Three decisive Game 5s highlight Monday’s schedule

The decisive Game 5s of the three remaining divisional finals series of the Robertson Cup Playoffs will be played on Monday night, and with the anticipation comes a number of scenarios that will determine the North American Hockey League’s (NAHL) final two berths to the Robertson Cup Championship Tournament, which will be played from May 3-7 in Topeka, Kan.

With the NAHL’s new playoff format this season, if a team other than the Topeka RoadRunners - hosts of the tournament - wins the South Division playoff championship, Topeka and the two divisional playoff champions with the most points during the regular season will advance to the Robertson Cup Championship Tournament.

The two divisional playoff champions with the fewest points during the regular season will play a best-of-three play-in series with the winner securing the fourth and final berth to the tournament.

Along with the RoadRunners, the Fairbanks Ice Dogs - the West Division playoff champions who totaled 83 points in the regular season, second most among the remaining playoff teams - are guaranteed the second berth to the tournament.

The following Game 5 scenarios will dictate the other two teams who will vie for the Robertson Cup championship, which crowns the NAHL’s playoff champion and USA Hockey’s Tier II Junior A national champion:

- If the RoadRunners win their South Division series over the Amarillo Bulls, the winners of the Central and North Division finals will advance to the Robertson Cup Championship Tournament.

- If the St. Louis Bandits (86 points) win their North Division finals series over the Michigan Warriors (76 points), they will advance to the Robertson Cup Championship Tournament (highest regular-season point-total of the remaining playoff teams).

- If Amarillo (78 regular-season points) wins its series over Topeka and St. Louis loses its series against Michigan, the Bulls will advance to the Robertson Cup Championship Tournament (highest regular-season point-total among the remaining playoff teams).

- If Amarillo wins its series against Topeka and St. Louis wins its series over Michigan, the Bulls will play in the best-of-three play-in series as the home team against the winner of the Central Division finals (second-lowest point total among the remaining playoff teams).

- If the Coulee Region Chill (71 points) wins its Central Division finals series over the Bismarck Bobcats (67 points), Michigan wins its North series over St. Louis and Amarillo wins its series over Topeka, the Chill will play in the best-of-three play-in series as the visiting team against Michigan (lowest point total among the remaining playoff teams).

- If Bismarck wins its Central Division finals series over Coulee Region, Michigan wins its North series over St. Louis and Amarillo wins its series over Topeka, the Bobcats will play in the best-of-three play-in series as the visiting team against Michigan (lowest point total among the remaining playoff teams).

- If Coulee Region wins its Central Division finals series over Bismarck, St. Louis wins its North series over Michigan and Amarillo wins its South series over Topeka, the Chill will play in the best-of-three play-in series as the visiting team against Amarillo (lowest point total among the remaining playoff teams).

- If Bismarck wins its Central Division finals series over Coulee Region, St. Louis wins its North series over Michigan and Amarillo wins its series over Topeka, the Bobcats will play in the best-of-three play-in series as the visiting team against Amarillo (lowest point total among the remaining playoff teams).

View the Robertson Cup Playoffs Format here.

View the Robertson Cup Playoffs Bracket here.