The Niverville Nighthawks used a third-period scoring surge to pull away from the Winnipeg Monarchs in an 8–4 victory, extending their winning streak to 15 games and improving to 39–2–1 on the season.
After seeing a 3–0 lead trimmed to 3–2 by the end of the second, Niverville struck three times in a 2:09 span early in the third to lock up their thirty-ninth win of the season.
After a scoreless first period, the Nighthawks finally cracked the deadlock early in the second. With the Monarchs hemmed in their own zone and a tired group on the ice, Evan Panzer controlled the puck behind the net before sliding a perfect pass across the crease to Parker Rolston, who beat Dylan McFadyen to give Niverville a 1–0 lead.
Moments later, Monarchs forward Cam Alt nearly tied the game on a three-on-one rush, but Nighthawks goaltender Austin Dubinsky came up with a great save, sliding across to deny Alt and preserve the lead. That stop proved pivotal.
Just over a minute later, Marlen Edwards carried the puck down the left wing and found Merik Boles in the slot. Boles then buried the chance to double the Nighthawks’ advantage. The assist extended Edwards’s point streak to 10 games.
Niverville added another late in the frame when Parker Carrier sent a hard cross-ice feed to John Scott at the side of the crease. Scott was stopped twice by McFadyen but stayed with the play and eventually knocked home the rebound to make it 3–0.
That was the beginning of a big night for Scott.
It has been said that a 3–0 lead is the most dangerous lead in hockey, and that was true in the latter part of the second period as the Monarchs responded with two goals to cut the deficit to one.
After a defensive zone faceoff win, Mason Munday moved the puck up to Alt, whose shot was stopped by Dubinsky, but Andre Cho pounced on the rebound to make it 3–1.
Moments later, the Nighthawks gave up their second three-on-one of the period and this time the Monarchs made them pay, on a goal by Alt, trimming the lead to 3–2 heading into the intermission.
Any momentum the Monarchs had was quickly erased early in the third period as the Nighthawks exploded for four goals before the midway point of the third.
Hayden Wheddon got things started, sending the puck down low to Boles, who circled the net and returned the feed to Wheddon at the top of the crease. Wheddon’s quick release beat McFadyen to restore Niverville’s two-goal lead.
Just 11 seconds later, the Nighthawks struck again. Dawson Zeller retrieved a dump-in and found Kole Mears, whose shot was stopped, but the puck trickled into the crease where Loik Leduc knocked it home for his twentieth goal of the season, making it 5–2. Leduc is the third Nighthawk to reach the 20-goal mark, behind Wheddon and Adam Vigfusson, who both have 23.
The floodgates were officially open. Less than two minutes later, Rolston collected his second goal of the night from inside the crease to push the lead to 6–2, marking his first two-goal game of the season and his eighth goal overall.
John Scott continued his big night by snapping a shot past McFadyen from the left circle to make it 7–2, giving him a career-high four points in the game.
The Monarchs got one back on the power play when Alt’s shot from the left circle eluded Dubinsky, but the response was immediate. Just 31 seconds later, Niverville capitalized on a power play of their own as Edwards tipped in an Aaron Krestanowich shot to restore the five-goal cushion.
The scoring wasn’t done yet. With the Monarchs holding a four-on-three advantage, Thomas Gale was left open in the slot and ripped a shot past Dubinsky to make it 8–4, capping a wild third period that saw seven combined goals. Alt finished the night with four points.
Niverville outshot the Monarchs 56–30, while Dubinsky improved to an MJHL-best 26–2–0–1 on the season.
The victory extends the Nighthawks’ winning streak to 15 games. They’ll have a chance to tie the franchise record of 16 straight wins, a record they set earlier this season, when they wrap up their seven-game goad trip in Winkler on Friday night.
Niverville returns home Saturday night to host the Virden Oil Capitals at the CRRC. Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m.