Stamps begin weekend in Portage
Stampeders: 14-23-3-1 (5th in West) Power Play % (22.4% 7th in MJHL) Penalty Kill % (69.6% 12th in MJHL)
Terriers: 27-13-1-0 (3rd in East) Power Play % (19.7% 10th in MJHL) Penalty Kill % (77% 10th in MJHL)
Currently on their third win streak of the season of three or more games, the Stampeders will look for their fourth straight tonight as they take on the Portage Terriers for the third time this season.
Swan won the first matchup over the Terriers by a 6-3 score on home ice, then Portage was able to win 2-1 in overtime in the second meeting. The two teams will face each other twice more, with game 3 going tonight at Stride Place.
Swan has found some good success against the Terriers this season and will look to continue that going into tonight. Since the second half started, the Stampeders are a solid 8-4 and have the mentality and heart to believe they are capable of making the 2026 Turnbull Cup Playoffs.
The team is 7-1 in their last 8 games and are coming off one of their best performances of the year in Dauphin, as they blanked the Kings by a 4-0 score. Once again, Easton Falls made a whopping 64 saves in the win. However, they cannot get ahead of themselves, as this weekend will be quite the test of mettle for the Stampeders, who have shown that they can hang with the best.
Portage has been one of the more dominant teams at 5 on 5, however they have struggled in the second half of the season, having a record of 4-6 in 10 games since the break. They’re last game saw a 5-2 loss to the Pistons in Steinbach, but they have also faltered to the Selkirk Steelers and Waywayseecappo Wolverines in this second half. However, tonight has a chance to be quite the game between these two teams.
Players to Watch:
Stampeders: Ben Groome, Trace Langan, Wylie Smith
Terriers: Rhett Platt, Trevor Hill, Drayden Uhrina
Tonight’s game goes at 7:30 pm, while the Stampeders will meet the Winkler Flyers tomorrow night also at 7:30 pm.
