By LOGAN CLOW
Daily Herald-Tribune
With four games remaining in the regular season, the final playoff spot has yet to be secured for the Grande Prairie Storm.
The junior A squad find themselves in a battle with the Lloydminster Bobcats and Drayton Valley Thunder for the final two playoff spots.
A major plus for the Storm, who head into the weekend holding the final playoff spot – one point up on the Bobcats and two points back of the Thunder – is that their final four games are all to be played at Revolution Place.
Their homestand starts Friday and Saturday with a pair of games against the Sherwood Park Crusaders. The Storm’s final two home games are March 3-4 against the Crusaders and Bonnyville Pontiacs.
The Crusaders, under former Storm assistant coach and midget AAA Storm coach Adam Manah, are fifth in the AJHL North Division and have won their three previous meetings against the Storm this season by outscoring them 20-9.
A Crusaders player to watch for is Tyler Maltby, who is ranked sixth in AJHL scoring with 36 goals and 30 assists. The 20-year-old is on a seven-game point streak and has committed to play at Arizona State University.
The Crusaders can be dangerous with their special teams. Not only do they have the fifth ranked powerplay, but they also are tied for second in the AJHL with 12 shorthanded goals.
Forward Michael Clarke continues to lead the Storm in scoring with 26 goals and 28 assists.
Game time Friday and Saturday is 7:30 p.m.
Storm head coach Matt Keillor was unavailable for comment as of press time.