Around the NSL: Penultimate matchup playoff implications

And we’re back!

Hopefully the bye week gave everyone a chance to collect their breath as Week 23 only amplified the drama in the standings.

Ottawa drew 0-0 on the road against Montreal, Calgary drew 0-0 on the road against Halifax and Toronto took a 2-1 victory at home over visiting Vancouver.

While there was minimal shuffling in the standings — mainly the Mighty Maroons leapfrogging the Rapid for second overall — here’s a look at the remaining games and their implications with two weeks left in the regular season.

Montreal Roses at Halifax Tides (Saturday, 1 p.m., CBC)

The Roses play their final road game of the season at Wanderers Grounds. Sitting atop the table with a still catchable 41 points, Montreal also has the edge on the season series with the Tides.

However, their first three clashes this season were settled by just one goal.

Montreal took a pair of 1-0 decisions over the summer, while Halifax won 1-0 at the beginning of August. To stir up the pot more, the last time the teams met was at the end of September in Halifax, which saw the Tides draw the Roses 0-0.

Halifax essentially needs the full three points to climb over fourth-place Vancouver (Halifax has 27 points to Vancouver’s 28), but even a point and a Vancouver loss would help the club’s post-season cause.

The Roses need points to maintain their overall-lead before they face Ottawa in the regular-season finale. That being said, the Tides need the points more as they conclude their season next week against the red-hot Mighty Maroons.

What does this all mean? Saturday’s matinee is a must-watch.

Calgary Wild at AFC Toronto (Sunday, 12 p.m., TSN)

If anyone is going to humble the Mighty Maroons, you better believe it will be the Calgary Wild. The club has only lost one of its last nine games. Calgary also played spoiler last week, forcing the Tides to settle for a single point at home.

Toronto has lost one of its last eight games. And while they have clearly clinched the season series between the clubs — winning four of the last five matchups — the Wild held the Mighty Maroons to a 0-0 draw at the beginning of September.

And the Mighty Maroons need the points to at least maintain post-season home-field advantage by staying above the Ottawa Rapid in the standings, or leap-frogging the Roses for first-overall and claiming back-to-back first place regular-season finishes.

Toronto will conclude the regular season next week at home, but against the desperate Tides, who have drawn the Mighty Maroons twice this season. While Toronto still holds its destiny in its hands, a tricky two-game finale awaits them.

Vancouver Rise at Ottawa Rapid (Sunday, 3 p.m., TSN)

In the second of Sunday’s doubleheader, the clinging-to-fourth-place Vancouver Rise face the third place Ottawa Rapid. This is a must-win for the Rise, despite Ottawa (37 points) arguably needing a win just as much in hopes of nabbing post-season home-field advantage from Toronto (38 points). The Rapid control their destiny much more than the Rise.

The clubs are tied in their season series. Ottawa took the two first matchups and the Rise the latter two.

The final clash Sunday is truly anyone’s game: both won at home and on the road over the four head-to-head games this season. Talk about a tie.

While Vancouver is in more obvious must-win circumstances, this is said with the context of the Rise hosting the Calgary Wild in the regular-season finale next week at Swangard. Yikes.

All signs point to the Rise having the short end of the stick, but if they can beat anyone in their last two games, it’s clearly the Rapid.

winnipegfreepress.com/graceannepaizen