The Virden Oil Capitals’ successful season came to an end in dramatic fashion.
In the fourth overtime session of the sixth contest of the Oil Caps’ second round playoff series, the Winkler Flyers’ Jakob Jones scored the game winner. It came in an April 15 game in Virden that started at 7:30 p.m. and wrapped up at 11:55 p.m. The 1,245 gathered at Tundra Oil and Gas Place certainly got their money’s worth from the almost four-and-a-half-hour-long contest. The victory won the Flyers the series, 4-2, and propelled them to their first Manitoba Junior Hockey League finals since 2002. They will face the winner of the OCN Blizzard and Steinbach Pistons series, which was headed to a seventh game on Wednesday, after the Empire-Advance deadline.
After the first three contests of the series, Virden held a 2-1 lead. In that trio of tilts, the road team always prevailed. Each of the next three contests went to at least two overtime sessions – which all ended with the Flyers scoring the game winner. Winkler won game four 5-4 in double overtime and took game five 2-1 in double overtime.
“It was a great series for sure,” Virden head coach Tyson Ramsey said. “Obviously when you get into that many overtime games things can go either way and it just wasn’t meant to be for us. Winkler is a very good hockey club and give them credit, but I am so proud of our group, they gave everything they had every day.”
Successful Season
The game six loss wrapped up a history making, successful season for the Oil Capitals. The team compiled a 40-12-3-3 regular season record. This matched the squad’s record for wins achieved in 2017-2018 but the Oil Capitals did it this time in two fewer games. They earned 86 points in the standings compared to 83 in 2017-2018. Virden vanquished Neepawa, 4-2, in the first round of the playoffs. When Ramsey was asked what he will remember about this season, he said:
“I think I will remember the group of guys that we had in this dressing room the most. They are such a hardworking, mature group that got along so well together. They worked so hard and were so fun not only to coach but to be around every day. I will miss the group very much.”
The Oil Capitals were a veteran group with only three rookies on the roster, including hometown product Bryce Bryant. The team featured eight players in their final junior season, including a local trio. The 2003-born players included Virden’s Eric Reid, Braeden Lewis, and Grady Lane, as well as Winnipeg twins Joey and David Bielik, Treherne’s Roux Bazin, Hartney’s Trevor Hunt, and Brandon’s Nolan Wallace.
“This group has meant so much to our organization,” Ramsey said. “From the kids who have been here for a few years to the local guys who returned to us this year, they have all made such a positive impact on and off the ice. They have added to the culture here and their legacy will be something for our younger players to aspire to moving forward. They have left us in a really good spot, and I am so proud of them all.”
Playoff Leaders
As of April 15, Oil Caps forward Josh Lehto paced the MJHL in playoff points with 14 accumulated over 12 contests. Lehto and Hunt, a defenceman, led Virden with nine assists each. Bazin and Lehto each had a team-high five goals for the Oil Capitals in the postseason.
Reid was in net for all of the team’s playoff contests. He had a 6-2-4 record. Reid posted a shutout, a 2.04 goal against average, and a .928 save percentage.
Game Six
Flyers 2, Oil Caps 1 OT4
Fifty-one second into the fourth overtime session, Jones scored to lift Winkler to the win in Virden. Before Jones’ goal, all of the game’s previous markers came in the first period. Zach Nicolas scored on a powerplay at the 8:31 mark of the first to put Winkler up 1-0. A little over a minute later, at 9:55 Lehto found the back of the net to tie things up at 1-1.
Reid made 47 saves. Flyers’ netminder Malachi Klassen turned away 36 shots.
Game Five
Flyers 2, Oil Caps 1 OT2
On April 13, for the second straight contest, Winkler and Virden battled into a second overtime session. Trent Penner scored the game winner for the host Flyers at 11:13 in the second overtime. It was the first time in the series that the home team had triumphed. The victory gave the Flyers a 3-2 series lead.
Both of the goals in regulation came in the second period. Zach Nicolas scored for Winkler, while Grady Lane replied, on a powerplay, for Virden.
Reid turned away 42 of the 44 shots that came his way. Klassen had 39 saves.
Game Four
Flyers 5, Oil Caps 4 OT2
Two overtime sessions were needed to decide the April 11 tilt. For the fourth time in as many games, it was the visitors who prevailed. Dalton Andrew scored at the 9:48 mark in the second OT session.
The contest was 1-1 after the first period. Winkler’s Zack Nicols scored and Oil Caps forward Evan Groening equalized. Virden led 3-2 at the second intermission. Oil Capitals David Bielik, on the powerplay, and Lehto scored with a goal by Winkler’s James Richards sandwiched in between.
Winkler opened the third period with goals scored by Jones, shorthanded, and Andrew to take a 4-3 lead. Virden’s Bazin scored shorthanded to even things up at 4-4.
Reid made 40 saves. Klassen stopped 26 of the 30 shots he faced.
