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The Dauphin Kings are heading home with a chance to advance to their first league final since 2014.

Wrapping up their weekend with game four in Winkler on Thursday night, the Kings got the job done offensive, Carson Cherepak played stellar and the team skated off with a 5-2 win in front of another great crowd in Winkler.

Dauphin opened the scoring just 44 seconds in when Logan Calder tapped in a puck in front of the net as he scored his third goal of the playoffs. Klim Georgiev gave Dauphin a 2-0 lead just about 10 minutes later before Winkler brought the game within a goal 50 seconds later.

Dauphin would; however, regain their two-goal lead late in the second period as Colby Jaquet scored on the man advantage to give Dauphin a 3-1 lead after 40 minutes.

Troy Hamilton cut into the deficit with a goal 2:45 into the third but that was as close as Winkler would get. Jayden Jubenvill scored on a breakaway and Klim Georgiev scored into an empty net late as the Kings have now taken a three games to one series lead.

Dauphin will have an opportunity to wrap up the series on Saturday night when they host game five at Credit Union Place. Note, tickets for the game go on sale Friday morning at 9:00 a.m. and you can also purchase 50/50 tickets for the game.

King Tips:

  • After allowing five goals on Wednesday, Cherepak bounced back very nicely as he made 33 saves for his seventh playoff win
  • Georgiev scored his first two playoff goals with the team
  • Dauphin went 2-for-5 on the powerplay in the game while they were perfect on the penalty kill, going 5-for-5
  • Dauphin played much of the game without Mathew Rathbone as he was assessed a game misconduct for hitting from behind late in the first period

It was a great performance for several members of the Grand Plains Gymcats at  the Manitoba Gymnastics Association provincial championships that took place earlier this week.

Bethany Lark came out on top in the Level 3 - 2008 category. She finished first in the vault with a score of 9.3, first in the uneven bars with a score of 8.7 and she was tiedfor first in the beatm with a score of 8.95. She also scored 8.3 in the floor exercise and her overall score of 35.250 gave her a gold medal.

Lauren Scott and Meadow Vigini tied for sixth place in the Level 2 - 202 Group B category. In the Level 2 - 2007-08 group, Jessica White finished in sixth with an overall score of 34.375. She was tremendous in the floor exercise, finishing third with a score of 9.125.

Calista Ward finished seventh in the Level 2 - 2009 group with an overall score of 34.225. She finished fifth in the uneven bars and the vault

Rachel Hannibal; meanwhile, finished 11th in the Level 4 - 2008 Group A category with a score of 32.875. Her top event was the vault where she finished in fifth. Heather Nadolny finished 13th overall in the Level 2 - 2010 Group A with her top event being the uneven bars with a score of 8.8. She also finished sixth in the floor exercise.

Emery Laviolette finished 19th in the Level 2 - 2011 Group event with a combined score of 33.875. Her top was the vault where she scored 9.075 points. 

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The Winkler Flyers have avoided going down three games to none in their second round series with the Dauphin Kings.

In front of an absolutely electric crowd inside the Centennial Arena on Wednesday night, the Flyers held on late for a 5-4 win over the Kings. Dauphin still holds a series lead; however, it is now just two games to one.

The game was opened up with a flurry of goals in the first period as Winkler scored three times in the first frame while Dauphin countered with two.

Brayden Dube opened the scoring for Dauphin before Winkler scored three straight times before Parker Malchuk scored late on the man advantage as Dauphin trailed 3-2 after 20 minutes.

To start the third, Brody Beauchemin scored on the powerplay while Trent Penner also scored as Winkler went up 5-3. Tanner Brouwer did make things interesting for Dauphin as he scored with just more than five minutes left; however, that was as close as Dauphin would get in the game.

The two teams will meet for game four on Thursday night live from the Centennial Arena at 7:00 p.m. Game five has been confirmed and will be played on Saturday at Credit Union Place.

Kings Tips:

  • Both teams scored on the man advantage, Dauphin going 1-for-2 while Winkler finished the night 1-for-3
  • After Winkler recorded just 21 shots all game on Sunday, they had 20 in the first period alone on Wednesday and they finished with 38
  • Dylan Meilun made some huge saves for Winkler in the third and ultimately, he was the difference
  • Parker Malchuk scored a goal and now leads Dauphin with 13 playoff points while Kaden Bryant has 11 and Colby Jaquet has 10

Photo credit - Pederson Photographic

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The Dauphin Kings are set to take a 2-0 series lead into the Centennial Arena in Winkler for game three of their MJHL semifinal on Wednesday night.

Following back-to-back wins on home ice this past weekend, the best-of-seven switches venues as Winkler will host games three and four. Dauphin has been firing on all cylinders against Winkler, finding a way to score seven goals while giving up minimal good opportunities coming off the sticks of Flyers. And when Winkler does get a solid chance, Carson Cherepak has been brilliant.

For Jeriah Shantz, he’s now played seven playoff games with the team and made his second-round debut on Sunday in Dauphin’s 3-1 win. He has one goal and one assist so far and he says the dressing room is motivated to keep it going.

“Everyone is doing their job and playing as hard as possible,” said Shantz. “We have to keep it up and play the same way. It’s been a great start but we’re not done yet.”

Winkler advanced to the second round when they downed the Winnipeg Blues in six games. They have the MJHL’s regular-season scoring champion in Justin Svenson; however, they could be without the services of their next leading scorer in Jayden McCarthy. A prominent threat, Jayden left Sunday’s game with an apparent knee injury and he was seen on crutches shortly after. The Flyers were held to just 18 shots on Sunday.

Led on the back end by Trent Sambrook who has eight assists in the playoffs, the Flyers will look to change their fate on home ice where they have been excellent this season. Winkler was 20-5-1-1 in the regular season on home ice and they earned the third-most home points in the league.

“We know they’re going to come out with a lot of energy,” offered Shantz. “We have to match their energy from the first shift, forecheck hard and stay sound in our defensive zone.”

All in all, this is Jeriah’s first playoff run with the Kings and since day one, he’s been enjoying every second.

“It’s been an awesome experience, I didn’t really know what to expect coming in,” said Shantz. “I’m just trying to do whatever I can to help this team win games, we have such a great group of guys.”

A goalie from Dauphin and a forward from Russell made some big noise at the Pacific Spring Showcase in Vancouver this past weekend.

In six games played, Merrick Huberdeau of Russell scored five times and had six assists. Meanwhile, between the pipes, Burke Keeping of Dauphin was a brick wall. The two Parklanders helped the 2013 Manitoba Jr. Ice Extreme win the championship in their division. They went a perfect 6-0 and they scored at least 13 goals in three of their games. 

Burke said it was a great experience.

"I had so much fun," said Keeping. "Our team was very strong and we found a way to win the championship."

Burke suited up in three games in net and he was sensational as he didn't give up a goal across his three games. He was also in the net when the team won the gold medal in a 3-0 win against the British Columbia Bears White. 

"It felt amazing to win those games, I never thought something like that would happen,' said Keeping. "I couldn't have done it without my teammates, they played great in front of me."

In the final, Merrick was also named the game's most valuable player. 

It was a great weekend of hockey for the Parkland Thunder 2011s.

Playing in a tournament, the team made it all the way to the championship final where they came up just short. Prior to the finals; however, the team was on a roll.

They went 3-0 in the round robin and followed that up with an 8-5 win against the Sunset Razorbacks in the semifinals. 

On the team this year is Weston Rank, Travis Catcheway, Avery Crowe, Nolan Shaw, Matthew Ducheck, Carter Smigelsky, Rhett Legaarden, Mason Auger, Chayce Stoski, Drew Luhowy, Benji Gardner, and Kellan Shtykalo. 

The Canalta Cup final in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League is all set and it begins this weekend. The best-of-seven features a team that was expected to make it to the final against a team that based on the regular-season standings wasn't necessarily expected to.

The top-ranked Estevan Bruins -- who will host the Centennial Cup next month -- will challenge the Flin Flon Bombers who have looked unbelievable since dropping their first two games of the playoffs against North Battlefords. Entering the playoffs, the Bombers lost eight of their final 11 games and including the slow start against the North Stars, Flin Flon went 3-13 over a 16-game stretch. The script has since been flipped as they won four straight-to-down Battlefords in six games which set up a battle with the Humboldt Broncos who finished second in the league standings and entered the series as heavy favourites. Ultimately being favourites didn't pan out for the Broncos as Flin Flon won the first three games of the series before Humboldt got on the board. In game five, Cal Schell made 37 saves as Flin Flon shut out the Broncos, 1-0 and as a result, they will now play for a league title. 

To note, both teams have already qualified for the national championships with Estevan being the host team while Flin Flon will serve as the Saskatchewan representative, regardless of how the final goes. 

Here's a look into the series.

Season Series:

Oct 20th  – 3-1 Bruins win at Affinity Place, Estevan
Nov 19th – 3-2 Bombers OT win at Whitney Forum, Flin Flon
Nov 20th – 3-2 Bruins win at Whitney Forum, Flin Flon
Feb 4th – 3-2 Bruins win at Affinity Place, Estevan

Combined scores: 11-8 in favour of Estevan

Likely goaltending matchup (Playoff Stats): Estevan – Boston Bilous (8-0-1, 1.58 GAA, .938 SV%); Flin Flon – Cal Schell (8-2-1, 2.22 GAA, .932 SV%)

Estevan Playoff Stats:

PP: 25.6% (11/43)
PK: 93.5% (29/31), 4 SHGF
Leading scorers: Olivier Pouliot, 6-11-17; Mark Rumsey, 6-6-12; Eric Pearce, 8-3-11

Flin Flon Playoff Stats:

PP: 16.7% (7/42)
PK: 82.4% (28/34), 0 SHGF
Leading scorers: Gabriel Shipper, 4-6-10; Rylan Thiessen, 2-8-10; Drew Kuzma, 6-3-9

Rob Hart is the Voice of the Bombers and he says making the final is a great accomplishment but clearly, the job isn't done yet.

"Things really turned out at the Whitney Forum when we returned home and we won eight of nine games," said Hart. "Our community really rallies around us and the guys use that as fuel."

Despite already earning a national berth, Hart doesn't believe that will take away from the intensity of the series as at the end of the day, he knows the Bombers want to win the league title and they will do whatever it takes to get the job done. He says the key to winning a league title is a fast start in Estevan.

"If Flin Flon can win one of the first two games in Estevan, they will be a factor," said Hart. "Estevan has had an easier road to get where they are but they're an excellent team. They have a lot of top-end talent and solid goaltending. Getting at least a win in the first two games is imperative for the club."

Following this series, the Centennial Cup is May 18-29 at Affinity Place. 

Photo credit - Pederson Photographic

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It was a perfect Easter Sunday for the Dauphin Kings and a perfect weekend as a whole.

After opening their MJHL semifinal with a win on Saturday night, the Kings capped off the weekend with their second straight win in the series and as a result, they now have a 2-0 series lead over the Winkler Flyers.

Mathew Rathbone's second goal in as many nights in the second period held up as the winner as Dauphin downed Winkler, 3-1 in front of a solid crowd.

For the second straight Dauphin opened up the scoring as Ben Hackl scored a sensational goal with a beautiful shot 6:36 into the first. On the powerplay 10:06 into the second, Justin Svenson found the back of the net on a shot from the point as the game was tied up at one; however, it didn't stay that way long.

Mathew Rathbone scored just 1:10 later and that goal on the man advantage stood up as the winner as the 20-year-old scored for the second straight night. Kaden Bryant scored into an empty net to seal the game with 12 seconds left and that was it.

In the loss, Dylan Meilun was very good for Winkler, turning away 40 shots while Carson Cherepak was great once again, stopping 17 shots for Dauphin.

Game three in this best-of-seven will take place on Wednesday night from Winkler, game four goes on Thursday.

King Tips:

  • Of note, Winkler's Jayden McCarthy left the game in the first period and he was seen on crutches a short time later, he's one of Winkler's top players
  • Dauphin scored on the man advantage for the second straight night while their penalty kill continues to perform well as they went 1-for-3 while a man down
  • Winkler failed to record 10 shots in a single period, they had five in the first, six in the second and seven in the third
  • Dauphin; meanwhile, had 21 in the first, 13 in the second and eight in the third

Photo credit - Pederson Photographic

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The Dauphin Kings have opened up their first MJHL semifinal since 2014 with a win.

In front of another tremendous playoff crowd, Dauphin doubled up the Flyers, 4-2 on Saturday night. Starting the series one day later than originally scheduled, Dauphin got the job done on home ice.

On their only powerplay of the game midway thru the first, Nakodan Greyeyes opened up the scoring with a goal 11:05 into the game; however, Winkler tied it up just more than three minutes later when Kyle Crewe found the back of the net on a shot from the right point.

Logan Calder gave Dauphin a 2-1 lead heading into the second as he scored with less than 90 seconds left in the first and no goals were scored in the second. That set the stage for a two-goal period for Dauphin in the third while Winkler notched just one, giving the Kings a 4-2 win as they opened up the series with a win.

The two teams will meet again on Sunday for game two in this best-of-seven series with puck drop slated for 7:30 p.m. You can tune into the game with Darnell Duff on 730CKDM.

King Tips:

  • Saturday's win was Dauphin's first against Winkler, they lost twice to them in the regular season
  • Dauphin went a perfect 1-for-1 on the man advantage while their penalty kill sparkled, going 3-for-3
  • Dauphin allowed just 25 shots in the game and only five in the third period
  • Winkler's big duo of Jayden McCarthy and Justin Svenson were held to just one point on the night, Carson Cherepak stopped 23 shots

Photo credit - Pederson Photographic

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Kaden Bryant was the hero in game six of the Dauphin Kings series against the Swan Valley Stampeders. He scored with just more than six minutes left in double overtime and his third of the playoffs clinched Dauphin a spot in the league semifinals.

It was Bryant's second goal of the night and as he says, it was one of the biggest that he has ever scored which is saying a lot because he has scored many big goals in the past.

"I had a lot of chances to finish the job before that so it was nice to get the job done," said Bryant. "I just wasn't getting the bounces but when that puck went in, it was a big sense of relief."

Now, the team is set to welcome the Winkler Flyers to town for game one which goes tonight at Credit Union Place. Winkler beat the Blues in six games last round.

By the numbers (first round)

Dauphin

4 wins, 2 losses

24 goals for, 17 goals against

23.5% on the man advantage, 81.8% on the penalty kill

Winkler

4 wins, 2 losses

23 goals for, 15 goals against

38.9% on the man advantage, 87.5% on the penalty kill

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Winkler beat Dauphin twice in the regular season, the back-end of a home-and-home came in overtime.

Goalie Playoff Stats

Flyers

Dylan Meilun – 4-2, .900 SV%, 2.35 GAA

Kings

Carson Cherepak – 4-1-1, .915 SV%, 2.59 GAA

Playoff Scoring Leaders

Flyers

Justin Svenson – 5 goals, 5 assists for 10 points

Trent Sambrook – 2 goals, 7 assists for 9 points

Jayden McCarthy – 3 goals, 4 assists for 7 points

Kings

Parker Malchuk – 2 goals, 8 assists for 10 points

Kaden Bryant – 3 goals, 5 assists for 8 points

Colby Jaquet – 3 goals, 4 assists for 7 points

"We know that it's going to be a fast and physical series," said Bryant. "We've just been trying to keep everything dialled in at practice this week, we'll be ready to go."

Series Dates: bold denotes if necessary

Game 1 - Friday, April 15th in Dauphin

Game 2 - Saturday, April 16th in Dauphin

Game 3 - Tuesday, April 19th in Winkler

Game 4 - Wednesday, April 20th in Winkler

Game 5 - *Friday, April 22nd in Dauphin

Game 6 - *Sunday, April 24th in Winkler

Game 7 - *Tuesday, April 26th in Dauphin

You can catch all games with Darnell Duff on 730CKDM.

You still have plenty of time to get in on early bird pricing at the Dauphin Lake Golf Club.

Ray Karlson confirms early-bird membership registration has been extended until Friday, April 22, one week later than originally announced.

An early bird adult membership is $875 while if you haven't been a member since 2018, you can get an adult one for $650.