The Pistons head north this weekend to face off against the Swan Valley Stampeders and the OCN Blizzard.
The Pistons 6-game win streak came to an end last game as they lost to the Steelers 6-4 in Selkirk. The Pistons are now 8-points behind the Terriers for first place in the MJHL with one game in hand. The Pistons have played 3 games against both the Blizzard and the Stampeders winning all the games against them. Over the three games the Pistons have outscored the Blizzard 14-7 and the Stampeders 12-6. Goaltending has been a struggle as of late for the Pistons as they have let in 12-goals in their last two games, six in each.
The Swan Valley Stampeders are the first team in the MGEU West Division to clinch a playoff spot with 70 points and a 32-16-5-1 record. Swan Valley has a 5-point cushion on the Oil Capitals in second place in the division with the Oil Capitals having one game in hand. The Stampeders have won 5-games in a row, outscoring their opponents 25-9 over that span. Kobe Grant has led the way in the crease for the Stampeders this season as he was named MJHL goalie of the year with a 2.73 GAA, 0.932 SV% and a 24-14-3 record.
The OCN Blizzard currently has the second last playoff spot in the West Division with a 30-19-2-3 record and 65 points. The Blizzard are 3-2 in their last five games where they have outscored their opponents 21-14 over that span. The Blizzard are currently four points up on the Waywayseecappo Wolverines who are currently the team just outside of the playoffs at the moment in the West Division.
SPECIAL TEAMS:
PISTONS: PP 57/225 – 25.3% PK 183/228 – 80.3%
STAMPEDERS: PP 40/214 – 18.7% PK 200/253 – 79.1%
BLIZZARD: PP 53/239 – 22.2% PK 181/216 – 83.8%
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Pistons: Ty Paisley
Ty Paisley is coming off his first MJHL hat trick that came against the Selkirk Steelers. Paisley has 10 points (5 goals and 5 assists) in his last 5 games. Paisley has great offensive awareness and is confident with the puck which puts him and his teammates in good scoring opportunities. He also a lethal shot with great puck placement.
Stampeders: Jakob Jones
Jakob Jones leads the Stampeders in scoring this season with 68 points (29 goals and 39 assists) in 54 games. Jones is a big part of the Stampeders powerplay as he 11 powerplay points this season. Jones is a versatile player that is also a major part of the Stampeders penalty kill as he gets used in all scenarios.
Blizzard: Ashton Paul
Second in team scoring with 54 points (26 goals and 28 assists) in 53 games, Paul is a major offensive producer for the Blizzard. Paul capitalizes often on the powerplay, as he has 23 powerplay points this season. Paul is a young forward with a big frame as he uses that to his advantage to win puck battles and generate scoring chances.