After the best start in team history, the Virden Oil Capitals have continued to have success in the second third of the 2017-2018 Manitoba Junior Hockey League season.
As of Monday, Virden was 24-12-2-0 on the season and third in the MJHL standings. In the first third of the season, the team, which moved from Winnipeg in 2012, was 14-6-0. As of Monday, with two games remaining in the second third, the Oil Caps were 10-6-2-0.
“We definitely have had a tougher schedule here our last 20 games than we did our first 20 just with playing upper echelon teams and teams in the playoff hunt,” said Jamie Hodson, the team’s director of business and hockey operations. “We have been able to acquit ourselves reasonably well. We know what we are up against and, at the same time, what we need to improve upon for the stretch drive.”
The Oil Capitals started 2018 off by winning two of their three games. They downed Winkler, 5-2 and got by league-leading Steinbach, 3-2, in a shootout.
“It was a good start for us, for sure,” head coach Troy Leslie said.
Virden fell 8-2 on the road to the Winnipeg Blues on Sunday. By the time you are reading this, the Oil Capitals have played at least two of their three games this week. They are in Selkirk on Friday night. On Tuesday, Virden hosted the Portage Terriers at the Tundra Oil & Gas Place and the OCN Blizzard visited on Thursday.
Hodson said that the second third of the season has set the team up for what’s to come.
“It doesn’t get any easier… We don’t play many teams that are out of the playoffs… The next 20ish games are going to set us up quite well as far as what to expect in the playoffs.”
Hodson has been pleased with the continued development of the young players, especially on the back end. Seventeen-year-old Justin Lee and 18-year-old rookies Jayden Wojciechowski and Brayden Pawluk are playing roles. Hodson said the team is very confident with its D-core.
“Up front, guys continue to score throughout the lineup,” Hodson said. “As the season goes on, it is harder to score as thick as we were in our third, fourth lines, but they are still finding ways to chip in and help put points on the board. They are doing other things to improve their games as well away from the offensive end.”
Hodson emphasized that the Oil Capitals do not plan to shorten their bench. The team wants to continue to roll four lines and play with pace. Hodson said that 17-year-old forwards like Jack Einarson, Josh Belcher, and Hunter Cloutier are contributing and benefiting from the experience they are getting.
Wednesday was the Junior A trade deadine. In advance of it, Hodson said:
“If someone comes at you with an offer for an opportunity that betters yourselves and is a good hockey trade, I don’t think you don’t pick up the phone. You are going to listen to what’s out there, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you got to do anything. We like our lineup top to bottom. We feel that we are a pretty solid team.”
Showcase
The MJHL and the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League will be holding a joint showcase on Jan. 15-16 in Regina. The first ever edition of this event features the 60 top college eligible players. Each league will be represented by three teams. Shaw and Access Communications will broadcast the event live.
Troy Leslie will be an assistant coach for the 1999/2000-born MJHL squad that will include Oil Caps Justin Lee, Jayden Wojciechowski, and Kolten Kanaski. One 1997/1998 MJHL team has Virden players Tyler Kirkup, Ben Dalke, and Kyle Salaway. The other team for that age group has Oil Caps Tristen Cross and Riley McVeigh.
Oil Caps 5, Flyers 2
The Oil Capitals kicked off 2018 with a 5-2 victory at the TOGP on Jan. 3. The contest was knotted at 1-1 after the first period. Virden led 2-1 after two sessions. In the third, the Oil Caps outscored the Flyers 3-1 to secure the victory. Virden outshot Winkler 41-29.
“As the game went on, we got a little better,” Leslie said. “We had a good third.”
In front of 849 fans, Rylee Zimmer, Kirkup, and Kirklan Lycar each had a goal and an assist. Also scoring for Virden were Ben Dalke and Landyn Cochrane. McVeigh picked up the victory in net by making 27 saves on 29 shots. Winkler’s Troy Martyniuk had 36 saves.
Oil Caps 3, Pistons 2 SO
Lycar was the hero on Jan. 5 when he scored the shootout winner to help the Oil Caps topple the Pistons, 3-2. Steinbach scored twice on five shootout opportunities. At one point, the Pistons led the shootout 2-0.
“Our shooters did a good job of staying composed,” Leslie said.
Dalke and Dylan Thiessen matched the Pistons’ efforts and set up Lycar to score the game winner.
In regulation, Cochrane powered the Oil Capitals. He scored in the second period to tie the game at 1-1. In the third period, his goal put Virden up 2-1, but Steinbach answered. Leslie was pleased with the way his team responded and killed off a penalty in overtime to get to the shootout.
McVeigh had 34 saves. Matthew Thiessen of Steinbach made 32 saves.
Blues 8, Oil Caps 2
With less than 10 minutes gone by in the second period on Jan. 7, Virden rallied on the road from a 1-0 first period deficit to lead 2-1. Then the tide turned. The Blues scored seven unanswered goals to post an 8-2 win.
Dalke and Kirkup had Virden’s goals. McVeigh made 24 saves on 32 shots. Blues net minder Jeremy Link recorded 22 saves. Kelton Sutherland had six points, including four goals, for Winnipeg.
