Dal’s playoff climb gets steeper

Dal’s Francois Gauthier in action Feb. 4. | Photo by Martina Marien

The Dalhousie Tigers men’s hockey team could not gain ground in the AUS standings Feb. 8 as the hunt for the sixth and final playoff spot enters the stretch drive. A 2 – 1 loss against the St. FX X-Men saw the Tigers fall behind three points in the race.

A win would have pushed Dal into the desired top six category for the first time all season, but the X-Men, who currently hold sixth place, had other ideas.

Michael Kirkpatrick’s power play tally in the first period and a goal from Murdock MacLellan at the start of the third helped St. FX build a 2 – 0 lead. Dal defensemen Pascal Amyot replied for the Tigers with under a minute remaining.

Dal and St. FX both have two more games scheduled. Before meeting each other Feb. 11 for the season finale, the Tigers will battle Acadia and St. FX will face off against Saint Mary’s the night before. If the X-Men win either game, Dal’s season is over. For St. FX, a tie against SMU and a loss to Dal could keep the Tigers in the race, depending on the tiebreaker.