MARKHAM, ON - JAN 19, 2018: Ontario Junior Hockey League game between the Markham Royals and the Cobourg Cougar, Jack Jeffers #26 of the Markham Royals skates with the puck during the second period.

Written By Rino Mattucci     Photo by Andy Corneau / OJHL Images

JAN 26, 2018: After completing 4 games in 7 days between Jan 14 - Jan 20, the Markham Royals (23-16-1-3) continue their 5-game road trip on Friday night heading up the 401 to Trenton to take on the East Division’s Golden Hawks (21-19-2-2). Then on Sunday Markham will take a short drive over to the Herbert Carnegie Centennial Centre to take on the North York Rangers (29-10-1-5) in their only meeting of the season. 

The Royals and Golden Hawks will face each other twice in the next 5 days with their first meeting on Friday night in Trenton. Markham is in the midst of a 5 game road trip, a total of 15 days between home games, and got off to a bumpy start last Saturday with a 5-4 defeat in Aurora at the hands of the Tigers. It was a chance for the Royals to gain some ground on the Tigers and Newmarket Hurricanes at the top of the North Division standings. With three games in the next 5 days, the Royals have a chance to gain some ground and keep pace with those two teams. Markham has won all three previous games against the Golden Hawks this season by a combined scored of 16-9.

On Sunday the Royals will head to the Herbert Carnegie Centennial Centre for a rare trip to take on the South Division’s North York Rangers who are chasing the Toronto Patriots for the Division while trying to hold off the Oakville Blades who are right behind them. The Rangers currently hold the best penalty kill percentage at home and overall in the OJHL, allowing a league low 13 power play goals against in 45 games this season. The Rangers this season are 3-0-0-0 against the North Division putting pressure on the Royals to do the one thing that their Divisional counterparts have not been able to do yet this season.

Game time on Friday night at the Duncan McDonald Memorial Gardens in Trenton is at 8:00pm, while on Sunday at the Herbert Carnegie Centennial Centre puck drop is scheduled for 3:00pm.

Royals Watch
#26 Jack Jeffers - A top point producer for the Royals all season long, Jeffers is just 2 points away from 70 on the season, and has been the Royals best player against the Golden Hawks with 8 assists and 10 points in their first three meetings.

Past Results
VS Trenton
10/06/17    Trenton 3 at Markham 4
11/08/17    Markham 3 at Trenton 2
12/03/17    Trenton 4 at Markham 9

VS North York
This is the first and only meeting of the season.

By the Numbers
Record
Markham - 23-16-1-3
Trenton - 21-19-2-2
North York - 29-10-1-5

Goals For / Goals Against
Markham - 162 / 144
Trenton - 135 / 146
North York - 139 / 88

Special Teams (PP / PK)
Markham - 28 for 187 (15.0%) / 33 for 195 (83.1%)
Trenton - 38 for 201 (18.9%) / 39 for 225 (82.7%)
North York - 20 for 142 (14.1%) / 13 for 169 (92.3%)