Eastern Conference race remains tight

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

EDMONTON - It's looking like we're in for quite a finish in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's Eastern Conference.

With a little over a month left in the regular season, the Charlottetown Islanders and Quebec Remparts are battling it out for top spot in the conference while the Saint John Sea Dogs and Acadie-Bathurst Titan are fighting for third.

The Islanders, who have played one less game than the Remparts, still own the league's best winning percentage.

While it remains possible that the Titan and/or Sea Dogs could catch up to the Islanders and/or Remparts, it remains a long shot. The two New Brunswick clubs appear destined for a close race for third-place in the conference.

The Titan have a two-point lead on the Sea Dogs heading into action this week. But Bathurst has played two fewer games than Saint John, meaning the Sea Dogs can't afford many more errors - like Sunday's loss to the Halifax Mooseheads - if they want to pass the Titan.

The two teams will meet just two more times in the regular season: April 9 in Saint John and April 22 in Bathurst.

Looking at Saint John's remaining schedule, they have some tough matchups remaining, including those two matches against Bathurst; home dates with Gatineau, Quebec and Sherbrooke; and a road contest in Charlottetown. They'll also face Cape Breton six times; Moncton twice; and Halifax once.

Playoff seeding could play a pivotal role in this year's post-season with most series reduced to best-of-five instead of the usual best-of-seven.