Goaltender Jayme Janzen got his first start on home ice this season and he came through with a solid 26 save performance for his first MJHL win, while Stefan Schneider and Greg Reimer scored in regulation and Justin Giesbrecht provided the overtime winner as the Flyers beat the Blizzard for the second time in as many days.
Despite the quick turn around from last night's game, the Flyers and Blizzard started the opening period at a very high pace, but the tempo soon slowed thanks to a lengthy streak of penalties. While that led to power-play opportunities for both clubs, scoring chances were limited.
The lone goal of the period belonged to the Blizzard as Adam Laite scored on the power-play at the 15:00 mark.
Winkler got that one back early in second. Off a scrambled draw in the offensive zone, Schneider eventually came away with the puck and chipped it past netminder Pierre-Olivier Lemieux to even the score at 3:25.
Much like the first, goaltending was at the forefront in the second. Although he surrendered the early goal to Schneider, Lemieux settled in and stopped the other 12 shots he faced. At the other end Janzen wasn't tested as often, but he was there when called upon, especially later in the frame when he came up with a pair of outstanding glove saves.
The Blizzard would find a way to put another one past him in the third though. After Janzen kicked aside Laite's initial shot from the slot, Ryan Bettesworth put home the rebound to restore their one goal lead at the 10:27 mark.
However, just 41 seconds later Reimer scored his first goal as a member of the Orange and Black when Ian Campbell found him with a pass from behind the OCN goal and Reimer put it just inside the far post, past Lemieux's outstretched pad.
With nothing settled through regulation, the game went to overtime. Less than a minute into the extra session Jared McIntosh caused a turnover just inside the Blizzard blueline and then proceeded to take control of the puck deep in the zone before finding Giesbrecht with a no look pass which the Flyers defenseman fired past Lemieux to give Winkler the 3-2 win.
After this weekend's sweep, the Flyers sit three points behind the Saints for second in the Addison Division. They'll look to narrow that gap on Tuesday night when they will travel to Waywayseecappo for their first meeting of the season with the Wolverines.
Game Stats |