The Bisons got by with a little help from their friends along with their own dirty work to clear the path to first.
The Okotoks Carstar Bisons (31-3-0) edged the Medicine Hat Cubs 6-5 Saturday on home ice — one night after both Southern Division heavyweights suffered rare defeats — to lock down first overall and home ice advantage throughout the Heritage Junior Hockey League playoffs.
Entering the weekend, the Cubs were the only team that could mathematically usurp the Bisons with Okotoks needing either two wins to clinch or one win along with some help on the out of town scoreboard.
The help came in the form of a 9-7 barnburner with the Coaldale Copperheads taking a bite out of Medicine Hat’s bid for first on Friday.
Okotoks was also downed 5-3 by the Strathmore Wheatland Kings on Jan. 27 at the Murray Arena, the team’s third loss of the campaign that snapped a 10-game winning streak.
Twenty-four hours later and with so much on the line, there was once again little to choose between the sides.
Okotoks broke open a 3-0 lead, the Cubs notched three straight, and back and forth they went in the final stanza.
Goals from Alaister Standen and Jake Snashall, both their second tallies of the night, midway through the third proved to be the difference.
Ty McRuvie added a goal and two assists, captain Lucas Watkins added his seventh goal of the season with Braedon LeGrandeur registering a game high three assists along with two-helper performances from Jaevon Buschlen and Adam Kirkpatrick.
In goal, Grady Nicholas made 34 saves to improve to 9-1 as a member of the Bisons.
Okotoks moves closer to lowering the curtain on the regular season with its penultimate weekend of action on Feb. 3 and 4 with stops in Airdrie and Cochrane.
The next home game is the team’s final regular season match of the campaign on Feb. 7 versus Cochrane.
For more information, visit okotoksbisons.com.
