Picture by Ian Coyle
It’s an action-packed weekend in Scottish ice hockey, with five league games and the final Scottish Cup quarter-final set to take place. Teams are battling for crucial points as the playoff race intensifies.
Scottish Cup
The second leg of the Scottish Cup quarter-final sees the Edinburgh Capitals head to Fife to take on the Kirkcaldy Kestrels. The Kestrels secured a 4-1 victory in the first leg, giving them a strong advantage, but the Capitals will be determined to fight back with a place in the final at stake. In SNL action this season, both teams have taken points off each other, so expect a fiercely contested matchup. With both clubs boasting passionate fanbases, the atmosphere is sure to be electric.
The winner of this tie on aggregate will face the Dundee Rockets in the final. Details for the Scottish Cup finals are yet to be announced.
SNL League Action
With five games taking place this weekend, teams are vying for crucial points as the playoff race heats up. Kilmarnock Thunder will be riding high after securing their first win of the season last weekend, but they face a tough challenge against Aberdeen Lynx. Lynx appear to have rediscovered their form after a brief slump, but Kilmarnock previously proved they could compete, pushing the Lynx through the first two periods in an earlier home encounter.
Saturday also sees North Ayrshire Wild facing Paisley Pirates in another important matchup. Both teams will be eager to secure valuable points as they look to improve their positions in the standings.
On Sunday, Kirkcaldy Kestrels and Edinburgh Capitals will return to the ice following their Scottish Cup clash, facing Dundee Rockets and North Ayrshire Wild, respectively. The Rockets are looking to extend their remarkable 12-game winning streak to 13, while the Capitals, currently sitting second in the standings, aim to reinforce their position.
Meanwhile, Paisley Pirates will take on Kilmarnock Thunder in a fixture that will give Thunder another chance to build momentum.
With points at a premium and teams jostling for their playoff spots, expect a thrilling weekend of SNL action.
Playoff Weekend Confirmed
The SNL Playoff Weekend has been scheduled for April 19th & 20th at Dundee Ice Arena. Once the regular season concludes, the quarter-finals will take place, consisting of one home and one away game per matchup. Following this, the semi-finals and final will be held in Dundee. The playoff structure is as follows:
- The bottom-placed team at the end of the regular season will not progress to the playoffs.
- The remaining six teams will be divided into two groups:
- Group A: 1st, 3rd, and 5th placed teams
- Group B: 2nd, 4th, and 6th placed teams
- The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals.
- Semi-final matchups:
- 1st place in Group A vs. 2nd place in Group B
- 1st place in Group B vs. 2nd place in Group A
- The semi-finals and final will be held in Dundee on April 19th & 20th.
With crucial points up for grabs and playoff positioning on the line, expect another thrilling weekend of Scottish ice hockey!
