After losing two of their previous three games, the Dauphin Kings rebounded in a big way.
After killing off a four-minute power-play early, the Kings came back with a solid effort in scoring a 3-2 victory over the league-leading Steinbach Pistons, Friday in Dauphin.
The next night, six different players found the back of the net, including Alex Senf scoring what has become known as a Michigan goal, in a 6-1 win over the Swan Valley Stampeders, in Swan River.
Kings head coach and general manager Doug Hedley liked the team’s work ethic against the Pistons.
“We were hard on pucks. We were relentless in the D zone. Our battles in the corners, they got better as the game went on and we started winning stick battles,” he said, adding the Kings limited Steinbach’s opportunities in front of the net. “They’re a team that really goes to the net and funnels and makes short plays. In fact the play they got to tie the game was a small play in front of the net that they go to hard,” he said. “So I thought overall, our game was good. And then we found a way to rebound, get a goal and really shut it down.”
Just seven seconds into the game, defenceman Karson Raymond was assessed a double minor for high sticking, but the Kings were able to kill off Steinbach’s four-minute power play.
“It’s always tough on a team at the start of a game because you’re not into your rhythm and timing. So if you’re going to be down four minutes, I guess that’s one of the better times to be shorthanded,” Hedley said. “But that was a big kill by our penalty kill units. They did a great job all weekend.”
It took the offence a while to get going on Saturday in Swan River.
After skating to a 1-1 tie after the first period, Dauphin’s offence exploded for four goals in the middle frame, including a highlight reel “Michigan” goal by Alex Senf.
With the Stampeders out of playoff contention, Hedley said it is always tough when playing a team that is loose.
“They want to go out and play for next year. So they’re playing loose, their sticks are loose and they’re working hard. In the first period, we started okay, we just didn’t finish real strong in the first and then got better in the second,” he said, adding the team’s work ethic took over in the latter stages of the game. According to Hedley, the players were all jumping up and down when Senf scored his goal.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen it live. But good for Senfy. It’s a tough thing to do and definitely not easy or a lot more people would do it,” he said. “But he had time. There wasn’t a lot of pressure behind the net, so he had some time and kind of surprised everybody.”
The Kings are home to the Stampeders, tonight, before heading out on the road, Friday, to play the Terriers in Portage.
On Saturday, the Kings are back home to host the Niverville Nighthawks, who recently fired their first-ever head coach and general manager Kelvin Cech.
All three games begin at 7:30 p.m.
Hedley is looking for more of the same kind of effort in the three contests.
“We’ve just got to focus on what we do and our good habits and stay consistent and try to keep that work ethic, that compete level and be hard on pucks up. It doesn’t matter regardless of who we’re playing, we’re focusing on what we do and where we’re going. That’s the key to our success, is the consistency and the work ethic,” he said.
