QVHHL Update - January 10th, 2022

Welcome to 2022. We have had a few games postponed in the last few weeks. These games have been postponed either for weather or as safety precautions. We are doing the best we can and the league has made it very clear to the teams that if there is any concern for their safety then games will be postponed. 

This past weekend we had two excellent games played. On Friday evening the Grenfell Spitfires scored with 1:18 left to come out of Lumsden with a 5-4 victory despite being outshot 63-21. The Spitfires built up a 4-0 lead only to have Lumsden come back with two goals in the second period and two more in the third period to tie the game up. The Spitfires also got into a bit of penalty trouble late in the first period and survived a 5 on 3 for over three minutes. Sanford King scored twice, the first goal and the winner and Lane Harbor scored the natural hat trick in between which included a power play goal. Mitch Kilgore stopped 59 shots and picked up his league leading seventh win of the year. Kyle Johnson scored twice for the Monarchs. Kevin DuFour and Dale Spelchen also scored for Lumsden. Dawson McCauley was in net for the Monarchs. Lumsden had 3 minor penalties and Grenfell had 5 minor penalties and a major penalty.

On Saturday evening the Southey Marlins hosted the Milestone Flyers. The Marlins were coming off a 5-4 loss on New Years day to the Grenfell Spitfires and then a 5-4 loss at home to the Lumsden Monarchs this past Tuesday. On Saturday evening there was no scoring in the first period. In the second period Brayden Cockwill scored a short handed goal for the Flyers and just 11 seconds later Landon Walters scored a power play goal. Jacob Cardiff would score for the Flyers to give them a 2-1 lead but Walters would score again in the last minute of the period and the game was tied 2-2 going into the third period. Derek Frater would score in the first minute of the third period to give the Marlins their first lead of the evening. Midway through the period Austin Yano would score to tie the game up. This gamne would go into overtime and Jacob Cardiff would score his second goal of the night and the Flyers got out of Southey with a 4-3 OT win. Thomas Spence picked up the win in the Milestone net and Kevin Orthner was in the Southey net. Southey had five minor penalties and Milestone had four minor penalties and one double minor penalty.

We have a three way tie for the scoring race. Kyle Johnson and Kevin DuFour from the Monarchs have 22 points and are tied with Logan Gorsalitz from the Flyers. Lane Harbor is fourth and leads the league with 14 goals scored. Arthur Miller from the Marlins rounds out the top five with 18 points. Kale Haylock and Lane Harbor from the Spitfires lead all scorers with 4 power play goals each. Logan Gorsalitz from the Flyers leads all scorers with 3 game winning goals. Brayden Cockwill from the Flyers leads all scorers with 2 short handed goals. Mitch Kilgore from the Spitfires leads all goalies with 7 wins and a 2.43 GAA. Thomas Spence from the Flyers is next 4 wins and a 2.98 GAA and teammate Riley Ross is next with 4 wins and a 2.99 GAA.

The Spitfires continue to lead the league with a power play clicking at a 37.9% success rate. The top penalty kill  unit belongs to the Milestone Flyers with a 84.1% success rate.

One game is scheduled on Tuesday evening. The Balcarres Broncs (5-3-0) are in Grenfell to play the first place Spitfires (8-1-0) at 8:15. On Friday evening the Milestone Flyers (8-2-0) are in Balcarres to play the Broncs at 8:30 p.m. Also on Friday evening the Grenfell Spitfires are on the road against the Odessa/Vibank Bruins (4-4-1) at 8:30 p.m. On Saturday evening the Lumsden Monarchs (5-5-0) are in Milestone to play the Flyers and the Grenfell Spitfires are in Bethune to play the Bulldogs (0-9-0). Both games are at 8:00 p.m. On Sunday the Odessa/Vibank Bruins are in Lumsden to play the Monarchs at 5;30 p.m.

Provincials are upon us. If you follow Monday Nooner on Twitter @MondayNooner they will be on line with the Provincial draw at 6 p.m. on Wednesday. If you haven't checked out Monday Nooner please do, they are wonderful supporters of senior hockey in Saskatchewan.

Please follow us @HighwayHockey, @GeraldT or @QVHHL to keep up to date on our league.

Thank you for supporting senior hockey and please get out to a game near you. 

Gerry