Tanner Mole scored the shootout winner in the fifth round as the Steinbach Pistons came back to beat the Dauphin Kings 5-4 in a thrilling shootout win.
In a back and forth game that had just about everything, Steinbach pulled through thanks to a late tying goal and a huge penalty kill in overtime that allowed them to pick up the extra point in the shootout.
Matt Radomsky made 38 saves in the win, and came up huge for his team in the extra session. Kings goalie Bryan Landsberger made 30 stops in the loss.
Mole got the scoring started 5:10 into the game, as he banged a rebound home for his 19th of the season to put Steinbach up 1-0. Tyson McConnell and the returning Boedey Vaeth picked up the assists.
Kyle Bettens put the Pistons up 2-0 just 29 seconds into the middle frame, as he intercepted a Dauphin defender and beat Landsberger on a breakaway.
The Kings fought back in the latter stages of the second, as Grady Hobbs and Kolby Johnson both had goal mouth markers to tie it up at 2 after 40 minutes of play.
Bryon Fobair gave Dauphin a 3-2 lead 47 seconds into the third period on a sharp angle goal. But the Pistons equalized on a highlight reel goal at the 4:57 mark of the third. The top line of Martin-Labossiere-Bettens broke in on a 3-on-1 rush, as Labossiere chipped the puck up to Martin. Brendan Martin played a give-and-go with Bettens and notched his 27th goal of the season to tie it up.
Fobair gave the Kings the lead three minutes later, as he potted home a rebound at the side of the net for a 4-3 Dauphin advantage.
That lead lasted until two minutes remaining in the third, as Head Coach Paul Dyck called a timeout with an offensive zone faceoff. Riley Vautour won the faceoff back to Troy Williams, who wristed one by a heavily screened Landsberger to make it 4-4.
Steinbach killed off a crucial OT power play, and controlled much of overtime. Nico Labossiere broke in on a 2-on-1 rush with Mole in the final seconds. His wrister rung square off the post, and the Pistons would have to win the extra point in a shootout.
After Boedey Vaeth scored in the second round and Nakodan Greyeyes staved off elimination for Dauphin, Mole won it in the fifth round with a wrister to the blocker side to win it for Steinbach.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Pistons went 0 for 1 on the power play, while Dauphin went 1 for 5 on their man advantages.
UP NEXT: Steinbach travels to Winkler tomorrow night for a matchup with the Flyers at 7:30 pm. Catch the action live on HockeyTV, or listen on your radio to MIX 96 and Steinbachonline.com with Dave Anthony on the call.