Three teams alive for final playoff spot in Mountain Division

Entering the final two weeks of the 2016-17 regular season, three teams are fighting for the final playoff spot in the Mountain Division.

Alaska pulled two points ahead of fifth-place Missouri and three ahead of fifth-place Utah with a 4-2 win against Rapid City on Sunday. Both the Aces and Grizzlies have six games remaining while the Mavericks have seven games left on their regular-season slate.

The Aces are on the road for three games this week, visiting Fort Wayne on Wednesday and Quad City on Friday and Saturday, before returning home for their final three games of the season against Idaho in the final week of the regular season.

Missouri picked up wins in each of its three games last week, defeating Allen in overtime 3-2 on Wednesday before sweeping a home-and-home series with Wichita with a 4-2 road win on Friday and a 3-2 overtime victory at home on Saturday. Alex Brooks tallied the game-winning goal in each of the Mavericks’ overtime games last week.

The Mavericks visit Allen for a pair of games on Wednesday and Thursday and visit Wichita on Saturday before returning home to host the Thunder on Sunday.

Utah swept a two-game series at Colorado over the weekend with a 5-2 victory on Friday and a 4-1 on Saturday. Zac Larraza recorded his third four-point game of the season in Saturday’s win while Ryan Faragher stopped 41 of 42 Eagles’ shots to pick up the win in goal.

The Grizzlies continue their road trip this week with a three-game set in Rapid City and close the season with a three-game home series against Missouri on April 5, 7 and 8.