Flyers want to spoil NB’s perfect year in regular season finale

Chris St-Pierre

For The Community Press

KAPUSKASING – An eerie time draws near for the Kapuskasing Flyers as playoff time approaches. Two games have yet to be played in the regular season and it seems fit that they will finish the calendar with a series on home ice against the “anomaly” of the Great North Midget League : the North Bay Major Midget Trappers.

They both have something to prove. Kapuskasing would love to earn the right of being the lone GNML squad to serve North Bay a loss. On the other hand, the Trappers would go undefeated if they closed out their final four games with wins across the board.

A who’s who of northern Ontario’s midget hockey can be found on both benches, proving that Kapuskasing has a definite chance. Flyer Ryan Maynard is the league’s top defenceman with 44 points (14G-30A) in 34 games. Trapper Zach Lefebvre is the top overall scorer with 79 points (44G-35A) in 30 games and he’s not even done.

North Bay’s number 10 could easily be the first 50-goal scorer in the GNML since Kirkland Lake 87’s forward Jordan Turbide in 10/11. On top of that, Lefebvre would end a six-year stint without any skater reaching the 90-point mark in regular season play. At a rate of 2.63 points per game, he can crack that number if North Bay doesn’t spiral out of control in the last stretch.

In between the pipes, two of the top goalies in the north go head to head. Sophomore goalies Carson Boutin and Ben Gaudreau have been battling it out since the very start, but the difference is in the numbers. Despite playing an extra 200 minutes this season with the Flyers, Boutin has allowed twice as many goals (46) compared to his NB counterpart.

Despite all this talk about statistics, this type of matchup comes down to who wants it more. This rivalry has been ongoing for years. In two of the last three year, the Major Midget Trappers have faced Kapuskasing in the playoffs. The record currently stands one and one. If all goes as planned, both teams would face each other in this year’s final. However, the team that gets the win to end the season will have a mental advantage.

The Kapuskasing Flyers will be hosting the North Bay Major Midget Trappers at the Sports Palace tomorrow night at 7:30pm and Saturday night at 7pm. For a taste of what’s to come, brave the cold and come see for yourself.