With two goals each from Cam Whyte, Tristan Keck and Jordan Williamson, the Winkler Flyers earned a 7-3 victory over the visiting Selkirk Steelers on Sunday night. Connor Slipp kicked aside 35 shots in his sixth straight win to help the Flyers pick up their sixth victory in their last seven games.
After beating the Pistons in Steinbach the night before, the Orange and Black returned home to host the Steelers in the first of four straight games at the Winkler Recreation Complex. Winkler last played the Steelers in Selkirk this past Tuesday. The Steelers won that game by a 5-3 score.
For the 11th time in 19 games, the Flyers opened the scoring. Just before the eight minute mark of the first, Cam Whyte lifted a backhanded shot over top of Steelers’ netminder Evan Robert for the game’s first goal on the power-play. Tristan Keck and Zak Hicks assisted on Whyte’s 11th of the year.
Winkler added to their lead later in the period when Tristan Keck found the back of the net for his first of the game with 45 seconds to play before intermission. Cam Whyte and Kurt Sonne picked up the assists on the Flyers second goal of the game.
The Steelers cut Winkler’s lead to 2-1 just over four minutes into the second but the Flyers were quick to get that one back. Cam Whyte and Kurt Sonne would again assist on Tristan Keck’s second of the game, restoring Winkler’s two goal cushion. The goal was Keck’s fourth in two games.
Selkirk would score again just over a minute later and the score was 3-2 for Winkler with 9:46 to play in the middle period. The Flyers took their one goal lead into the third while outshooting the Steelers 26-23.
Winkler saved their best for the third period and broke the game wide open with four more goals. The first of those came just 45 seconds into the third, when Kurt Sonne and Lawson McDonald assisted on Cam Whyte’s second of the game and team leading 12th of the year. Just over five minutes later, Jordan Williamson gave Winkler a 5-2 lead with his sixth of the year. Thomas Mansbridge and Jeff Michiels assisted.
Selkirk cut Winkler’s lead to 5-3 with 4:09 left in regulation, but that would be the only goal the road team would score on the 15 shots fired at the Winkler net in the third. With the Steelers’ net empty in favor of the extra attacker, Nolan McGuire and Braden Billaney helped Coltyn Bates score his fourth into an empty net for the Flyers sixth goal of the game with 40 seconds remaining.
With Selkirk’s goaltender back on the ice, Jordan Williamson scored his second of the period with 32 seconds on the clock to make the final 7-3 for the Flyers.
Connor Slipp had another strong showing in goal for the Flyers with 35 saves, improving his individual record to 6-0. The Steelers outshot the Flyers 38-34 overall. Winkler went 1-for-2 on the power-play and 4-for-4 on the penalty-kill. Winkler is now 14-1-1 when they score on the man advantage.
The Flyers (14-4-1) will host the Neepawa Natives on Tuesday, November 10th in their next game. Winkler is 2-0 vs Neepawa this season and have outscored the Natives 20-0 in the two games combined. Puck drop at the Winkler Recreation Complex is 7:30pm. Advance tickets can be purchased at the Winkler Coop Gas Bar.
Great Canadian Oil Change Three Stars
1st Star – F Cam Whyte (Winkler)
2nd Star – F Tristan Keck (Winkler)
3rd Star – F Kurt Sonne (Winkler)