OCN defenseman Matt Greening scored 8:12 into double overtime as the Winkler Flyers dropped Game Three 4-3, seeing their lead in the best of seven opening round series cut to 2-1. Will Blake, Coltyn Bates and Collin Caulfield scored for the Flyers who will now look to rebound in Game Four in Winkler on Wednesday night.

With the series moving back to Winkler after two Flyer wins in OCN, the Orange and Black were looking to take a strangle hold lead with a win on home ice. The Blizzard on the other hand were trying to get back into the series after two losses at home, and a win in Game Three would at least guarantee a Game Five back in OCN on Friday night.

After giving up the first goal in the first two games, the Blizzard struck first on a power-play goal by Daylon Campbell just 6:27 into the first period. The Flyers tied the game 1-1 with a power-play goal of their own later in the period. Taking the pass from Garrett Kuklica, Brody Moffatt sent a one-timer on net, and after goaltender Emilien Boily stopped the shot with his right pad, Will Blake was there to deposit the rebound for his first of the post-season.

The Flyers took their first lead of the night just 30 seconds into the second period when Coltyn Bates found the puck during a goal mouth scramble and gave Winkler a 2-1 lead. Matt Christian and Weiland Parrish drew the assists. It was a good middle period for the Flyers who took their one goal lead into the third.

The third period started with a missed opportunity for Winkler as they failed to capitalize on a lengthy 5-on-3 power-play to start the period. Just past the five minute mark of the third, OCN seemed to generate some momentum from a fight between Anthony Keeper and Winkler forward Weiland Parrish and before the period was six minutes old, OCN had tied the game 2-2 and just 31 seconds after that they scored again to take a 3-2 lead.

With Winkler now needing a goal to tie, they went back on the power-play with under five minutes left in regulation. Riding an eight game point streak, Mitch Dyck played the puck from the Blizzard blueline down the left wing wall to Matt Christian. From there, Christian sent a hard pass to the right wing slot to Collin Caulfield who wired home the game tying goal with 3:56 left in the third period.

After the game remained tied 3-3 for the rest of regulation as well as the 10 minute first overtime period, the game went into the fifth period for the second time in the series. But unlike Game One, which went the Flyers way on a goal by Lucas Barker, the Blizzard would get the job done this time thanks to a goal by Matt Greening with 8:12 gone in period five.

The Blizzard outshot the Flyers 56-53 in the game. Winkler went 2-for-8 on the power-play and 3-for-4 on the penalty-kill.

The Flyers will host the Blizzard in Game Four of the series on Wednesday night. The Flyers continue to lead the series 2-1. Puck drop at the Winkler Recreation Complex is 7:30pm. You can catch the game live on Country 88.9FM and online at www.pembinavalleyonline.com with Darrell Wheeler’s pregame show getting underway at 7:25pm. You can also watch the game live on www.hockeytv.com

GREAT CANADIAN OIL CHANGE THREE STARS
1ST STAR – D MATT GREENING (OCN)
2ND STAR – F MATT CHRISTIAN (WINKLER)
3RD STAR – F JESSE ROACH (OCN)

GAME STATS