (21-0-0-1), having smashed the old record of 17 set in 2007-08. The Maroons (34-9-1-1, 73 points) clinched the #2 seed in the Western Conference with Thursday’s 6-4 win in Sarnia giving them points in 15 straight games (14-0-1-0), breaking the old franchise record of 14 set during the 2014-15 season.
The game also features the top two teams in the latest GOJHL Power Rankings. The Lincolns have held the #1 spot for the last 11 weeks while the Maroons have been #2 for the last two weeks. It marks the third 1-2 matchup this season, the others occurring on October 18 when the #1 Lincolns defeated the #2 Stratford Warriors 4-1 in St. Marys, and on November 28 when the #2 St. Catharines Falcons beat the #1 Ayr Centennials 8-3 in Ayr.
According to Lincolns head coach Jeff Bradley, while tonight is an opportunity to reflect on the accomplishments to date, there’s still plenty to play for … “Considering how competitive this conference is, it is especially meaningful that both us and Chatham were able to accomplish these feats. This has been a challenging schedule for both our teams, and the players should be proud of this. Even though neither team can move up or down in the standings, we’ll be using this game to continue to get our game in order for playoffs, evaluate some of our players and give opportunities to those that have put in a lot time with our team. With the skill level that both teams possess, this should be an entertaining game.”
Maroons head coach Richard Santos says “what an amazing year the GOJHL has been as a whole, but for our two teams to put on a streaks like these are achievements in themselves. With the travel that both teams had to do endure this year plus the scouting, coaching and recruiting you have to tip your hat to the Lincolns. I wish this game was for first place but we both locked up our spots now it’s a great opportunity to see what kids can do with an expanded role and to bring up kids to give them a crack at playing in a game like this. Tonight’s game is going to be a fast pace featuring a lot of skill and hopefully a preview of a playoff match.”
The Lincolns can clinch the season series with a win. They have won 2 of the 3 previous meetings (outscoring the Maroons 15-8), with a 4-3 home loss to the Maroons sandwiched between 6-2 wins at home and in Chatham. Meanwhile, a victory for the Maroons would tie a franchise record for consecutive wins (11) and give them a chance to set a new record in their season finale at home on Sunday against London. With wins in each of their last 10 road games (already a franchise record) a win St. Marys would also extend the Maroons’ away winning streak to 11 games.
This game features the league’s two best offences with the Maroons scoring a league-best 4.9 goals per game and boasting a the league’s top power play (26.8%), while the Lincolns rank second in scoring with 4.6 goals per game and third in power play success at 23.6%. The Lincolns are led by Jaden Lee, the GOJHL’s second leading scorer with 75 points, who is riding a 9-game point streak (5-11-16 points) to go along with an 18-game scoring streak earlier in the season. Chatham’s leading scorer Connor Hunt (61 points) is on a 15-game point streak (10-18-28 points) of his own for the Maroons who lead the league with 236 goals scored — 13 more than the Lincolns.
Perhaps the biggest difference between the two teams is the ability to keep the puck out of their own net. The Lincolns have allowed a league-best 1.8 goals per game — over a goal less than the Maroons who rank 7th with a very respectable 2.9 goals allowed per game. A similar disparity exists in penalty killing with the Lincolns having the league best PK at 90.9% while the Maroons rank 9th at 83.1%. And speaking of performance on the penalty-kill, the Lincolns have scored a league-best 17 shorthanded goals, compared to just 4 for the Maroons.
This game is not the only matchup between top teams on Friday’s schedule. In matchup with significant implications in the Eastern Conference standings, the first-place St. Catharines Falcons (35-11-1-1, 72 points) host the third place Fort Erie Meteors (32-11-5-0, 69 points). The Falcons can clinch the #1 seed with a win, while the Meteors would tie the Ayr Centennials for second and keep their chances for first alive with a victory. This is the fifth meeting between the two clubs, with the Meteors having won three of the previous four.
Those wanting to see this potential conference final matchup can catch all the action on FloSportsTV.
