Tonight’s Game Notes:
Welcome fans to tonight’s MJHL action featuring the visiting OCN Blizzard (18-35-4) and your home town Virden Oil Capitals (29-18-9). Tonight’s game is Rain Check Night brought to you byThe Arlington Hotel in Maryfield.(Click here to “Like” their page on Facebook)
There’s no reason to sugar coat it. The Oil Caps special teams haven’t been great lately. During their current three-game slide since beating the top-ranked team in Canada, the Oil Caps have given up 15 goals. Seven power play goals and two short handed goals to be exact. Pair that with going 1-for-19 with the man advantage over these three games and it’s a recipe for breakdown. This leaves Virden’s power play as 7th best in the league at 15.3% while their penalty kill ranks 9th at 81.3%. The interesting thing to look at in these three contests is that the Oil Caps have outshot their opponents by a combined total 121-67 over the course of these games.
Now with all that negativity out of the way, lets focus on what’s given the Oil Caps 29 wins on the season. Soren Frederiksen has 17 points in his last 16 games and could possibly be on a 16-game point streak, but was ejected from Friday night’s game in Selkirk after receiving a cross-checking major. I guess after he didn’t win the league sportsmanship award, he decided to boost his penalty minute totals (kidding of course). He notched his 30th of the season last night and became one of only five players to hit that milestone on the season.
A few other Oil Caps players have potential to hit some plateau numbers before the end of the season. Dylan Thiessen (17 goals), Devan Schram (16 goals) are a few tallies away from 20-goal seasons, meanwhile Ben Williams (26 goals) needs four goals to hit 30 on the season.
Clay Van Diest and Owen Solecki have played like a pair of inspired 20-year-olds as of late. The pair were arguably the Oil Caps best defenseman in Portage last Monday and have maintained their steady play ever since. You can’t forget about Jordan Greig either. The MJHL’s First Team All-Star Defenseman has been a leader on the Virden blue-line all season long and will be recognized prior to tonight’s game, receiving his All-Star recognition from MJHL Commissioner, Kim Davis.
With how everything has played out in the last week, you can take it to the bank the the Oil Caps will face the Winkler Flyers in the first round of the MJHL Playoffs. The only thing left to decide is who will get game one at home in the series. If you’re planning your vacation around it, game one will likely take place on Tues., March 10 or Wed., March 11th in either Winkler or Virden. Games will most likely just fall on every other day following the start of the series.
Tonight is the third of five games included in the All Season Properties “Pack the Place” Vacation Giveaway supported by Kubota, Morris Sales & Service, Demon Energy Services, and Force Rentals.
Cheer loud tonight as the Oil Caps look to earn their 30th win of the season. Enjoy the contest.