Nighthawks on the brink of MJHL championship

The Niverville Nighthawks are just one win away from lifting the Turnbull Cup Trophy.

The Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s newest franchise took a commanding 3-0 lead in the finals, defeating Virden 6-3 thanks to high-end scoring, a great penalty kill and more solid goaltending.

The Nighthawks have been perfect on the penalty kill through the series so far, including a perfect 8/8 in game three.

“We’ve had one of the top penalty kills in this league all season and we just continued that process of just defending hard,” head coach Dwight Hirst said following the victory.

“I know they had 42 shots and they’ve out-shot us every game in this series but there’s a big difference from giving up shots from distance and giving not giving up second or third chance opportunities.”

Virden shelled the Niverville net in the third period, directing 22 shots on net, with Niverville entering the final frame with a 4-3 lead, but a John Scott goal Braxton Burdeny would want to have back provided more than enough insurance for the Nighthawks to send their sell-out crowd home happy.

“We want to push the pace to no space at all times in a game and that’s how we play,” Hirst said.

Fans were treated to back-and-forth action to start the game, as the teams both scored three goals in the opening frame, with Liam Goertzen’s eighth of the playoffs while his team was shorthanded a key moment to power the Oil Capitals back into the game.

The game winner, scored by Merik Boles in the second period, was the best goal of the night and also came short-handed. Boles danced around a Virden defender, almost losing control of the puck before reeling it in just in front of the crease and slipping it above the glove of Burdeny and into the net.

The Nighthawks were projected to be a contender this season, bringing back plenty of high-end veteran talent and proved it, winning the regular season comfortably and cruising through the playoffs so far with a 11-1 record so far.

“I don’t think there’s much jitters for us,” Hirst said.

“We have a very mature group, and maturity comes from preparation. We’ve prepared all season for these opportunities.”

The fourth game of the series will be in Virden April 23.

“Everybody says and everybody knows the hardest win in a series is the final one,” Hirst said.

If a game five is needed it will be in Niverville April 25 and if Virden completes the comeback to force a game seven it will also be in Niverville April 29. Games in the final are broadcast on Flohockey.com, with a free audio stream available at cerebralmedia.mixlr.com.

GAME 1

The Nighthawks wasted no time in taking control of the finals April 17, with Thomas Phillips striking three minutes into the opening period to give the home side a lead they never surrendered, en route to a 4-1 win.

With Tyson Ulmer sitting in the penalty box for interference, Evan Panzer led a rush up the ice late in the powerplay, executing a quick give-and-go with Kole Mears before spotting a cutting Phillips across the slot.

The Lorette-born defenseman made no mistake, potting his first of the playoffs, with his shot just squeaking through Burdeny.

Brooks Siemens had a glorious chance to even the game a couple minutes later, but rifled a shot wide on a breakaway chance.

Loik Leduc extended the home team’s lead early in the second, when Burdeny let a sharp angle shot from Adam Vigfusson slip through his pads. While the puck didn’t cross the line, it sat loose in the crease for Leduc to tap home for what ended up as the game-winner.

It was Leduc’s first of the post-season. With Merik Boles out of the line-up, Leduc converted with assists to Vigfusson and Hayden Wheddon, the other two members of Niverville’s typical top line.

Special teams were the difference the rest of the way, with Niverville taking on two more powerplay goals to go 3/5 on the night, while finishing the game a perfect 5/5 on the penalty kill.

GAME 2

Boles returned to the Nighthawks line-up for game two April 19 in Virden and made an immediate impact, scoring the game-winning goal two minutes into the second period with Niverville taking a 2-0 series lead thanks to a 3-1 victory on the road.

Austin Dubinsky and Calyb Moore combined to give the visitors a 1-0 first period lead. Moore struck three minutes into the opening frame, with Dubinsky stopping all 15 shots he faced. His shutout bid was ended by Goertzen in the final five minutes of the game, when an intended centring pass took a wacky deflection.

Through two games, the league’s goaltender of the year had been nearly unbeatable, stopping 72/74 shots he’s faced.

Moore made his own luck to open the scoring, disrupting an attempted breakout along the half-wall after a Niverville dump-in before cutting to the net, where a blocked point shot bounced right to his stick for the 1-0 goal.

It was another successful forecheck leading to Niverville’s 2-0 goal, with Vigfusson disrupting a stationary Virden defender behind his own net, knocking the puck to Hayden Wheddon who centred for a cutting Boles who made no mistake in tight to nab the game-winner.

The Oil Capitals continued to generate chances off the rush but couldn’t convert, with Bryce Bryant wasting a glorious chance to eat into the Nighthawks lead after sending a shot over the net on a breakaway mid-way through the second period. Tyson Draper generated another great chance, dancing past a defender to create a one-on-one chance against Dubinsky, but the Niverville goaltender stood tall, including on the follow up rebound chance.

Game two also saw the return of Marshall Light to the Virden line-up. Light had been knocked out of the semi-final series after a devastating shoulder check from a Steinbach defender sent his helmet flying and the 2005-born forward motionless on the ice. Light was diagnosed with a concussion.