The Dauphin Kings rebounded from their first loss of the season with two of their best games of the year, last week.
After dropping a 2-1 decision to the Selkirk Steelers, Oct. 1, Dauphin scored a 3-1 victory over the Virden Oil Capitals, Oct 5, followed by a dominating 6-2 win over the Neepawa Titans, Friday night.
All three games were at Credit Union Place.
Kings head coach and general manager Doug Hedley felt the Kings played a complete game against Virden.
“I thought our back pressure was outstanding and our even number and odd-man rushes. They’ve got a good team. They can be creative on the offence and we did give up some chances, but Sheff (goaltender Cole Sheffield) made some good saves when he had to,” he said. “But for the most part, we really had some good D-to-D and out. We had good exits, good speed through the neutral zone and we were patient enough to finally get some goals. That’s so important.”
Neepawa took a 1-0 lead late in the first period, while the Kings were creating all kinds of opportunities. The Kings eventually tied the game midway through the second period.
Dauphin broke the game open in the third, with five goals, to pull away with the victory.
“The work ethic and compete just finally caught up to them and we just found a way to score. The last two games have been really good.”
Even in the game against Selkirk, Hedley said, the Kings didn’t play that badly, but the Steelers worked hard and outworked the Kings at times. And they took advantage of their power-play opportunities.
Against Virden and Neepawa, Dauphin maintained its discipline allowing just one power-play chance in each game.
The entire lineup is playing well right now. Hedley noted the line of Gavin Nemis, Ethan Williment and Madden Murray had speed every shift, with Nemis picking up an assist with a backhand feed to Jordan Bax on a back door play.
“That’s an elite play, that kind of backhand pass right on the tape. That’s what the kid is. He’s a 17-year-old that’s got some tremendous upside. And Williment just compliments that line. Whether it’s with (Rhett) Perrin or Murray, they really work their butt off and I thought Murray was real good tonight,” he said.
The three rookie defencemen - Trey Gnetz, Karson Raymond and Aiden Murray - comprising the team’s third defensive pairing has excelled all season.
“They’re tireless. Their compete is unbelievable. Gnetz never gives up. Too many times he makes a move, but if he does lose a battle or lose the puck, he works his butt off to get back and you can’t ask for anything more,” Hedley said. “The whole game is about mistakes. If you make a mistake, it’s how hard you work to get it back that makes a difference. And that’s why he’s a difference maker, for sure.”
When the defence does make a mistake, Sheffield is there to shut the door. Through his first five games, the reigning goaltender of the month has a stingy 1.60 GAA and .931 save percentage.
Dauphin’s offence will get a boost with the addition of forward Cayden Glover, who was reassigned to the team by the Western Hockey League’s Prince George Cougars, last week.
After recording 40 points with the U18 Brandon Wheat Kings, Glover was drafted early by the Medicine Hat Tigers and signed there as a 16-year-old and was later traded to Prince George.
Last season, he scored seven goals and 12 points in 51 games.
Hedley said Glover is a good player that has a huge upside.
“We just want him to have fun again, get some touches and get some minutes and I know he’s going to contribute to our hockey club, for sure,” he said.
The Kings have just one game this week, a rematch with the Titans, Saturday at Credit Union Place at 7:30 p.m.
The team took the weekend off for Thanksgiving and will get back on the ice this week.
Kings court:
The game against Selkirk, Oct. 1, was head coach Doug Hedley’s 600th game as coach of the Kings . . . Dauphin sits atop the MGEU West Division with a 5-1-0-0 record and have allowed just 10 goals through the first six games. Only the 6-0-0-0 Winkler Flyers have allowed fewer goals against, giving up nine in their first six tilts.
