It's playoff time in junior hockey.
In the Ontario Hockey League, 16 teams will face off in opening round action with only one of those teams experiencing a victory in their final game and advancing into the Memorial Cup tournament.
Observers will be keeping a keen eye on the developments in the tough Western Conference. One of the league's top three teams in London, Guelph and Sarnia will have their season end by at least the second round of action.
The country's top ranked London Knights will look to have their way with the Windsor Spitfires, who sneaked into the playoffs by a single point over the Soo Greyhounds.
The Sarnia Sting was awarded the conference's second seed after clinching the west division title and will take on the seventh seeded Erie Otters.
The Guelph Storm despite finishing with more points than Sarnia will face the sixth seeded Owen Sound Attack as the third seed while the fourth seeded Kitchener Rangers, the defending OHL and Memorial Cup champions, meet the fifth seeded Plymouth Whalers.
In the Eastern Conference, where the Greyhounds would have fit in as the seventh seed, the top seeded Toronto St. Michael's Majors will battle the Sudbury Wolves.
The Ottawa 67's captured the east division championship on the final day of play on Sunday and will lineup as the second seed against the seventh-seeded Brampton Battalion.
The surging Mississauga Ice Dogs, who finished with more points than Ottawa, was awarded the third seed and will the meet sixth seeded Oshawa Generals.
The fourth seeded Barrie Colts will meet the Kingston Frontenacs, who fell from the east division lead and the second seed to the fifth seed on Sunday.
Barrie and Kingston will open the playoffs with the league's lone game on Thursday before the other seven conference quarterfinals begin on Friday.
*** PLAYOFF SCHEDULE:
First Round
Eastern Conference
Series "A" TORONTO ST. MICHAEL'S MAJORS vs. SUDBURY WOLVES Game 1 - Friday March 19 at Toronto, 7:30 p.m. Game 2 - Sunday March 21 at Sudbury, 7:00 p.m. Game 3 - Tuesday March 23 at Toronto, 7:30 p.m. Game 4 - Wednesday March 24 at Sudbury, 7:30 p.m. Game 5 - Friday March 26 at Toronto, 7:30 p.m. * Game 6 - Monday March 29 at Sudbury, 7:30 p.m. * Game 7 - Tuesday March 30 at Toronto, 7:30 p.m. *
Series "B" OTTAWA 67's vs. BRAMPTON BATTALION Game 1 - Friday March 19 at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m. Game 2 - Sunday March 21 at Brampton, 2:00 p.m. Game 3 - Tuesday March 23 at Ottawa, 7:00 p.m. Game 4 - Thursday March 25 at Brampton, 7:30 p.m. Game 5 - Saturday March 27 at Ottawa, 7:00 p.m. * Game 6 - Sunday March 28 at Brampton, 2:00 p.m. * Game 7 - Tuesday March 30 at Ottawa, 7:00 p.m. *
Series "C" MISSISSAUGA ICEDOGS vs. OSHAWA GENERALS Game 1 - Friday March 19 at Mississauga, 7:30 p.m. Game 2 - Sunday March 21 at Oshawa, 6:35 p.m. Game 3 - Tuesday March 23 at Mississauga, 7:05 p.m. Game 4 - Wednesday March 24 at Oshawa, 7:05 p.m. Game 5 - Friday March 26 at Mississauga, 7:30 p.m. * Game 6 - Monday March 29 at Oshawa, 7:05 p.m. * Game 7 - Tuesday March 30 at Mississauga, 7:05 p.m. *
Series "D" BARRIE COLTS vs. KINGSTON FRONTENACS Game 1 - Thursday March 18 at Barrie, 7:30 p.m. Game 2 - Friday March 19 at Kingston, 7:30 p.m. Game 3 - Sunday March 21 at Barrie, 6:00 p.m. Game 4 - Tuesday March 23 at Kingston, 7:00 p.m. Game 5 - Thursday March 25 at Barrie, 7:30 p.m. * Game 6 - Friday March 26 at Kingston, 7:30 p.m. * Game 7 - Saturday March 27 at Barrie, 7:30 p.m. *
Western Conference
Series "A" LONDON KNIGHTS vs. WINDSOR SPITFIRES Game 1 - Friday March 19 at London, 7:30 p.m. Game 2 - Sunday March 21 at Windsor, 6:00 p.m. Game 3 - Tuesday March 23 at London, 7:00 p.m. Game 4 - Thursday March 25 at Windsor, 7:30 p.m. Game 5 - Friday March 26 at London, 7:30 p.m. * Game 6 - Sunday March 28 at Windsor, 6:00 p.m. * Game 7 - Tuesday March 30 at London, 7:00 p.m. *
Series "B" SARNIA STING vs. ERIE OTTERS Game 1 - Friday March 19 at Sarnia, 7:30 p.m. Game 2 - Saturday March 20 at Sarnia, 7:30 p.m. Game 3 - Tuesday March 23 at Erie, 7:30 p.m. Game 4 - Wednesday March 24 at Erie, 7:30 p.m. Game 5 - Friday March 26 at Sarnia, 7:30 p.m. * Game 6- Sunday March 28 at Erie, 6:00 p.m. * Game 7 - Tuesday March 30 at Sarnia, 7:30 p.m. *
Series "C" GUELPH STORM vs. OWEN SOUND ATTACK Game 1 -Friday March 19 at Guelph, 7:30 p.m. Game 2 - Saturday March 20 at Owen Sound, 7:30 p.m. Game 3 - Tuesday March 23 at Guelph, 7:30 p.m. Game 4 - Wednesday March 24 at Owen Sound, 7:00 p.m. Game 5- Friday March 26 at Guelph, 7:30 p.m. * Game 6 - Saturday March 27 at Owen Sound, 7:30 p.m. * Game 7 - Tuesday March 30 at Guelph, 7:30 p.m. *
Series "D" KITCHENER RANGERS vs. PLYMOUTH WHALERS Game 1 - Friday March 19 at Kitchener, 7:30 p.m. Game 2 - Saturday March 20 at Plymouth, 7:30 p.m. Game 3 - Monday March 22 at Kitchener, 7:00 p.m. Game 4 - Wednesday March 24 at Plymouth, 7:30 p.m. Game 5 - Friday March 26 at Kitchener, 7:30 p.m. * Game 6 - Sunday March 28 at Plymouth, 2:00 p.m. * Game 7 - Tuesday March 30 at Kitchener, 7:00 p.m. * * if necessary