The Winkler Flyers punched their ticket to the second round of the MJHL playoffs last week.
The junior team made short work of the Portage Terriers in round one, winning the best-of-seven in five.
After an opening weekend that saw the series tied at 1-1, Winkler took the lead and kept it in games three through five.
Game three last Wednesday night in Winkler saw control swing back and forth, with the Flyers getting a 2-0 head start in the first on the strength of goals from Jayce Legaarden, and then Portage tying it up in the first minute of the second, only to have the Flyers retake the lead 4-2 thanks to goals from Avery Anderson and Trent Penner before the midpoint.
Portage’s Daniel Siso started to close the gap with a third-period marker seven minutes in, but one more from Legaarden sealed the deal and gave Winkler the win 5-3.
Malachi Klassen stood tall in net for the Flyers, making 29 saves as Portage outshot Winkler 32-23.
Klassen gave up just one goal in game four in Portage two nights later, while teammates Brady Craik, Anderson, and Mike Svenson lit up the net to give the Flyers the 3-1 win and a 3-1 series lead.
The Flyers then hammered home the final nail in Portage’s coffin Saturday night in front of a sold-out hometown crowd, doubling up on their opponents 6-3.
Craik, Trent Penner, and Jakob Jones made it a 3-0 affair in the first 20 minutes.
Penner scored his second of the night midway through the second, following up on two from Portage to make it 4-2 for Winkler heading into the final frame.
There, the Terriers managed just one goal to Winkler’s two (Legaarden, Blake Matheson), and saw their season come to an end as a result.
Klassen was between the posts once again, making 27 saves off 30 shots. His teammates fired 30 the other way.
Winkler is now awaiting the outcomes of the MGEU West Division playoffs to see who they’ll face in the next round. At press time the Virden Oil Capitals were up 3-2 against the Neepawa Knights, as were the OCN Blizzard against the Dauphin Kings.
