N.L. major midget hockey: East Coast Blizzard take over first place as St. John's Maple Leafs lose three in a row

The St. John’s Maple Leafs entered the weekend as the top team in the Newfoundland and Hockey League major midget hockey league, but three straight losses by Maple Leafs (14-8-1) in as many days have led to a shuffle at the top and an overall tightening in the standings.

There were five league games played over the weekend, all at the Double Ice Complex in Paradise or at the Glacier in Mount Pearl.

On Friday in Paradise, the visiting Western Kings (11-14-1) downed the Maple Leafs 5-3; the East Coast Blizzard edged St. John’s 1-0 on Saturday in Mount Pearl and the Tri-Pen Osprey completed the league sweep of the Maple Leafs with a 5-3 win Sunday at the Glacier.

The Blizzard’s Saturday victory — Andrew D’Entremont had the shutout — led to the change in first place, with East Coast (15-8-0) moving into top spot, a point ahead of St. John’s.

In other games, Tri-Pen downed the Blizzard 4-1 Friday in Paradise and Western got by Tri-Pen 5-4 in overtime Saturday at the Glacier.

The Osprey (8-13-3) remain in last place in the four-team league, but have closed the gap between themselves and those ahead of them by earning five of a possible six points  on the weekend.