The Stonewall Jets will enter the postseason on a winning note after taking two of three games in their final full week of Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League regular season action.
Stonewall Jets forward Dylan Vitelli releases a shot late in the first period of Stonewall’s 5-2 win over the Pembina Valley Twisters on Feb. 19 at Stonewall Veterans Memorial Arena
The Jets (24-14-2) opened the week with an emphatic 5-2 win over the Pembina Valley Twisters on Feb. 19 at Stonewall Veterans Memorial Arena.
Stonewall’s special teams made the difference, converting three of five power-play opportunities while outshooting the Twisters 42-32.
Gavin Holod (16) and Dylan Vitelli (5) scored late in the first period to erase an early Pembina Valley lead, before Alex Kaczorowski added a second-period power-play marker. Kai Smith and Brody Stovin struck with the man advantage in the third to put the game away.
Ron Cailo was steady in goal, turning aside 30 shots for the win.
The following night at Ab McDonald Arena, the Jets edged the St. James Jr. Canucks 4-3 in a potential first-round preview.
Holod opened the scoring just 1:16 into the game on the power play, and Wylie Garchinski followed with another man-advantage marker midway through the first. After the Canucks tied the contest 2-2 heading into the second, Brody Stovin restored the Jets’ lead early in the third before Alex Kaczorowski netted the eventual winner at 16:09.
Spencer Hunnam made 28 saves on 31 shots as Stonewall completed the weekend sweep and strengthened its hold on third place in the standings.
However, the week ended on a sour note Sunday in Morris, where the Jets fell 7-2 to the Twisters in a high-scoring affair at the Morris MultiPlex.
Pembina Valley jumped out to a 2-0 first-period lead and never looked back, despite a strong push from Stonewall in the third. Holod scored his 18th of the season just 40 seconds into the final frame, and Austin Lourenco added a power-play goal to cut the deficit to 4-2. But the Twisters responded with three unanswered goals, including two from Ethan Wilde, to seal the win.
The Jets poured 45 shots on goal, including 26 in the third period, but were unable to solve Twisters netminder Myles Ganske, who made 43 saves in the victory.
With 50 points through 40 games, Stonewall sits third in the MMJHL standings behind the Transcona Railer Express (67 points) and the St. Boniface Riels (58 points), and ahead of both the River East Royal Knights and the Charleswood Hawks, who are tied at 47.
Stonewall closes out the regular season with three games in four nights: Feb. 25 on the road against St. James, Feb. 26 at home versus the St. Vital Jr. Victorias, and March 1 when the Hawks visit Stonewall Veterans Memorial Arena.
With playoffs looming, the Jets will look to carry their balanced scoring and potent power play into the postseason as they chase an MMJHL championship.
