The line of Eric Fawkes, Colton Friesen and Josh Kagan accounted for 10 points combined in a losing effort as Winkler dropped an 8-4 decision to the visiting Winnipeg Blues on Saturday night.

The Flyers, who have just five games left in the regular season schedule, trail the Waywayseecappo Wolverines by four points in the race for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.

The Wolverines have two games in hand on Winkler.

The Flyers kept the game close through 40 minutes, only to see the Blues open it up in the third period.

The game featured two teams headed in different directions as the Flyers entered play on a five-game losing streak, while the Blues had won their last four games having scored a total of 33 goals during that span.

Winnipeg started the first period with two goals, including one on the power-play and the Flyers trailed 2-0 before the game was four minutes old. Winkler got one back later in the period when Colton Friesen sent a shot under the arm of Blues goaltender Jeremy Link, cutting the Blues’ lead to 2-1.

The visitors regained their two goal advantage early in the second, scoring just moments after a failed Winkler power-play. The Flyers would make a game of it in the minutes to follow as Garrett Kuklica and Eric Fawkes assisted on Colton Friesen’s second of the game just over two minutes later, and the Flyers were back to within one.

Then with 8:46 left in the middle frame, Josh Kagan and Eric Fawkes sent the puck up to Garrett Kuklica at the point who scored his second goal of the season to tie the game 3-3. Unfortunately for Winkler, the Blues would score twice before intermission and the Flyers trailed 5-3 after 40 minutes.

It was an emotional third period that started with another Winnipeg goal and the Flyers trailed 6-3. Just nine seconds after the Blues scored their seventh goal of the night, Eric Fawkes scored his 12th goal of the season, earning his fourth point of the night to make the score 7-4 Winnipeg with 3:16 left in regulation. Josh Kagan and Colton Friesen both earned their third points of the night on Fawkes’ third goal in his last four games.

Before the end, the Blues scored again and would go on to win the game 8-4. The Flyers finished their six game regular season series against Winnipeg with a 3-2-1 record.

Riley Morgan, who has started 12 of the last 13 games made 26 saves in the loss. The Blues outshot Winkler 34-32 overall. Winkler went 0-for-4 on the power-play and 2-for-3 on the penalty-kill.

The Flyers will be back in action on Monday afternoon when they take on the Steinbach Pistons. Puck drop at the TG Smith Centre is 2:30pm with Matt Friesen’s pregame show getting underway on Country 88 and online at www.pembinavalleyonline.com at 2:25pm. You can also watch the game live on www.hockeytv.com

 

FULL PHOTO GALLERY AND VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS HERE

 

GAME STATS