It was not the way the Drumheller Dragons wanted to end the regular season, leaving their playoff fate in the hands of another team.
    Things could not have been closer, but the Canmore Eagles failed to surpass the Dragons in the standings, meaing the Dragons are headed to the AJHL playoffs to compete for the Enerflex Cup.
    Last week was tense for the Dragons.
    The Dragons had a chance on Thursday, February 16, to control their playoff future when they faced the Okotoks Oilers for their final game of the season. The Dragons were beaten 4-1.
    It was a must win situation for the Dragons. Before the game, the Dragons were three points ahead of the Canmore Eagles. The Dragons had one game left, whereas the Eagles had two.
    Three points by the Eagles was all it would take to send the Dragons to the off season early.
    In their final game, the Dragons could not hold back the tide of Oilers. In the first period, Dragons missed opportunities, gave away interceptions, and struggled to keep the puck in the offensive zone.
    The Oilers flooded Braden Gamble, goalie for the Dragons, with 21 shots in the first period alone. Gamble could not hold back the deluge and by the end of the first period the Oilers were ahead by a daunting three goals.
    “We definitely had a slow start, being down 3-0. We battled back, but it was too little, too late,” said head coach Barry Wolff. “They were confident and prepared, but it was almost a nervous start.”
    After using the first intermission to regroup, the Dragons showed a renewed resolve to take the puck to the Oilers net.
    “I told them we had forty minutes left and no matter what happened in the first we had a chance to win,” said Wolff.
    Unfortunately, the Dragons managed to beat the Oilers goaltender only once on a goal by Sam Lawson.
    The loss meant that the Eagles were in charge. The same night the Eagles defeated the Olds Grizzlys in overtime. The gap between the Dragons and Eagles was a mere one point.
    On February 17 the Eagles faced the Calgary Canucks for their final game of the season. Even one point would have sent the Eagles to the playoffs  instead of the Dragons.
    “We were all huge Calgary Canucks fans,” said Wolff.
    When it came to game time, the Eagles couldn’t keep up the momentum and lost 3-1 to the Canucks, which means the Dragons are going to the playoffs.
    The Dragons will be facing the Okotoks Oilers in round one, starting on February 24 at 7:00 p.m. in Okotoks. Game two will again be in Okotoks the next night.
    The playoffs come to Drumheller on Monday, February 27, at 7:30 p.m.

    The Drumheller Dragons are fighting tooth and nail for a playoff position in the Southern Division of the AJH. The security on their position was dealt a small blow when the team hosted the Canmore Eagles on Tuesday night.
    The Dragons, before the game, were four points ahead of the Eagles in the standings, but had one fewer games left to play. A win over the Eagles would have meant the Dragons would have clinched a spot in the playoffs.
    After Tuesday’s game, that spot is still up for grabs.
    The situation, as of press time, was that the Dragons were at 40 points, the Eagles 37, and the Calgary Canucks 41. The Dragons had only one game left to play, whereas the Eagles and Canucks each have two.
    There are two scenarios that can occur. First, if the Dragons win their final game, and the Canucks lose their last two, the Dragons move into sixth place. If the Canucks win one game, the Dragons would remain in seventh. In this situation, if the Eagles won their last two games, they would still not surpass the Dragons.
    If the Dragons lose their last game, the Eagles could win one and still leave the Dragons a playoff spot. However, if the Eagles are victorious in their final two games, the Dragons would be out.
    This tense situation was brought on by the Dragons loss to the Eagles on Tuesday night.
    The Dragons came out of the gate on the defensive. The Eagles kept the pressure on and restricted the scoring opportunities of the Dragons in the first period.
    As a result, the Eagles scored first at 6:30 into the first period and again at 0:07 into the second.
    Things were looking grim, but an unassisted goal by Justin Cintas at 12:14 into the second breathed new life into the Dragons. Doug Jones, off of Kevin McMillan and Ryan Bloom, tied the game up shortly thereafter.
    At 6:50 into the third Jones again, with help from Coda Engbar, gave the Dragons the lead.
    Victory was in sight, but the Eagles would not relent and tied the game at 9:57 into the third. The game went to a scoreless overtime period and had to be settled in a shootout.
    The Dragons chose Jones, Bloom, and Brodie Jamieson to take the shots. Jamieson was the only Dragon to score. Unfortunately the Eagles sent two past Braden Gamble.
    The Eagles won the critical game 4-3.
    The Dragons faced the Okotoks Oilers yesterday (Thursday), but the results were not available as of press time. A win by the Dragons would secure a playoff spot. A loss would make it so the Dragons would have to rely on the Eagles losing.