What once looked like a complete cakewalk for the Red Deer Vipers has turned into a legitimate barn burner in the Heritage Junior Hockey League playoffs.  

The Vipers jumped out to a three games to none lead on the Mountainview Colts in the best of seven Northern Division semifinal.  Red Deer blanked the Colts 5 - 0 in the first game then won easily in the second by a score of 6 - 2.  Series almost over, right?

The third game was a close one, but Red Deer still took it 4 - 3 to put Mountainview on the brink of elimination.  A place they have stayed for three more games.  Mountainview took a 4 - 2 decision in game four and then took the next two games, winning both in overtime by 5 - 4 scores.

That forces tonight's seventh game, winner take all, in Red Deer starting at 8:00 pm.  

Meanwhile, the Airdrie Thunder are overjoyed that the series has gone to seven games since they'll take on the winner in the Northern Final.

In another unlikely seventh game tonight, the underdog Medicine Hat Cubs will be in Coaldale to face the first place Copperheads.  Coaldale finished in the South Division 22 points ahead of the fifth-place Cubs who have come back from a 3 - 1 deficit to tie the series.  

Questions? Comments? Story ideas? Email us at news@discoverairdrie.com