The Winkler Flyers managed a single point Saturday night in OCN, losing 3-2 to the Blizzard in a shootout. Tristan Keck scored his MJHL leading 39th goal of the season and Connor Hamonic added his fourth as the Flyers completed their season series against the Blizzard with a (3-0-3) record, taking nine of twelve points against OCN.
On the heals of a 4-1 win over the Swan Valley Stampeders the night before, the Flyers made their final regular season trip to the Gordon Lathlin Memorial Centre in OCN. Winkler had won three of their previous five meetings against the Blizzard, lost one in overtime and once in a shootout.
The Flyers got off on the wrong foot in this one as Devon Muir gave the Blizzard an early 1-0 lead just 13 seconds into the hockey game. Winkler responded well and would get that one back just a few minutes later. With the faceoff in the OCN zone, Brett Klassen won the draw back to Connor Hamonic who scored his fourth of the season, tying the game at one, 2:33 into the period.
Winkler would then take the lead just over two minutes later when Cam Whyte and Patrice Wren assisted on Tristan Keck’s MJHL leading 39th goal of the season. The Flyers took their one goal lead into the second period.
The Flyers continued to outshoot and out chance the Blizzard in the second period but could not get their opportunities to translate into goals. OCN would tie the game with just 57 seconds remaining in the second period and the game was all square through 40 minutes.
Both teams had chances to finish the game off in the third as the Flyers and Blizzard combined for 32 shots in the period only to have the game remain 2-2 after regulation. After overtime solved nothing, the game was headed to a shootout. The Flyers have not had much luck in shootouts this season, coming into the game with a (1-6) record in shootouts and already losing one to OCN earlier in the year.
Dasan Sydora and OCN goaltender Brody Claeys kept the shooters at bay through five and a half rounds before Cole McCartan won in for the Blizzard in round six.
Sydora (21-7-3) made 36 saves through 65 minutes of work as the Flyers outshot OCN 42-38 overall. Winkler went 0-for-3 on the power-play and 2-for-2 on the penalty-kill.
The Flyers (25-13-8) will conclude their three game northern road swing, Sunday night in Dauphin (16-23-6) with their sixth straight game on the road. Puck drop at Credit Union Place in Dauphin is 7pm with the pregame show live on Country 88.9FM and online at www.pembinavalleyonline.com getting underway at 6:55pm. The Flyers are (5-0) against the Kings this season.