2019 Eastlink South Division Semi-Finals
(1) Yarmouth Mariners vs (4) Truro Bearcats
Schedule
Game 1 – Thursday, March 14th, 7:00 PM – Mariners Centre
Game 2 – Saturday, March 16th, 7:00 PM – Rath Eastlink Community Centre
Game 3 – Tuesday, March 19th, 7:00 PM – Mariners Centre
Game 4 – Thursday, March 21st, 7:00 PM – Rath Eastlink Community Centre
Game 5 – Saturday, March 23rd, 7:30 PM – Mariners Centre*
Game 6 – Monday, March 25th, 7:00 PM – Rath Eastlink Community Centre*
Game 7 – Thursday, March 28th, 7:00 PM – Mariners Centre*
*if necessary
| Yarmouth | Truro | |
| Record (MHL Rank) | 36-9-3-2 (2nd) | 24-21-3-4 (7th) |
| Last 10 Games (current streak) | 7-2-0-1 (3-0-0-1) | 3-6-0-1 (0-2-0-0) |
| Goals For (MHL Rank) | 219 (2nd) | 135 (11th) |
| Goals Against (MHL Rank) | 142 (4th) | 158 (5th) |
| Powerplay % (MHL Rank) | 24.7% (2nd) | 15.9% (9th) |
| Penalty Kill % (MHL Rank) | 78.8% (8th) | 86.7% (2nd) |
| Top Scorer (MHL Rank) | Matt Barron – 31G, 41A (3rd) | Dylan Burton- 18G, 17A (48th) |
| Top Scoring Defenseman | Derrick Johnson – 10G, 21A | Curtis Heffernan – 8G, 14A |
| Top Goaltender | Tyler Caseley – 25-7-1-1, 2.55 GAA, .911 SV%, 2 SO | Myles Hektor – 16-14-1-2, 3.09 GAA, .906 SV%, 3 SO |
| Head to Head Record | 7-0-0-0, 14 pts, 34 GF | 0-7-0-0, 0 pts, 15 GF |
| Leading Scorer in Season Series | Brett Crossley – 5G, 7A | Dylan Burton – 2G, 2A Gavin Hart – 1G, 3A Carson Lanceleve – 3G, 1A |
Previous Meetings
Truro 1 @ Yarmouth 4 – September 26th
Yarmouth 4 @ Truro 3 – October 5th
Yarmouth 3 @ Truro 0 – November 16th
Truro 2 @ Yarmouth 6 – December 7th
Yarmouth 4 @ Truro 2 – January 12th
Truro 5 @ Yarmouth 6 – February 10th
Truro 2 @ Yarmouth 7 – February 22nd
Series Notes
- This is the third consecutive Eastlink South Division Semi-Final matchup between the Mariners and Bearcats. Truro took the 2016-17 series in five games, en route to the 2017 MHL Playoff Championship. Yarmouth downed Truro in seven games last year, en route to an MHL Finals where they lost in six games to Edmundston.
- The Mariners led the Eastlink South for the majority of the season, and this is their second consecutive division title.
- Matt Barron led the Mariners in scoring for the second straight season, scoring 22 more goals than 2017-18.
- Truro’s 135 goals scored this season is the second-lowest in franchise history, and the Bearcats’ -23 goal differential is the first time they’ve ever scored fewer goals in a season than they’ve allowed (previous low of +1 in 2000-01).
- In a rare occurrence, the Bearcats led the MHL in penalty minutes with 1,191. It sets up an interesting matchup on special teams as Truro boasted one of the best penalty killing percentages in the league at 86.7%, but Yarmouth have the second-best powerplay percentage at 24.7%.
- In addition to Brett Crossley, three other Mariners had double-digit point totals against Truro this season: Logan Timmons (5G, 6A), Matt Barron (6G, 4A), and Andrew Martell (1G, 9A).
- The Bearcats extended their playoff streak to 22 seasons, having made the postseason every year since rejoining the league in 1997-98. It’s by far the longest streak in the MHL.
- As noted any time these teams face off, the combined MHL coaching experience in this series is by far the most of any first round matchup with Shawn Evans in Truro and Laurie Barron in Yarmouth.