The High River Brewing Co. Flyers fought their way through the Medicine Hat Cubs at the Bob Snodgrass Rec Plex Friday night.

And the Flyers had to take it to overtime for the dramatic 3-2 win which guarantees them a spot in the HJHL playoffs.

Flyers rookie sensation Connor Smith opened the scoring again, just as he did when the teams faced off in the Hat on Tuesday night within the opening minute of the game to set the stage for what would have one dramatic third period and overtime.

Smith scored his 28th goal of the season on assists from Jager Marshall and Joel Burrows. Then midway through the second period Jaxson Doyle scored on the powerplay assisted by McCallum Bakken and Marshall, to stretch their lead to 2-0 to end the period. 

But the Cubs, stinging from an 8-6 loss the last time the teams faced one another, pushed back and tied it up with a pair of goals within just over a two-minute timespan late in the third.  

There was a lot of rough play in the third too, with half a dozen 10-minute misconducts handed out and two game misconducts including Flyer's Jager Marshall getting a game misconduct for a check to the head as Cubs' Jamal Shaw was also given a game misconduct from the same altercation. 

The teams were tied up at two apiece at the end of 60 minutes and playing overtime hero was McCallum Bakken netting the O.T. winner, assisted from Gabriel Chanut and goalie Parker Forrest.  Forrest stopped 30 of the 32 shots on net. It was also his second assist in the last week. 

And now with the win the Flyers cannot be caught by the Strathmore Wheatland Kings who play their final game of the season tonight.

The Flyers have 41 points to the Kings 38 points. And the Flyers have one more game on tap tonight against Coaldale too.  

It's also not a meaningless game either as the Copperheads are only one point behind the Cubs for second place in the HJHL south division so they're playing for home ice advantage in the playoffs. Puck drops at 8 at the Bob Snodgrass Rec Plex.

And the first round of the HJHL playoffs have now been decided with the Flyers big win. 

The Flyers face off against the Cochrane Generals in round one starting Tuesday Feb. 20 in Cochrane at 6:45 p.m. Game two goes Thursday Feb. 22, this time in High River but at 7 p.m. and then if a game three is needed it's in Cochrane on Friday Feb. 23 at 7 o'clock.

The Flyers also have the momentum as they're now riding a six-game winning streak while the Generals have struggled in the final stretch of the regular season.

And up Hwy 2A in Okotoks, the Carstar Okotoks Bisons didn't have to worry about making the playoffs as they already secured first place, but they doubled up on the Generals with a 4-2-win last night at the Murray arena.  The Herd heads to Three Hills now to face the Thrashers Saturday night for their final game of the regular season.