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Photo Credit – Pederson Photographic
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The Dauphin Kings and Swan Valley Stampeders provided fans with one of the best series in the MJHL playoffs last year. Other than the MJHL final between the Kings and Pistons, their first-round series was likely the most competitive.
The Kings ultimately downed the Stampeders in six games as they scored the overtime winner at the Centennial Arena to send the Stamps’ home packing. On Friday night, the two teams will play their first meaningful game against each other since that game. With the second weekend of the MJHL season set to fire up Friday night, Dauphin holds a slim one-point lead over Swan Valley in the West Division standings after a trio of games.
Dauphin enters the game with one overtime win, one overtime loss and a regulation loss. Swan Valley; meanwhile, opened the season with back-to-back regulation losses against OCN before responding on Tuesday night in a 6-3 win against Neepawa. The Kings are coming off an 8-4 loss to the Blizzard.
Both teams have plenty of new faces but the Stampeders returned arguably their top weapon in Kobe Grant between the pipes. Friday’s game is the first of a home-and-home which concludes Saturday evening at Credit Union Place.
By the numbers:
Dauphin
GF – 8
GA – 12
PP% – 30%
PK% – 86.7%
Leaders – Blake Boudreau 2g, 1a
Jayden Harris 2g, 1a
Road Record – 0-1-1
Goaltending – Keaton Woolsey 1-1, .844 save percentage, 4.56 goals-against average
Cole Sheffield 0-0-1, 3.23 goals-against average, .898 save percentage
Swan Valley
GF – 8
GA – 10
PP% – 23.1%
PK% – 75%
Leaders – Jakob Jones 2g, 1a
Collin Jennings 1g, 2a, Myles Mason 1g, 2a
Home Record – 1-0-0
Goaltending – Kobe Grant 1-2, .904 save percentage, 2.68 goals-against average