at least 2 teams in the WNY area are either in position to make the playoffs or already are there.

Rochester first: The Amerks enter the new week in 3rd place in the North Division. IF the playoffs started today, they would be playing Cleveland(who are second in the North). They'd avoid the play-in where the #4 & 5 teams fight it out for the right to get beaten up by the Toronto Marlies(who are in first in the division). Rochester is 32-21-6-3 for 71 points with 10 games to go. They only have 2 games this weekend: at Syracuse and at Cleveland(who they're trailing in the division).

Down the I-90: The OHL's Erie Otters are back in the playoffs after a 6 season absence(2 of those seasons due to something called COVID). They finished 3rd in the Midwest Division. As for their opponents, they're facing Kitchener in the 1st round. Games 3 and 4 will be in Erie April 2nd and 4th, with Game 6 if needed on March 8; all games start at 7pm. (BTW, if it happens, Game 6 will occur on the day of the total solar eclipse; Erie said in the press release that they tried to get a change with the league, but it wasn't granted. The Otters are making the best of it.