SOUTHEAST SASKATCHEWAN - There are still lots of unanswered questions in the Big Six Hockey League as it enters the final weekend of the 2022-23 regular season.
The league was busy during the past week, with 12 games from Jan. 24-29. The Oxbow Huskies dropped a 3-2 decision to the Bienfait Coalers on Jan. 24 in Bienfait, and another 3-2 decision, this time in a shootout, to the Carlyle Cougars the following night.
Then on Jan. 27, four games were played. The Redvers Rockets doubled up the Cougars 4-2, the Moosomin Rangers trounced the Kipling-Windthorst Oil Kings 15-1, the Carnduff Red Devils defeated the Coalers 8-4 and the Huskies romped to a 12-2 win over the Wawota Flyers.
Four more games occurred on Jan. 28. The Red Devils blanked the Cougars 9-0, the Rangers edged the Huskies 5-4, the Oil Kings knocked off the Arcola-Kisbey Combines 6-2, and the Yellow Grass Wheat Kings beat the Flyers 4-1.
Sunday’s games saw Yellow Grass defeat the Midale Mustangs 9-6 and the Rockets blank the Combines 10-0.
The Rockets sit first in the overall standings with 34 points on a 17-1 record and two games to play. The Rangers (15-3, 30 points) sit tied for second and can still mathematically catch the Rockets. The defending league champions, the Red Devils (15-5, 30 points) are tied for second as well, but they have finished their regular-season schedule. The Huskies are fourth (14-3-1, 29 points).
Then there’s a drop-off to the fifth place Coalers (9-7, 18 points). The Cougars (8-9-1, 17 points) are sixth, but the Coalers have two games in hand. The Wheat Kings (7-9-1, 15 points) occupy seventh spot.
The Mustangs own the eighth and final playoff spot with a 5-11-1 mark and 11 points. The Flyers (4-13-1, nine points) are ninth
The Oil Kings (4-15, eight points) and the Arcola-Kisbey Combines (0-17) are out of the playoffs.
A number of games still remain. Arcola-Kisbey will visit Yellow Grass on Feb. 2. Four games are set for Feb. 3: Redvers at Moosomin, Wawota at Carlyle, Bienfait at Kipling-Windthorst and Arcola-Kisbey at Midale.
Games for Feb. 4 include Oxbow at Wawota, Bienfait at Arcola-Kisbey, Yellow Grass at Redvers, and Midale at Carlyle. All those games will start at 8 p.m.
The regular season will conclude on Feb. 5 will be Oxbow at Yellow Grass at 7 p.m. and Bienfait at Moosomin at 8 p.m.
