The Sarnia Legionnaires and the Chatham Maroons play the rubber match of their five-game regular season series tonight. In four games between them to date, both have won twice.
Here's a preview of the contest:
WHERE – Sarnia Arena, Thursday, Feb. 11, 7:30 p.m.
RECORDS – The Legionnaires are 20-20-6 and stand in sixth place in the nine-team Western Conference of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, four points ahead of St. Thomas. The Maroons are 30-13-2 and are in a tight battle with Strathroy and St. Marys for second spot.
WHOSE HOT:
Sarnia – Tanner Tomlinson and Jesse Drydak had two goals each in the club's last outing
Chatham – Travis Winkworth has registered three goals and four assists in his last five games.
LAST OUTINGS – The Legionnaires surprised the Stars 6-2 right in St. Thomas. The Maroons edged the Welland Canadians 3-1 in Welland.
SIGNIFICANCE – With just a handful of contests left in the 50-game regular schedule, Chatham could finish as high as second or as low as fourth, so every point is vital to them at this stage. Sarnia is trying to hang on to sixth place. A win tonight would all but wrap up that spot for the defending Western Jr. 'B' champions. There's also a very good chance that these two clubs could meet in the first round of the playoffs.
HISTORY – The two clubs have been very evenly matched all season. Sarnia beat the Maroons 4-3 in Chatham last Sept. 20 to start off the five-game series with their southern rivals. The Legionnaires also beat them at home by a 4-3 score on Nov. 26. The Maroons won the other two games, one by a 4-3 count in overtime in a game played at Sarnia on Oct. 29 and another by a 4-1 score in a match held in Chatham just before Christmas.
HOME ICE – The Legionnaires are 12-9-2 at home, while the Maroons are 15-9-0 on the road.
BAD BOYS – Statistics show the Legionnaires lead the entire Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League in penalty minutes with 1,297. They have been assessed an incredible 401 minors and 31 majors. Owen Rogers, who leads in the parade to the penalty box with 172 minutes, will miss tonight's game because he is serving the second of a two-game suspension.
