MUSKEGON – All the answers to the playoff questions surrounding the Muskegon Lumberjacks were answered on Saturday night, during or shortly after the team’s final game of the regular season.

First, the basics: The Jacks scored four early goals but ended up falling to the Chicago Steel 6-5 at Mercy Health Arena.

The loss meant nothing to the Lumberjacks, who had already secured third place in the USHL Eastern Conference standings and the third seed in the playoffs.

They were resting some guys for Monday’s playoff opener and using a number of young affiliate players in the lineup.

Phil Tresca is congratulated by the bench after scoring for Muskegon. Photo/Tonya Pardon

The game meant more for the Steel, who clinched the USHL Eastern Conference championship with the victory and secured home-ice advantage throughout the conference playoffs.

Meanwhile, the Cedar Rapids Roughriders won the tight battle for the sixth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and will play the Lumberjacks in the first round.

Cedar Rapids came into Saturday’s action tied with the Team USA 17-Under squad in the point standings. The Roughriders beat Dubuque and the 17-Unders lost to Youngstown, so Cedar Rapids won the playoff nod by a slim two points in the standings.

The three-game Lumberjacks-Roughriders playoff series will be in Muskegon, with games on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (if necessary). All three games are scheduled for 7 p.m.

The teams won’t have much time to prep for the playoffs, but they know each other well. The Jacks finished 4-2 against Cedar Rapids in the regular season, with victories in all three home games, which were back in December.

Muskegon’s Jake Braccini works the puck past some Chicago defenders. Photo/Tonya Pardon

“We have been prepping for them for a while,” Lumberjacks Coach Mike Hamilton said about Cedar Rapids. “We’re going to get the guys together tomorrow and go over some special teams details.”

Hamilton was unconcerned about the outcome on Saturday, which broke the Lumberjacks’ four-game winning streak.

The important thing for his team was preventing pre-playoff injuries, and getting a look at some of the young affiliates who might play a role on the team next season – guys like Landon MacDonald, who scored a goal in the game, and Thomas Kiesewetter, who started in goal and played half the game.

“I thought we played a good game, but not great tonight,” said Hamilton, whose team finished the regular season with a 33-23-6 record. “Our defensive details weren’t the greatest, but we had guys playing out of position.

“It was a great opportunity for us to evaluate some of our young guys in different roles. We’ve got to learn a lot about the future of the Muskegon Lumberjacks.”

The Lumberjacks’ Gavin McCarthy (14) controls the puck as he tries to break out of a crowd. Photo/Tonya Pardon

MacDonald opened the scoring just 30 seconds into the game. Phil Tresca, Jake Braccini and Owen Mehlenbacher also scored for Muskegon in the opening period, while Sam Lipkin, Jack Harvey, and Zam Plante scored for Chicago, and the Jacks led 4-3 at the first break.

Chicago scored three straight goals in the second period, by Jackson Blake, Jayden Perron, and Lipkin, and took a 6-4 lead into the third.

Muskegon’s Ethan Whitcomb scored the lone third period goal.

Kiesewetter made 10 saves on 15 shots, then was relieved by Cameron Korpi, who stopped 15 of 16 shots for the Jacks.