Steelheads looking for help as Ice Demons have games in hand while Smithers meets with Burns Lake Braves for final game

A pair of games for the Kitimat Ice Demons on home ice against East Division basement dwellers, the Omineca Ice this weekend could settle first place overall in the CIHL for the 2009-2010 season. Smithers Steelheads hold down first place going into the final two weeks of the season, but they have only one game remaining against East Division co-leaders, the Burns Lake Braves, for its final game of the year. Saturday wins for the Demons and the Steelheads would leave the Smithers team looking for outside help from the Ice and from the Terrace River Kings, the Demons' opponents in the final two games of the season. Another game this weekend which could have in impact on travel plans and playoff positions is the anticipated match-up in Houston between the charging Luckies and the slumping Terrace River Kings. The Kings are two points back but have a game in hand over the Hazelton Wolverines who are holding down the final playoff spot in the West Division. The Wolverines will be looking for a win over the Prince Rupert Rampage in the Hazelton barn in their final games, Saturday, Jan. 9 and Sunday, 10. Terrace play against perennial rivals Kitimat, Friday, Jan. 8 and Saturday January 9. There are a lot of questions too in the East Division where three teams are all tied currently for first place with 16 points - the Luckies and the Braves, each with three games remaining - and the Williams Lake Stampeders, with only two games left in their regular season. No team appears to have much of an advantage. Luckies face Terrace and wind down with a paid of road games in Vanderhoof against the Ice. Burns Lake host the Smithers Steelheads and then have two road games against the Williams Lake Stampeders and the Stamps, of course host the Braves at home for their final two games. So it's anybody's guess which teams will be "on the road" for the opening game of the playoffs, starting January 16 with the two highest placed teams visiting the two lower placed team for one game and the second games in the higher teams' arenas on January 23 and January 24, if needed.