DAUPHIN, MB - The Dauphin Kings again started slow in Steinbach, and this time they couldn't recover to pick up a single points, falling 5-4 in La Broquerie.
In the opening 20 minutes the Kings and Pistons were pretty even until the final five minutes where Steinbach took over. The Kings would take their foot off the gas for 31 seconds and that was enough time for the Pistons to grab a 2-0 lead and take it to the intermission. Dauphin had two man advantages in the first and did nothing with them.
The second period had the Kings again play not bad but just under six minutes in the Pistons would go ahead 3-0. The Kings would get a 5-on-3 near the midway point of the frame but couldn't do anything again on the Power Play in what could have been a turning point of the game. Dauphin would eventually come alive. First Havryil Simchuk (12) would score in his fifth straight game. The marker was on the man advantage. Then with less than 30 seconds to go Matthew Thomas would get the Kings within one, scoring his 13th of the campaign.
In the third period Steinbach got some man advantages and would score to restore a two goal lead just under six minutes in. Before the goal was scored the Pistons entry into the Dauphin zone was very close to being offside. Overall the game itself was very inconsistently officiated by both the referees and the linesmen with both benches questioning calls throughout the night. With the game at 4-2 in the second half of the frame the Kings would make it close when Gabriel Bugeaud would tally his 14th of the year. Steinbach, however would score late to make it a 5-3 game, but the Kings weren't done. Ethan Williment (13) would make it 5-4 with two minutes left. That's as close as the Kings would get however as they'd fall by that score, 5-4.
Cole Sheffield was very good Friday night. Once again he kept his team in the game early while he waited for them to show up. Sheffield stopped 40 of 45 shots. His team had 32 shots.
Power Plays went from heavily in favour of Dauphin to heavily in favour of Steinbach as the game went on. The Kings finished 1 for 6 on the PP while their PK went 5 for 6.
The loss puts Dauphin at 31-15-1-1 on the season.
Next on tap for the Kings is a date with the Niverville Nighthawks tomorrow night before visiting the Winnipeg Blues on Sunday. Opening face off Saturday is 7:00pm!
#ForTheCrown
