Troy Martyniuk stopped 29 of the 30 shots he faced in his Flyers’ debut as Winkler beat Wayway 5-1 on Saturday night earning their second straight win on the road. Matt Christian led the way with a pair of goals to help the Flyers pick up their 21st win of the season, moving them back into second place in the MJHL standings.
With a 4-2 win in Dauphin to begin their weekend road trip on Friday, the Flyers made their way to Waywayseecappo to face off against the Wolverines for the second time in a week. The Flyers got past the Wolverines 7-2 in Winkler last Saturday in their first meeting of the season and were looking for the same type of performance on the road.
After Troy Martyniuk held the Wolverines at bay in the opening minutes of the game, the Flyers started to find their legs in the first. After scoring his first goal as a Flyer in his Orange and Black debut on Friday night, Tanner Lewis scored again for Winkler just past the midway point of the period. Lawson McDonald and Scott Gall assisted on Lewis’ second goal as a Flyer and fourth goal overall this season.
Winkler doubled their lead to 2-0 before the seven minute mark of the second with former Wolverine Brayden Cullum scoring his fifth of the year with Scott Gall and Braden Billaney adding the assist. Matt Christian, who recorded a hat trick the last time the two teams met, scored with 5:19 left in the frame to increase Winkler’s lead to 3-0. Coltyn Bates and Lawson McDonald assisted on Christian’s 11th of the season.
The Wolverines hit the scoreboard with just over four minutes left before intermission and Winkler took their two goal lead into the third.
The Flyers would score twice more in the final period and it was Matt Christian who scored his second goal of the game just 3:24 into the period to put Winkler up 4-1. Just three minutes later, Scott Gall would take a pass from Billaney and swing it into the net for his team leading 18th of the year. Coltyn Bates earned his second point of the game with an assist.
Goaltender Troy Martyniuk had a very solid outing making 29 saves in the win. Winkler outshot Wayway 39-30 overall. Winkler was 0-for-3 on the power-play and 4-for-4 on the penalty-kill.
The Flyers (21-9-0), who now sit in second place in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League standings will conclude their weekend road trip Sunday night in Virden (15-9-5). The Oil Capitals have lost two in a row and have taken two of the first three game played against Winkler this season. Puck drop at Tundra Oil and Gas Place in Virden is 7pm with the pregame show on Country 88 and online at www.pembinavalleyonline.com getting underway at 6:55pm.
GREAT CANADIAN OIL CHANGE THREE STARS
1ST STAR – F SCOTT GALL (WINKLER)
2ND STAR – F MATT CHRISTIAN (WINKLER)
3RD STAR – D LAWSON McDONALD (WINKLER)