Split weekend leaves Calgary Canucks in control of Centennial Cup playoff fate
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It was a split weekend for the host Calgary Canucks at the 2025 Centennial Cup.
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A 7-2 loss to the Rockland Nationals on Sunday followed an 11-6 win over the Valleyfield Braves on Saturday, pushing the home-side squad to a 2-0-1-0 record in round-robin action at the Canadian Junior Hockey League's national championship.
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Goals by Rhys Jamieson and Jack Plandowski in the third period against the Nationals weren't nearly enough for the Canucks to keep themselves undefeated in the latest affair for the Alberta Junior Hockey League kings at Max Bell Centre.
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But the barrage to beat the Braves 24 hours earlier, when Nathan Maloney, Gavin Schmidt and captain Bowden Singleton each counted four points put the Canucks in position to determine their own playoff fate at the 11-day tournament.
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'We were a little sleepy at first,' said Canucks GM/head coach Brad Moran of Saturday's key contest, which set a record for most combined goals in a single game — 17 — at the Centennial Cup. 'And I think once we got our heads in the game, we were able to execute better and put some pucks in the net.
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'As the game went on, the team found a way to make some nice plays,' Moran continued. 'We don't want to give up as much, but we'll take the goals for sure.
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'Our turnovers and puck management (needs to be better), because we gave up too many odd-man rushes.
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'These games can be a little weird at times, so we'll take it with the way it ended up, but we want to be a lot cleaner on the defensive side.'
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A win Tuesday by the Canucks — who face the CJHL's top-ranked team in the Edmundston Blizzard (0-1-1-0) at Max Bell (7:30 p.m.) — will slot them into the six-team playoffs at the 10-team tournament to decide a national champ.
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The Nationals sport Group B's best record with a 2-0-0-1 mark, while the Canucks are next at 2-0-1-0. The Melfort Mustangs are 1-0-0-1, while the Blizzard are 0-1-1-0 and the Braves are 0-0-2-0 … In Group A action through Sunday, it's the Northern Manitoba Blizzard leading with a 1-0-0-1 record. Then it's the Grande Prairie Storm at 1-0-1-0 — after Sunday's 2-0 win over the Cam River Fighting Walleye — the Greater Sudbury Cubs also at 1-0-1-0, the Trenton Golden Hawks at 0-1-0-1 and the Fighting Walleye at 0-2-0-0 … Monday's round-robin action at Max Bell pits: the Braves v. the Edmundston Blizzard (noon); the Cubs v. the Golden Hawks (4 p.m.); and the Northern Manitoba Blizzard v. the Fighting Walleye (7:30 p.m.).
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