Muskegon Lumberjacks Face Dubuque Fighting Saints in Eastern Conference Semifinals

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The Muskegon Lumberjacks have advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the hockey playoffs, where they will face off against the Dubuque Fighting Saints. This is a rematch of last year's second-round series, which Muskegon swept. While the Lumberjacks and Fighting Saints split their regular season series 3-3, Dubuque finished the season with a better record and more points. The best-of-five playoff series begins this weekend in Dubuque, with the potential for a decisive Game 5 to be played back in Dubuque on April 28.

Why it matters

This playoff matchup between Muskegon and Dubuque is a rematch of last year's Eastern Conference Semifinals, where the Lumberjacks were able to sweep the Fighting Saints. Both teams had strong regular seasons, setting up what should be an exciting and competitive playoff series between two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.

The details

The Lumberjacks and Fighting Saints split their regular season series 3-3, with Dubuque winning the final two games of the year against Muskegon. The Fighting Saints finished the season with a 40-18-4 record, four more wins and 10 more points than the Lumberjacks. Muskegon captain Pierre scored a goal in the first round series sweep of the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.

• The best-of-five playoff series starts this weekend with Games 1 and 2 on Friday and Saturday, April 17-18 in Dubuque at 7:05 PM Central Time.
• Game 3 is scheduled for Friday, April 24 in Muskegon at 6:05 PM Central Time, with Game 4 (if necessary) on Saturday, April 25 at 6:05 PM Central Time.
• The potential winner-take-all Game 5 would be played on Tuesday, April 28 back in Dubuque at 7:05 PM Central Time.

What’s next

The winner of this best-of-five series between Muskegon and Dubuque will advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.