Significant playoff implications are at stake this weekend as the Manitoba Bisons welcome the Saskatchewan Huskies to Wayne Fleming Arena for a pair of contests, Friday at 7 pm and Saturday at 5 pm. Click here for tickets. 

Entering play, the Huskies are ten points up on Manitoba for the third and final playoff spot in Canada West's East Division. The two sides split a pair of games in Saskatchewan at the end of October, meaning the regular season series is at stake. 

Both teams struck early in their respective wins during first half play. The Huskies scored 5:51 into the first period of game one, off the stick of leading scorer Chantz Petruic. It was the first of two goals in the opening 11 minutes as the hosts opened up a 5-0 lead and held on in the third after the Bisons rattled off three unanswered in the final frame, closing out the game with a 6-3 win. 

The rematch saw Manitoba light the lamp just 1:26 into the game courtesy of Caden Zaplitny. Jackson Arpin made it 2-0 just over six minutes later, and the Bisons added two more in the second, this time holding off a Huskies third period push for a 4-3 win. 

Manitoba will look for more offensive fire power this weekend against a Huskies team that's fourth in all of Canada West with 71 total goals. Their seven goals against the U of S -- which tied for the most combined in a two-game series this season -- showed they can go shot-for-shot with their prairie rival. 

Sophomore forward Skyler Bruce -- who led Manitoba with 31 points last season -- enters play with five points in his last four games, and is the Herd's top point-getter with 14 in 15 contests. Long-time friend Dawson Pasternak, who much like Bruce is a fast, intelligent play-maker, has five points in his last five games and is second on the team with 12 points in 15 games. The duo both had two points against Saskatchewan during the first half road series. 

Rookies Luke Brenton, Blake Swetlikoff and Lucas Brennan have also made an immediate difference in Manitoba's lineup. Brenton and Swetlikoff -- who both have playing experience in the ECHL -- have combined for 22 points, with Brenton's 12 putting him tenth in Canada West rookie scoring. Brennan, who recorded 84 points with the MJHL's Selkirk Steelers in 2022-23, has ten points on the campaign, including four goals. 

Meanwhile for Saskatchewan, Petruic leads Canada West with 16 goals. His 24 points are fourth in the conference, while rookie Conner Roulette's 23 points lead all first-years. Seven different Huskies have recorded at least four goals this year, while five have done the same for the Bisons.