The St. Albert Merchants put their 16-game winning streak on the line tonight against the Stony Plain Flyers in the Capital Junior B Hockey League.
Faceoff is 8 p.m. at Glenn Hall Centennial Arena.
In league play the Merchants (27-2-1) are first and the Flyers (13-15-1) are fifth in the west division.
Last weekend the Merchants continued their winning ways by defeating the Beverly Warriors 6-4 in a penalty-filled affair at Londonderry Arena and the Leduc Riggers 3-2 at Akinsdale Arena.
The Merchants and Beverly (15-15) combined for 167 penalty minutes. The majority of the infractions were called during a wild six-goal second period as the visitors outscored the home team 4-2. Josh Jewell potted a pair, including a shorthanded effort, and Casey Reid and Jared Kwasney also tallied in the second.
Taylor Wiebe made it 1-1 in the first and Brent McGugan’s insurance marker closed out the scoring with 12:40 to play.
Jewell, the team leader in goals with 21 and points with 48 in 26 games, also picked up one assist. Liam and Mitch McNamara had two assists apiece.
The Merchants converted two power-play chances and Beverly struck three times with the man advantage.
Justin Pawlenchuk (18-1, 2.42 GAA) stopped 34 shots for the win.
Sandan Hunter’s sixth goal of the season was the winner against Leduc in the third as the Merchants improved to 14-1-1 on home ice.
Blair Macuch and Reid potted goals in the first and Leduc (12-15-3) replied with a pair in the second.
Max Cathcart (9-2, 2.07 GAA) faced 30 Leduc shots.
Friday the Merchants visit the Beaumont Chiefs (14-13-3) at 8 p.m.
Dalen Paul’s overtime goal was the difference as the Morinville Kings knocked off the North Central Hockey League champion Devon Barons 4-3 with first-place on the line in north standings Friday.
Brayden Arcand and Tim Nolte assisted Paul’s second of the night and his team-leading 15th goal.
Shane O’Neill and Matt McRae also scored in support of netminder Jordan Panasiuk, the game’s first star with 48 saves. The Kings were credited with 26 shots on goal.
The Kings also killed off 10 of 11 power plays against the Barons (9-2-2), formerly the Legal Vipers.
Saturday the Kings (11-3) dealt the Athabasca Aces (5-10) a 5-3 loss at Ray McDonald Sports Centre.
Ryan Martin, Jorey McRae, Joshua Lafleche, Chris Fraser and O’Neill scored and Curtis Ronaldson was between the pipes.
The next game for the Kings, the host team at the March 28 to 30 senior AA/A provincials, is Saturday at the Slave Lake Winterhawks (6-7-1) at 8:30 p.m.
