NOTEBOOK From the Chevy Centre

Homestand: The Bucks are the only Southern Conference team to play in Youngstown this season. The three-game series continues tonight at 7:05 p.m. and Sunday at 4:05 p.m. at the Chevrolet Centre. The regular season concludes next week when the defending champion Colorado Eagles play here three times in four nights. Game time for Wednesday, Friday and March 22 is 7:05 p.m.

Playoff format: The top five teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs. The fourth- and fifth-place teams will open the playoffs with a best-of-three series. If the SteelHounds are involved, the series most likely will open at the fifth-place team’s arena then shift for games two and three. The winner of the series will advance to the second round to play the top seed while the second and third seeds meet. The second round will be a best-of-seven series.

Playoff chase: The Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs (87 points) are closing in on the Northern Conference’s top seed. They’ve already clinched the Northeast Division and home-ice advantage in their first playoff series. The winner of the Northwest Division — the Colorado Eagles or Rocky Mountain Rage — will earn the other home-ice advantage. The SteelHounds are battling the Rage/Eagles runner-up, the Texas Brahmas and Mississippi RiverKings for the three wild-card seeds.

Point streak: SteelHounds captain Chris Richards has a seven-game scoring streak. He assisted on Jason Baird’s first-period goal and was originally credited with the SteelHounds second-period goal. “I came by the front of the net and they thought I had tipped it, but I’m not going to lie to you,” Richards said. “It wasn’t me who scored it. It was [Steve] Birnstill’s one-timer.” Since Feb. 29, Richards has three goals and nine assists.

Franchise best: The SteelHounds went 19-11-2 in their 32 road games to earn 40 points. That road mark is the best for the three-year-old franchise.

Patterson returns: Forward Brad Patterson, 27, has joined the SteelHounds after playing for the Hull Stingrays in England. Patterson played 59 games for the SteelHounds last season, scoring 13 goals and making 28 assists.

Battling Burnett: Former SteelHounds defenseman Gord Burnett made his first appearance here since being traded to Laredo in January. In the third period, Burnett fought David Simoes.

Tom Williams