With one month to go in the regular season, it's coming down to the wire for the final playoff spots in the Ontario Hockey League's Eastern Conference standings, but the Barrie Colts aren't going away quietly.
The Colts (21-25-2-1, 9th in the East), who host the Owen Sound Attack tonight, have picked up just eight points in their last 10 games, but still remain five points back of the Hamilton Bulldogs, North Bay Battalion and Peterborough Petes -- who all have 50 points -- for that last playoff berth.
However, Barrie has two games in hand on both Hamilton and North Bay, and one on Peterborough, who sit eighth, seventh and sixth in the East respectively.
Hamilton's weekend schedule includes Oshawa, Kitchener and Ottawa, while North Bay faces Flint, Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie for perhaps the toughest weekend of the group in the post-season hunt. Peterborough, meanwhile, takes on Ottawa and Kingston this weekend, two teams that bookend the Eastern Conference standings.
The regular season ends March 17.
The Colts are coming off a 7-2 shellacking by the Sarnia Sting last week at the Barrie Molson Centre, followed by a 3-2 shootout loss in London and rounding the set with a 3-1 victory in Mississauga. Barrie goalie Jet Greaves, who's in his rookie season, was named a star in both the London and Mississauga games after making 50 saves in each.
This week, Barrie has three games on tap beginning tonight, including two at home, and can possibly close the gap and make a move toward a playoff spot if they can string together some wins.
"It's coming down to crunch time here," said Colts defenceman Nathan Allensen. "We're itching to get that playoff spot, so all these games coming up are huge to us. ... We know every game going forward is a big game for us."
The Owen Sound Attack (24-22-2-2, 5th in the West) are in Barrie to take on the Colts tonight at the BMC, followed by the flightless Flint Firebirds (9-40-3, 10th in the West) on Saturday night. The Colts wrap up their weekend on Sunday when they travel to Oshawa to meet the Generals (30-18-3, 4th in the East).
"I think it will be a tough challenge for us this weekend, again with three games," Greaves said. "We have to make sure we're ready and make sure we're getting rest. If we have a good effort, I think we'll be able to get some results this weekend."
The 17-year-old goaltender's performance in net didn't go unnoticed.
"When he's playing that good, it makes it easier for the defence and forwards," Allensen said. "Just the whole team can pick up off his energy."
