The Southern Stampede might need to regain its mojo if it is to win the New Zealand Ice Hockey League.
Back-to-back 3-2 losses to the West Auckland Admirals in Queenstown at the weekend have put the league favourite in danger of facing the tougher route to the final.
They were the Stampede’s final games of the regular season.
The Stampede finishes with nine wins, two overtime wins, two overtime losses and three losses, for a total of 33 points.
The Admirals are 5 points behind — and they still have two games to play.
If the West Aucklanders can win both games against the Canterbury Red Devils this weekend, they will finish top and get a free pass to the final.
If the Stampede slips to second, it will have to play the Red Devils in a qualifying final.
The Stampede started the season in typically imperious style, but has hit the odd speed bump in recent weeks, winning just two of its past five games.
Goals to Callum Burns and Ryan Strayer gave the Stampede a 2-1 lead in the opener against the Admirals on Friday night, but it was 2-2 at the end of the second period and neither side could find a winner in the third.
To overtime it went, and before you could say "watch out for the power play", Frazer Ellis scored the winner for West Auckland in the power play after just 23 seconds.
The following night, the Admirals led 1-0 after the first period.
Maxwell Macharg equalised for the Stampede but the visitors quickly went ahead 3-1, and Lachlan Frear’s goal in the third period was mere consolation.
The Dunedin Thunder continued its rugged season with a 5-2 loss to the Botany Swarm in Auckland on Saturday.
Noah Gregory scored for the Thunder to make it 1-1 in the second period before the Swarm charged into a 5-1 lead.
Jack Lewis scored a second goal for the Thunder, which was finishing its season with the second game against the Swarm last night.
