Blues beat out the Freeze in final Battle of Winnipeg

Winnipeg, MB – The Winnipeg Blues beat out the Winnipeg Freeze 4-3 on Thursday night, in what was the lone late night game across the MJHL.

The final game between the two inner-city rivals ended in a 4-3 win for the Blues after Campbell Epp scored the game winner on the powerplay sixteen minutes into the third period.

The Freeze led the majority of the game with two quick goals six minutes apart in the first from Carter Kingerski. However the Blues would respond come late in the period with a goal from Evan Gradt.

Thing’s got pretty heated quickly, as a collision involving Freeze forward, Ty Genik and Blues defenceman, Shane Fetterley escalated into a collison full speed down the ice into the Blues netminder, Samuel Couture.

Things would stay chippy in the second period, but the Blues would tie it up with another goal from Evan Gradt, his second of the game and tenth of the season, coming three minutes and twenty-two seconds in.

The Freeze would respond with a goal of their own with .3 seconds remaining on the clock from their captain back from long-term injury, Thomas Stewart.

In the third, the Blues would get to work. Already down a goal, speedy Branden Watson would pick up on a loose puck and bury it past the Freeze netminder for his third of the season.

Late in the third, the Winnipeg Freeze’s Cam Sarna would get an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for shooting the puck after the play.

On the ensuing powerplay, Campbell Epp would find the back of the net for his ninth goal of the season and the game winner.

The Blues will go into the evening with their 9th win of the season, and are back in action tomorrow, as they travel north-west to face off against the Waywayseecappo Wolverines for the first time away from home.

You can catch every Blues game on Flohockey.tv or listen across the Gametimeradio Manitoba network found at our website or on mixlr.com.

Photo Credit – Ryan Sawatzky

Written By – Tyler Cyr