The first piece of the Queen’s Golden Gaels’ hockey playoff puzzle fell into place Friday night when the Nipissing Lakers fell 8-3 to the Carleton Ravens.

By losing, Nipissing squandered the game in hand it held on the Gaels, and the teams are now in a tie for fifth place with 25 points, two behind the idle Laurentian Voyageurs. Queen’s and Nipissing each have one game to play.

The prize this weekend is fourth place and home-ice advantage in the first round of playoffs. The Gaels, winners of four of their last five games—after a dreadful January in which they lost six games in a row—can still catch fourth place if they defeat Trois-Rivieres at the Memorial Centre Saturday night, and Laurentian loses its remaining two games, Saturday against Carleton and Sunday against Nipissing.

Second prize in the battle for middle earth in the East division is fifth place, and the opportunity to avoid Trois-Rivieres, McGill or Carleton—the top three teams in the division, and all nationally ranked—in the opening round.

Should the Gaels finish tied with either Nipissing or Laurentian when the snow settles, they will be favoured in either tie-breaker.

The best-of-three first playoff round will be played next week.