Photo: Sara Francouer
When the puck drops on both game six matchups on Monday night, the OCN Blizzard and Winkler Flyers will have a chance to book their ticket to the Turnbull Cup Final while the Steinbach Pistons and Virden Oil Capitals try to force game seven.
Blizzard lead series 3-2
The Roy H. Johnston arena is sure to be rocking as late game heroics have the Blizzard one win away from returning to the Turnbull Cup Final for the first time since Brady Keeper led the team back in 2017. Timely goals for, while limiting goals against have put the Blizzard in a position to close out the series. Tomas Anderson has come as advertised, slamming the door shut when his team needs it the most.
The Pistons don’t plan on going quietly into the summer. The group knows it has to make adjustments, has to play with organized desperation if they want to see another game. This is the first time Steinbach has faced elimination in a playoff game since game 7 of round 1 last year vs Winkler. The Blizzard will have some pressure being the home team with a chance to close it out while the defending champions will look to keep the ride from ending.
Flyers Lead Series 3-2
Back-to-back double overtime wins have put the Flyers on the brink of a long awaited finals appearance, something they’ve been craving since before their entire roster was born (2002). Adding the combination of Trent Penner, Zach Nicolas and Dalton Andrew on their first line has paid off in games four and five, leading to a combined 13 points and two key wins. The Flyers have done a great job pushing the physicality and forcing mistakes then capitalizing on them. Their big players that have been relied upon all season have stepped up their game in this series.
Virden will look to use lessons learned from series past and force a winner take all game back in Winkler on Wednesday. It’s been win by committee for the Oil Caps all season long as from top to bottom they have been able to roll out a balanced attack. Goaltender Eric Reid will need to have his best game of the season in what should be a packed arena in Virden. They have faced adversity and have been able to push back, but they’ll need every bit of that drive and determination at Tundra Oil and Gas Place tonight.
