The OCN Blizzard scored two goals in a span of 26 seconds in the third period in a 3-2 win over the visiting Winkler Flyers on Friday night. In the first of two straight games up in OCN, the Flyers were unable to hold on to their third period lead seeing their record slip to 12-11-2.

Making the trip to OCN for the first time this season, the Flyers and Blizzard had another tight, entertaining affair. The first meeting of the year back in Winkler saw the Flyers win 1-0 in overtime. It was a penalty filled first period and the Blizzard scored first on the power-play with 3:20 left before intermission.

Winkler tied the game in the middle frame with a power-play goal of their own, and it came off the stick of Brody Moffatt who laid into a one-timer with 9:31 left in the period. Raihan Kheraj and Trent Halfdanson assisted on Moffatt’s eighth of the season.

The Flyers’ special teams would get them another goal to start the third period, as Jayden McCarthy stripped an OCN defender of the puck at the Winkler blueline during a Blizzard power-play and went in and scored on a breakaway to move the visitors in front 2-1.

Winkler put together a number of good shifts after that and carried their one goal lead late into the third. Then with 6:38 left in regulation, OCN tied the game with a tip in front of the net and just 26 seconds later they added another one on a two on one and the home side was back in front 3-2.

Despite their best efforts with the goaltender out in favour of the extra attacker the Flyers could not get the equalizer and would fall one goal short.

Britt League played well in goal despite the loss making 35 saves. OCN outshot Winkler 38-30. Winkler went 1-for-5 on the power-play and 6-for-7 on the penalty-kill.

The Flyers will play the Blizzard again on Saturday night at the Gordon Lathlin Memorial Centre in OCN. Puck drop is 7pm with Matt Friesen’s pregame show on Country 88 and online at www.pembinavalleyonline.com getting underway at 6:55pm. You can also stream the game live on www.hockeytv.com.

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