Luke Bellerose and Tanner Mole scored, and Matt Radomsky made 28 saves as the Steinbach Pistons shut out the Portage Terriers 2-0 Wednesday night at the TG Smith Centre.
For Radomsky, it is his league-leading 8th shutout of the season, which is five ahead of Troy Martyniuk (3). Lasse Petersen was the starter for Portage, and he matched Radomsky by making 47 saves but takes the loss in the process.
Wednesday’s game was the final regular season home game for Steinbach, and the Terriers coming to town had a buzz throughout the building all night. Bellerose brought the fans to their feet early in the first, as he took a centering 2-on-1 pass from Brendan Martin and tapped it past Petersen for a 1-0 lead. The goal was Bellerose’s third as a Piston at 3:16 of the first period.
The Pistons outshot the Terriers 17-11 in the first period, but could not score in the frame. The beginning of the second was much of the same, as both sides kept each other out of the middle of the ice. At 4:52 of the period, the Pistons found offence as Mole deflected a Mark Wilson point shot past Petersen for a 2-0 lead. Mole netted his 7th of the year from Wilson and Easton Bennett.
After the second goal, the Pistons started to turn up the pressure, but Petersen turned them away time and time again.
The crowd was once again brought back to life early in the third period, as Bellerose and Portage forward Jared Roy dropped the gloves in an entertaining tilt. With Bellerose kicked out of the game, Mole was tasked with double-shifting on two Piston lines. The result was more Mole highlights, throwing his body around and creating odd-man rushes in the frame. The final five minutes Radomsky shined, turning away the Terriers at every turn.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Pistons were 0 for 6 on the power play, while the Terriers went 0 for 3.
UP NEXT: The Pistons hit the road for the final game of the regular season, when they take on the Winkler Flyers on Friday at the Winkler Recreational Complex. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 pm. The Pistons will be back in action next Friday and Saturday March 9 and 10 to open the first round of the MJHL playoffs, when they will take on the Swan Valley Stampeders.