The Maine Mariners Make the Playoffs for the First Time Ever!
Way to go Maine Mariners!
The Maine Mariners are the ECHL affiliate of the Boston Bruins. They are a part of the ECHL's North Division. This past weekend after the Worcester Railers lost in overtime to Trois-Rivieres, all the Mariners needed was just one point to clinch a spot in the Kelly Cup playoffs. They didn't get one point - they got two! The Mariners beat the Newfoundland Growlers 4-3 in a shootout Saturday night for the regular-season finale. The Mariners play the Reading Royals in the North Division semifinals starting Wednesday night at Santander Arena in Pennsylvania.
This will be a best-of-seven against the top-seeded Reading Royals, with games three, four, and five (if necessary) here at the Cross Insurance Arena.
Game one is Wednesday, April 20 at 7:00 PM ET. Game two is Friday, April 22, also at 7. Then here they come to Portland for games 3-5 on Thursday, April 28, Friday, April 29, and Saturday, April 30. Game times are 7:00, 7:15, and 6:00 PM. If there is a sixth or seventh game, those are back in Reading on Monday, May 2, and Wednesday, May 4, at 7 PM. But let's cross our fingers that the series ends in our favor on our home turf!
The Mariners ended the regular season with a final record of 33-31-5-3, the only team in the North Division to play all 72 games. Doesn't it remind you of when the Pirates were new in town and they made it to the playoffs and the Calder Cup? Is history repeating itself? Let's hope so!
Such a nice way to come out of the barren no hockey time in Portland and then Covid no hockey - let's do this Portland! Get your tickets for the home games here!