USHL 2020-2021 Thread

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From: The United States Hockey League > NEWS

USHL Announces 2020-21 Clark Cup Playoff Format
04/02/2021, 1:45pm CDT
By USHL

Regular Season Ends Saturday, April 24

The United States Hockey League (USHL) announced Friday the format for the 2020-21 USHL Clark Cup Playoffs. This season’s playoffs will feature four teams from each the Eastern and Western Conference beginning on Friday, April 30.

This season, both the Conference Semifinals and Conference Finals will be a best-of-three series before the Eastern Conference and Western Conference Champions are scheduled to meet in a best-of-five Clark Cup Final.

The Conference Semifinals will be played as a best-of-three series with all three games played at the better seed’s home venue. The Conference Finals will be a best-of-three series in which the higher seed chooses between a 1-1-1 format or 1-2 format. The 1-1-1 format would see the higher seed host Games 1 & 3 while the 1-2 format would see the higher seed host Games 2 & 3. The Clark Cup Final is scheduled to be a traditional best-of-five series with a 2-2-1 format in which the higher seed would host Games 1, 2 & 5.

Clark Cup Playoffs Dates
(exact game dates dependent on matchup and building availability)​

Conference Semifinals (best-of-three series, all games at higher seed): April 30-May 2
Conference Finals (best-of-three series, 1-1-1 or 1-2 format, as chosen by higher seed): May 6-10
Clark Cup Final (best-of-five series, 2-2-1 format): May 14-25


Unique to this season, should a team, or teams, be unable to play a full 54-game schedule the USHL has put in place a series of new standards for qualifying and seeding for the 2020-21 Playoffs. If, at the end of the regular season, a Conference has an unequal number of games played among its teams, point percentage (PCT) will be used to determine the final conference standings instead of total points.

The USHL will continue to adhere to its COVID protocols for the duration of the Clark Cup Playoffs. Should a team be unable to reach minimum player requirements for a playoff game, the USHL will assess each circumstance as it arises. The League reserves the right to reduce the Clark Cup Final to a best-of-three series should the postseason timeline be altered due to COVID-19.

Be sure to check USHL.com for the latest standings, as well as the latest news on Clark Cup Playoffs matchups and schedule.

 

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Missed this milestone last Saturday night ... STEEL FIRST USHL TEAM TO CLINCH PLAYOFF BERTH

 

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And then ... Chicago Steel Named Anderson Cup Champions for Second-Straight Season

 

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The USHL's 2020-21 ir-regular season ended on Saturday night, with four teams from each Conference earning spots in the playoffs ...

Western Conference

1) y - Tri-City
2) x - Omaha
3) x - Sioux City
4) x - Fargo

Eastern Conference

1) y - Chicago
2) x - Muskegon
3) x - Green Bay
4) x - Dubuque

KEY:
y = clinched conference
x = clinched playoff spot

You can follow the USHL Clark Cup playoffs on the League's Playoff Hub page, and in this HFBoards thread ... conveniently starting with the next post ...

 

[JMCx4]

From: The United States Hockey League

2020-21 Clark Cup Playoff Hub
04/23/2021, 12:30pm CDT
By USHL
Get All the Information You Need Regarding the Clark Cup Playoffs

Conference Semifinals Matchups​

Western Conference
1) Tri-City Storm vs. 4) Fargo Force
2) Omaha Lancers vs. 3) Sioux City Musketeers

Eastern Conference
1) Chicago Steel vs. 4) Dubuque Fighting Saints
2) Muskegon Lumberjacks vs. 3) Green Bay Gamblers

Format
- Best-of-Three Series
- All games played at higher seed

Schedule
1) Chicago Steel vs. 4) Dubuque Fighting Saints
Game 1: Friday, April 30 (7:05 p.m. CT)
Game 2: Saturday, May 1 (7:05 p.m. CT)
Game 3: Sunday, May 2 (7:05 p.m. CT) *

2) Muskegon Lumberjacks vs. 3) Green Bay Gamblers
Game 1: Friday, April 30 (7:10 p.m. ET)
Game 2: Saturday, May 1 (7:10 p.m. ET)
Game 3: Sunday, May 2 (5:00 p.m. ET) *

1) Tri-City Storm vs. 4) Fargo Force
Game 1: Friday, April 30 (7:05 p.m. CT)
Game 2: Saturday, May 1 (7:05 p.m. CT)
Game 3: Sunday, May 2 (4:05 p.m. CT) *

2) Omaha Lancers vs. 3) Sioux City Musketeers
Game 1: Saturday, May 1 (6:05 p.m. CT)
Game 2: Sunday, May 2 (4:05 p.m. CT)
Game 3: Monday, May 3 (6:05 p.m. CT) *

* = if necessary ...
​

Read more including 'What We Know' at: 2020-21 Clark Cup Playoff Hub

The USHL's web media partner for playoff coverage is HockeyTV.

 

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Clark Cup Eastern Conference 1st Round Playoff Previews ...

• On Tap Sports Net: Chicago Steel to Face Dubuque Fighting Saints in First Round
• Lumberjacks: Muskegon Hosts Green Bay in Best-of-Three

 

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And Clark Cup Western Conference 1st Round Playoff Previews ...

• INFORUM - WDAY-TV: Force focused on ultimate goal heading into Clark Cup playoffs
  
• Sioux City Journal: Sioux City hits the road in Clark Cup playoffs

 

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USHL Friday Feature: 2021 Clark Cup Playoffs Primer

 

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Friday night (4/30) first round game slate ...

• 7:10 p.m. Eastern: Green Bay @ Muskegon
• 7:05 p.m. Central: Dubuque @ Chicago
• 7:05 p.m. Central: Fargo @ Tri-City

 

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First game of the 2021 Clark Cup playoffs underway at Mercy Health Arena in Muskegon. End of the 1st period, Green Bay Gamblers 1 - Muskegon Lumberjacks 2. Jacks outshot the visitors 18-10, and clearly had the better scoring chances. The offensive transition speed from both teams has been surprisingly fast; it had me wondering if they were playing on a short rink, but I confirmed the 200' x 85' dimensions. These two teams have played one another 10 times this season, so familiarity is breeding some noticeable contempt in this best-of-three opener.

User Note: No problems with the HockeyTV feed so far, but I'm still trying to find real-time stats access on the site. Maybe I'm asking for too much.

 

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Ice troubles have delayed the beginning of Period 3 in Muskegon. There's been a lot of that going around lately.

 

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Final score in Michigan: Muskegon 3 - Green Bay 2. Lumberjacks forward Bradley Marek scored the GWG with under one minute left to take Game #1 for the home boys. In the closing seconds there were matching misconducts passed out; a situation to follow for possible roster ramifications for each team.

 

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Final score in Illinois: Chicago 2 - Dubuque 1. Once Steel forward & Harvard commit Matt Coronato (48 goal scorer with 85 points for the season) got the late 2nd period tally to take the lead, the Fighting Saints could not muster enough offense to beat goalie Jack Stark. So the regular season champs take a 1-0 first round series lead.

 

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And out in Nebraska, the Final score = Tri-City 3 - Fargo 2. The host Storm came back in the 3rd period from a 2-1 deficit, with Michigan commit forward Mark Estapa scoring the go-ahead goal on a power play with under 5 minutes left. Tri-City got caught with too many men @ 43 seconds remaining, but the Force were unable to tie it up with a 6-on-4 advantage.

A special shout-out to Tri-City defender, OSU commit and St. Louis-area native Cole McWard, who had a goal & an assist to help his team take Game #1.

 

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The Saturday night (5/1) first round schedule will feature all four pairings, with start times similar to last night. HockeyTV is gonna get a workout at The JMC House.

• 6:05 p.m. Central: Sioux City @ Omaha (Best-of-3 series start)
• 7:10 p.m. Eastern: Green Bay @ Muskegon (Lumberjacks lead series 1-0)
• 7:05 p.m. Central: Dubuque @ Chicago (Steel lead series 1-0)
• 7:05 p.m. Central: Fargo @ Tri-City (Storm lead series 1-0)

 

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Minor ice condition issues delayed the start of the 2nd period tonight @ Muskegon, but not as extensive as Friday night's ice problems. Still a 0-0 game early in the 2nd, Gamblers @ Lumberjacks.

 

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Saturday night underway briefs ...

• Steel 2 - Fighting Saints 0 after one period. Chicago looked beatable in the first half of the 1st, but their game came together & they now seem to be rolling with a small but vocal home crowd behind them.
• Lumberjacks 1 - Gamblers 0 after two periods. Another gritty game in Muskegon.
• Musketeers 2 - Lancers 0 after two periods of their Game 1. Sioux City dominating the offensive flow in Omaha.
• Force & Storm tied 1-1 after one period. Second game in a row in Tri-City that's a toss up.

 

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Two games in the books for Saturday night first round Clark Cup action ...

• Muskegon Lumberjacks 3 - Green Bay Gamblers 1. Jacks forward Christophe Tellier with the GWG (his second tally of the best-of-three series), with fellow forward Cameron Berg scoring the ENG to ensure the sweep. Muskegon goaltender Jan Skorpik stopped 26 of 27 Green Bay shots to notch his second playoff win. Now the Lumberjacks await their opponent from the Chicago-Dubuque series. The Lumberjacks look ready to compete against whichever team they face (looking right now like it'll be regular season champs CHI Steel) in Round #2 in the East.
  
• Sioux City Musketeers 2 - Omaha Lancers 0. Sioux City goaltender Akira Schmid earns the Game 1 shutout, with the GWG credited to forward Ben Doran (another St. Louis kid ). That's one first round home ice advantage chip taken away from Omaha by an impressive opponent.

 

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Third game is a wrap, Chicago Steel 6 - Dubuque Fighting Saints 1. Chicago scored 4 extra strength goals in this one, starting with Michigan commit forward Mackie Samoskevich and ending with fellow forward and Harvard commit Matt Coronato (his second PP goal of the game & sixth point in two first round playoff games). Simon Latkoczy stopped 24 of 25 Saints shots to earn the win. The Steel move on to the second round to face the Muskegon Lumberjacks, with the winner representing the Eastern Conference in the Clark Cup Finals.

 

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And in a VERY physical Game #4 of a full slate Saturday night, Fargo tied their game in Tri-City (for the fourth time of the night) on a 6-on-5 advantage with just 1:14 left in regulation. Going to sudden death OT tied 4-4.

 

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Final Score = Fargo 5 - Tri-City 4. The OT winner was scored just under 3 minutes into the extra period by Providence College commit forward Cody Monds, sending this first round series to a deciding 3rd game on Sunday afternoon in south central Nebraska.

 

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East rests up for Friday's kickoff of another best-of-3 round, while West plays on today ...

1) Tri-City Storm vs. 4) Fargo Force (series tied 1-1)
Game 3: Sunday, May 2 (4:05 p.m. CT)

2) Omaha Lancers vs. 3) Sioux City Musketeers (Sioux City leads series 1-0)
Game 2: Sunday, May 2 (4:05 p.m. CT)

HockeyTV continues to carry the action.

 

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End of 1 in Kearney for the first round winner-moves-on Game #3, Tri-City 2 - Fargo 1. A very odd infraction was whistled in the closing minute of the period, after Fargo won an offensive zone face-off and got a shot toward the Storm net. The puck deflected out front & fluttered high above the head of Tri-City goaltender Todd Scott. Attempting to swat the puck away, Scott struck the puck with a high stick & play was stopped when one of his defenders touched it. Proper call on the ice, but I can't say I've ever seen that one before.

Meanwhile in Omaha, the Lancers are trailing the Musketeers again. 1-0 Sioux City after one period in Game #2 of their first round series.

 

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Another unusual call @ Tri-City, again involving a goalie action: Fargo goaltender Brennan Boynton was assessed a minor penalty early in the 2nd period for hooking a Storm player, as the forward chased the puck behind the net after they bumped at the top of the crease. Eagle-eyed referees in that crew.

 

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Game over in Central Nebraska. Fargo comes back from a 1-0 series deficit, eliminating Tri-City with tonight's victory. Final Score = Fargo Force 3 - Tri-City Storm 2. GWG credited to Michigan State commit forward Jeremy Davidson. The Storm pulled their goalie inside of two minutes remaining, but could only penetrate the Fargo D on one play which Golden Gophers commit Brennan Boynton turned away with a spectacular split save.

In the other Western Conference semifinal series, the final was Sioux City Musketeers 2 - Omaha Lancers 1. Forward & NEU commit Justin Hryckowian put the visitors up in the 3rd period, and the Lancers could not catch them. Akira Schmid notched his second playoff win in nets for the Musketeers, tallying 54 saves on 55 Omaha shots over the two first-round games.

So the #3 & #4 seeds in the West will play (in Sioux City 5/7 and 5/10 if needed; in Fargo 5/8) for the privilege to meet either the #1 or #2 seed in the East in the 2021 Clark Cup Finals.