GrayJay Sports
League News
3 Huge Games tonight in NSJHL
Three teams have already exceeded the half-way mark in their 24-25 NSJHL Regular season while four others have played 15 games and have reached the half-way mark of their 24-25 season. As with any season, there have been disappointments as well as surprises, so let’s take a look as we enter play for Friday, Nov 22/24.
Compared to last year, the East Hants Penguins who were near the top of the regular season until fading in the stretch drive in 23-24 are off a to a tremendous start in 24-25, wining 15 of their first 16 games while holding an 11 point lead over the Sackville Blazers for first place in the Fred Fox Division. The Penguins will host the disappointing South Shore Lumberjacks who rallied from a 3-0 deficit in last spring’s playoffs and defeated the Penguins in 7 games. The Lumberjacks have recently gone through a coaching shake-up but are only 7-7-0 and head to Lantz to play the Penguins tonight at 7:30. In two games between these teams this season, the Penguins have been victors in all three by scores of 4-0 in Lantz and 6-2 in Bridgewater with the Penguins outscoring the Lumberjacks 10-2. The Lumberjacks will be looking to almost re-start their season tonight in Lantz with a solid start at 7:30 p.m. The two clubs after tonight will play two more games in the regular season on Jan 24 back in Lantz at 7:30 and on Feb 8th in Bridgewater. Elsewhere tonight:
The Pictou County Scotians meanwhile will travel to Port Hawkesbury. The Strait Pirates are involved in a real struggle as they try for 2nd place while trying to stay out of fourth place. They are currently in third place in the Rowe Division with a 6-9-2 mark for 14 points, three behind the Scotians and one ahead of the Membertou Jr. Miners. The Scotians are presently at 7-4-3 for 17 points while the Jr. Miners after 15 games are at 6-8-1 for 13 points. The Strait Pirates are 6-9-2 and all be playing their 18th game of the season. Game time in Port Hawkesbury is 7:30 p.m. The Strait Pirates are 0-2-1 against the Scotians losing 3-1 and 5-1 and 5-4 in overtime being outscored 13-6 in the three games. After tonight, they will play three more times this season. They wlll play back to back contests on Dec 1st and 3rd and in Port Hawkesbury Jan 17th.
In Windsor tonight, the Eskasoni Jr. Eagles and Valley Maple Leafs will collide for the only time this season. This is because of the new Board of Governors Policy of reducing travel costs where certain teams come to the Fox Division for one game and certain Fox teams go to the Rowe Division for other contests. This season it has evolved in to Eskasoni and Antigonish travelling to the Valley while the Leafs have played in Membertou, Pictou and Port Hawkesbury. To date the Leafs are 1-3-0 against the Rowe winning 3-2 in Port Hawkesbury, but losing 6-1 to Antigonish at home, 3-1 in Pictou and 2-1 in Membertou.
Despite this record against the Rowe, the Leafs have been red hot of late winning 6 of their past 8 games and have improved to 5-9-0 after starting their season at 0-7-0. Graydon Mole, the Leafs net minder has been especially brilliant in the Leafs past two wins over the South Shore and Capstone last weekend when he turned away 105 of 111 shots he faced. Game time in Windsor tonight is 7:30.