String of wins see Sugar Kings peaking at the right time

After winning three games in four days over the Family Day weekend, the Elmira Sugar Kings look to be in top form at just the right time.

“Over the past few weeks we have had some tough back-to-backs and the guys have played very well,” said Keith Stewart, the club’s director of hockey operations. “We really like our group and are confident heading into the playoffs.”

There’s just one game remaining on the regular season schedule, and with their 4-3 victory over the Kitchener Dutchmen February 15 at the WMC, the squad clinched first place in the Greater Ontario Hockey League’s Midwestern Conference.

Taking top spot was a big deal for the group, Stewart said.

“Finishing in first was our goal from the start of the year. It brings the scheduling advantage of having the extra home game in each series, and that really helps. Our fans have been fantastic, they really get our guys going.”

That game against Kitchener was a seesaw battle right to the bitter end.

The Dutchies opened the scoring late in the first period.

In the second, Cash Seraphim tied things up on a goal assisted by Mitch Klie and Mitch Wright.

Ethan Skinner gave the home side the lead five minutes into the third, but it wouldn’t last long, as Kitchener squared it up at 6:46.

Then, Steven Jakiela (Marselis Subban, Alex Uttley) and Skinner (Zac Coulter, Brendan Schneider) scored the next two to give the Kings a bit of breathing room.

Kitchener added another goal late but it wasn’t enough, Elmira picked up the win, ensuring themselves home ice advantage all the way through the Cherrey Cup, should they get that far.

Two nights earlier the Kings played an 8-3 laugher against the Bombers at Brampton’s Victoria Park Arena.

The visitors got things going in a hurry, as Cash Seraphim (Klie) and Skinner (Coulter, Subban) both found the back of the net in the first two and a half minutes.

The home side got one back before Skinner (Adam Brubacher, Schneider) and Coulter (Kevin Gergely) picked up a pair.

The Bombers made it a two goal game with one of their own to close out the frame, but that’s as close as they would get.

Klayton Hoelscher scored twice in the second (Subban, Chad Herron on the first and Rob Kohli, Brodie Whitehead on the second) while the Bombers picked up one.

And the third was all Kings, as Klie (Seraphim, Kohli) and Seraphim (Klie, Gergely) closed things out.

On Monday the Kings played host to the Listowel Cyclones in front of a packed house of 1,155 fans.

And they didn’t disappoint.

Schneider got things rolling just 1:38 in on a goal assisted by Coulter and Mac Clutsam. The Cyclones tied things up at 16:18 before a pair of late Kings markers by Wright (Seraphim, Klie) and Klie (Seraphim, Whitehead) made it 3-1 heading into the second.

The middle stanza was scoreless, though a stopped penalty shot by the King’s backup tender Andrew Lefebvre got the fans out of their seats.

The visitors got one goal back in the third but they couldn’t climb all the way out of the hole, and the Kings squeaked out a 3-2 victory.

After a road game in Listowel Friday, the Kings have just one more matchup, February 22 against Brantford at the WMC, before rolling into the playoffs.

As the postseason begins, keep an eye out for the red-hot Skinner. In the month of February the rookie sniper has seven goals and an assist in seven games.