Special teams has been a struggle for the Dauphin Kings over the past week. The team has given up seven goals while a man down and entering Saturday’s game, the team has lost three straight contests.
The good thing is, they will have a chance to change that on Saturday night as the Winkler Flyers come to town. Dauphin was excellent 5-on-5 on Friday; however, Winkler scored two power play goals and that was the difference in a 3-1 win.
After he was acquired on Thursday in a trade with Portage, Jamie Valentino will make his debut with the team on Saturday night. Anthony Bax, Deepkaran Hans, and Aiden Brook will all not dress on Saturday because of injuries.
Local favourite, Cohen Smigelsky will also make his MJHL debut on Saturday. From Dauphin, Smigelsky is playing with the Jr. B Lundar Falcons, but he draws into the lineup for the first time in the second half of a home-and-home with Winkler.
Things don’t get any easier for Dauphin after Saturday’s game as the team heads to Portage on Wednesday before playing the Freeze next Friday and the Swan Valley Stampeders next Sunday.
Dauphin enters the night just four points back of first place in the West Division, while Winkler is three points back of first in the East Division.