After three games, the Virden Oil Capitals have a stranglehold on their Manitoba Junior Hockey League semifinal playoff series against the Winkler Flyers.
Virden was victorious against Winkler in all three contests and holds a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Series So Far
On the weekend, the Oil Capitals won game one 3-2 at home in overtime and then triumphed 5-2 on the road.
On Tuesday night, Virden prevailed 5-1 as the host.
In the other semifinal series, Steinbach led Winnipeg two games to one
The Oil Caps are now looking for a sweep on Thursday in Winkler. Game five, if needed, would be Saturday at the Tundra Oil and Gas Place. The final two games of the series, if required, are scheduled for Monday in Winkler and April 4 in Virden.
The Oil Caps placed second in the MJHL regular season, while the Flyers finished fifth. When asked about his team’s success in the first two games of the series, Virden head coach Troy Leslie said, “It is just being consistent and a good group effort. … We are not afraid to roll our four lines and our three defensive pairings.”
Goaltender Riley McVeigh continues to play well for the Oil Capitals. A week after winning the Recycle Everywhere MJHL Player of the Week, McVeigh was tabbed as one of the runners up for the award.
McVeigh only allowed four goals in two games last week. The Calgary product was 7-1 in the playoffs with a 1.99 goals against average and a .935 save percentage, as of Tuesday. McVeigh and Winkler goalie Troy Martyniuk were strong early in the series.
“Both goalies have been real solid,” Leslie said before game three. “Riley is making timely saves. He makes momentum saves for us.”
Semifinals Game One
Oil Caps 3, Flyers 2 OT
Virden forward Ben Dalke was the hero on Mar. 22. He delivered the winning goal at 3:27 in overtime in front of 714 fans to give his team a 3-2 game one victory.
“Dylan Thiessen made a great pass under the defenceman’s stick and I had enough room so I just got the puck off as quick as I could and it ended up going in,” Dalke said.
In this year’s playoffs, Dalke had a team-high six goals through eight games for Virden. Dalke and Rylee Zimmer led the Oil Caps with eight points.
“Ben has been scoring some timely goals for us. He is shooting the puck quickly again. That is probably the best part of his game – his quick, deceptive shot. When he is shooting the puck it is good for him, but also for his line mates.”
After a scoreless first period, both teams lit the lamp twice in the second. Mitchell Dyck and Matt Krawiec put Winkler ahead 2-0. Zimmer and Jeran Knorr answered for Virden. Neither team scored in the third period so an extra session was required.
McVeigh stopped 34 of the 36 shots he faced. Martyniuk made 44 saves.
Semifinals Game Two
Oil Caps 5, Flyers 2
Consistent offence and solid defence helped the Oil Caps grab a 2-0 series lead on the road on Mar. 25. Virden scored two goals in the first period, one in the second, and two in the third. Winkler found the back of the net in the first and second periods, but could not score in the third as McVeigh made 14 saves.
Defenceman Marco Creta factored in on three of Virden’s five goals. He had two assists and a goal on the night.
“I think my confidence has really grown over the past couple games,” Creta said. “I'm feeling extremely good. The help from my teammates as well makes things really easy for me also.”
Dylan Thiessen and Josh Belcher scored for Virden in the first period. Trent Halfdanson had Winkler’s marker in the opening frame. Knorr scored at 3:39 mark in the second. Cole Kirkup scored for Winkler. Creta, on a power play, and Virden’s own Tristen Cross, with a shorthanded empty net marker, had goals in the third period.
McVeigh stopped 33 shots. Martyniuk made 43 saves.
Semifinals Game Three
Oil Caps 5, Flyers 1
A four-goal second period helped lift the Oil Capitals to a 5-1 game three victory at home in front of 840 on Tues. Mar. 27.
Zimmer, Belcher, Creta, Kolten Kanaski, and Kirklan Lycar supplied the offence for Virden. Zimmer recorded three points on the night. McVeigh made 37 saves on 38 shots.
Neither team scored in the first period. Virden exploded for four goals in the middle period to take a 4-0 lead.
Winkler’s Weiland Parrish scored in the third period on the power play. The Flyers were one-for-eight with the man advantage, while Virden was two-for-six.
Lycar closed out the game’s scoring with one of those power-play markers.
Martyniuk stopped 20 of the 24 shots he faced and took the loss for Winkler. Backup Aaron Brunn made 11 saves on 12 shots.
