It’s a big weekend for the Pistons as they put their 11-game win streak to the test on the road starting in Winkler on Friday then in Dauphin for Ukrainian Night on Saturday.
The Pistons just came off a solid 6-1 performance in Niverville on Wednesday night. Offense has been spread out up and down the Pistons lineup with goals from essentially all 4 lines including defenseman David Cote who opened the scoring.
The Pistons will be without Kirk Mullen on Friday night versus the Flyers. No word yet if he will be in on Saturday versus the Kings. Mullen is currently alone in 5th in the MJHL points race at 42 (19G, 23A).
In terms of an injury report, both Jackson Kostiuk and Hunter Degelman are close to returning to the lineup. Both still in non-contact jerseys at practice this week but don’t be surprised to see at least one of them back next weekend after the MJ-SJ Showcase. Defenseman Parker Jasper will be out for some time yet with an upper body injury. Knock on wood, things are looking up on the injury front with 7 available defenseman ready to go on any given night. This is certainly refreshing after finishing the first half with 3-4 healthy bodies on the blue line.
Onto Friday’s matchup. I don’t think you could ask for a better game to watch. The top two teams in the MJHL east division battling it out in what will likely be a full and loud atmosphere at the Winkler Centennial Arena.
The Flyers currently sit 7 points back of the Pistons in the standing with a game in hand. Winkler’s 8-game win streak was put to a close on Wednesday after a 2-1 loss to the Portage Terriers. Time in the penalty box costed the Flyers on Wednesday as both Terrier goals came on the powerplay.
The Flyers have added some pieces on the back end near the trade deadline along with forward Jacob Jones from Swan Valley earlier in the season. All that to say, this will be a matchup both teams have circled on their calendars.
Speaking of full and loud atmospheres, that will likely be the case in Dauphin on Saturday for their annual Ukrainian night that is often a sell-out.
The Kings have been on a roll as of late after a bumpy stretch headed into the break. They are undefeated in 2024 through 7 games. Before hosting the Pistons on Saturday night, they have another big matchup on Friday versus The Blizzard. The Kings sit one point back of the Blizzard (at press time) with 3 games in hand.
With Doug Hedley back on the bench after serving his suspension, the Kings have found their groove and continue to climb their way back up the standings. Their last two games they’ve outscored their opponents 12-2. A 6-2 win over the Stampeders and a 6-0 win over the Nighthawks last weekend.
SPECIAL TEAMS
PISTONS: PP 38/167 – 22.8% PK 180/198 – 90.9%
FLYERS: PP 41/160 – 25.6% PK 174/202 – 86.1%
KINGS: PP 35/154 – 21.1% PK 120/148 – 80.5%
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Pistons: Grady Hoffman
Talk about being on fire lately. Rookie forward Grady Hoffman has tallied up 7 points (4G, 3A) in his last 3 games! Hoffman is second in the league in goals at 23 and sits in first amongst rookies by quite a large margin as per the MJHL stats sheet. The 18-year-old seems to just always be in the right spot at the right time. When the puck finds his stick in tight, it usually finds its way in the net.
Flyers: Dalton Andrew
If we’re talking about players on a roll, Dalton Andrew definitely fits that description. Andrew has recorded 19 points in 9 games since returning from the Christmas break. He sits 6th in the MJHL in assists, 3rd in goals, and 2nd in overall points. No doubt he will be a threat on Friday night on home ice.
Kings: Naaman Hofer
The 19-year-old Kings blue liner has been very consistent for his club averaging nearly a point per game as a defenseman. As of late, he has 3 points in his last 3 games. Hofer sits 3rd on the Kings roster in points.
Puck drop at the Winkler Centennial Arena on Friday is at 7:00pm. Puck drop at Credit Union Place in Dauphin on Saturday is at 7:30pm. Catch the games on Flo Hockey or listen to voice of the Pistons Dave Anthony over at DAbroadcasting.mixlr.com.
Road Report brought to you by Compass Coach Lines. Visit them at www.compasscoachlines.com.