Both Jackson Kostiuk and William Picklyk scored twice, while Brett Kaiser added three assists, as the Steinbach Pistons defeated the Winnipeg Blues 6-2 on Wednesday afternoon.
First period
With the game an afternoon match, one that was actually pushed back by 30 minutes from the original time, there was a weird vibe at the RHA Training Centre.
Winnipeg used that sleepy start by Steinbach to put up a couple of chances, but really couldn’t get anything going.
Steinbach didn’t fare much better in the generating chances department, though their best opportunity did come when Evan Gradt rang a shot off the post, but it stayed 0-0.
Nearing the midway point, William Picklyk displayed his elite shot by tucking a puck up and under the bar from a wicked angle, giving Steinbach a 1-0 lead. Eric Han and Cullen Ingebritson were given the assists.
For Picklyk, it moved him up to 11 goals on the year.
The Blues had an edge in shots early, but Steinbach picked up their play as the period went along, and brought their 1-0 lead into the intermission, leading in shots 14-10.
Second period
Less than thirty seconds into the period, Zhenya Miles sifted a wrist shot through traffic and made it a 2-0 contest. The 19-year-old defender celebrated his 7th goal of the season from Sam Noad and Brett Kaiser.
After the goal, the Pistons put on some pressure, but the Blues held tough, keeping it at 2-0.
Steinbach let their foot off the gas as the period went along, allowing the Blues to score twice in quick order, knotting the game up 2-2.
Picklyk was in the right place at the right time as he untied the game by scoring his second of the contest and 12th of the year, after some great work by the entire line kept the puck in at the line, then kept play alive in front of the net.
Luke Bogart and Han were given the assists on the 3-2 goal.
A late power play gave the Pistons the chance to restore their two-goal lead, and they did not let it pass them by.
Jackson Kostiuk, who was buzzing all game long, took a pass in the slot from Marek Miller, who himself had an excellent game, and buried his first since returning to Steinbach, bringing the score to 4-2 for the visitors. Kaiser nabbed his second point of the game on the power play goal.
The 4-2 score would hold for the rest of the period, and the Pistons continued to lead in shots 27-18 after forty minutes.
Third period
Penalty trouble gave the Blues a glimmer of hope, but Noad and Kostiuk extinguished it, combining to score a short-handed beauty, making it a 5-2 game.
Noad finished off the sweet feed from Kostiuk, giving the captain 8 goals on the year, and goals in three straight games for the first time this year.
Kostiuk finished the scoring by netting his second of the game from Noad and Kaiser, as the trio finished off a very solid game, putting Steinbach up 6-2.
Hunter Bauer was solid throughout the contest and picked up his 6th win of the year, making 27 saves.
Steinbach’s power play was 1-3 while the penalty kill was spectacular, including killing off two five-on-three’s for the Blues, both of which took place in the third period. One was 44 seconds, the other was just over a minute, but the Pistons killed everything off to finish 6-6.
Game notes
Chris Quizi backed up Bauer. It was the first time Quizi was in uniform since being hurt in mid-November.
William Picklyk has 8 goals in his last 7 games. He also 3 multi-goal games in his last six contests.
Jackson Kostiuk has 5 points in 2 games since returning to the lineup for Steinbach.
Sam Noad has goals in three straight, has a point streak of four games, and has put up 7 points in that span.
Brett Kaiser has 5 assists in his last 3 games.
Marek Miller has 4 assists in his last 3 games.
Steinbach’s penalty kill is number 1 in the MJHL at 88.2%.
Up next
Steinbach will load up the bus and head to Dauphin on Friday night for the first half of a home-and-home set with the Kings. The return matchup will be at the Southeast Event Centre a week later.
Article Courtesy of Steinbachonline.com – Picture courtesy of Patrick Friesen
