The Bienfait Coalers have passed their first test in the Saskatchewan Hockey Association provincial playoffs.
The Coalers took care of the Milestone Flyers last week in the first round of A provincials, winning 4-3 in Milestone on Feb. 5 and earning a definitive 6-2 victory in Bienfait on Saturday to win the best-of-three.
The Flyers play in the Qu'Appelle Valley Hockey League.
Next, the Coalers will face the winner of the series between the Oxbow Huskies and Langenburg Warriors. Oxbow took the opener 10-1 at home on Feb. 2 and Langenburg responded with a 4-2 win on Saturday. The third and deciding game is this Saturday in Oxbow.
The other Big Six Hockey League team in the A draw, the Arcola-Kisbey Combines, were knocked out by the Cupar Canucks in two games.
Cupar won 5-3 on Jan. 24 and 4-2 on Jan. 30.
In the B draw, the Carnduff Red Devils are in a deep hole in their two-game, total-goal series against the Balcarres Broncs, losing the opener 10-3 in Balcarres on Sunday.
On the C side, the Wawota Flyers fell 5-3 to the Bredenbury Cougars at home on Saturday. The second game is this Saturday in Churchbridge.
Also in the C draw, the Redvers Rockets and Ochapowace Thunder will play their series this week. Game 1 is tonight in Whitewood, with the second game Saturday in Redvers.
Meanwhile, the Big Six playoffs are also underway. The Coalers, after going undefeated at 18-0, have a first-round bye.
The second-place Midale Mustangs and seventh-place Rockets are tied after two games in their best-of-five series. Midale took a 7-5 victory on Friday before taking a 10-0 spanking from the underdog Rockets on Sunday.
Game 3 is Friday in Midale. The last two games of the series have not been scheduled yet.
The third-place Flyers and sixth-place Combines are also knotted at one game apiece. Wawota earned a tight 3-2 win on Thursday at home, and Arcola repaid the favour on Sunday with a 4-3 victory.
Fifth-place Carnduff held a 1-0 series lead over fourth-place Oxbow entering the second game of their series last night in Carnduff. The Red Devils won 5-2 in Oxbow on Friday. Game 3 is tomorrow in Oxbow. Games 4 and 5, if necessary, have not been scheduled yet.
