Content Provided By: Steinbach Online
With critical points on the line, the Steinbach Pistons gave up a pair of goals late in the third but the group didn’t quit and managed to find a way to get the job done in a shootout, defeating the Dauphin Kings 5-4 on Friday night.
It took the Pistons a few minutes to get their legs into the game but after killing a penalty, the Pistons tilted the ice heavily in their favour and wouldn’t let up.
Time after time, the Pistons forced the Kings into mistakes or turnovers, giving Steinbach more time to work in the offensive zone and opportunities to open the scoring.
On their first power play of the game, the Pistons would crack the scoreboard.
Sam Noad kept a puck in at the blueline and filtered a pass to Brett Kaiser who then quickly dished off to a wide open Ty Paisley who knocked home his 5th of the season and first since returning from injury.
Steinbach held a 10-3 advantage in shots through the first 20 minutes, were 2-2 on the penalty kill and took a 1-0 lead into the break.
Less than a minute into the second, it was Paisley again celebrating a goal as the 20-year-old snuck in behind the Kings defenders and after a Zhenya Miles point shot was tipped by Kaiser, the rebound found Paisley who made no mistake scoring his second of the night and 6th of the season to go up 2-0.
Miles would factor into the next goal as well as he followed the play into the offensive zone, took a back pass from Brayden Berg and wired a shot on goal. Noad who was working hard in front, managed to get a stick on the Miles shot, deflecting home his 10th of the year and second in as many games, putting Steinbach up 3-0.
Dauphin would cut into the lead shortly after to make it 3-1.
Brayden Barnett would restore the three goal lead as the Sheriff sauntered his way into the Kings zone, used the defender as a screen and leaned into a hard, heavy wrister putting all of his might and mustache into the shot which beat the Kings netminder clean for his 7th of the year.
MJHL scoring leader Connor Paronuzzi picked up one of the assists which now gives him points in 7 consecutive games. Spencer Penner, who prior to the game was named the Pistons player of the month for January, started the play off from his own zone and was rewarded with the secondary assist.
With time ticking away in the second, the Kings managed to cut the lead to 4-2, scoring with just 14 seconds left in the period.
It was a generally quiet third period. Both teams kind of going through the motions. Steinbach doing a good job not letting Dauphin get offence while the Kings kept working hard but struggled to get a foothold in the zone.
Once the Kings pulled the goalie, things changed.
The first goalie pull came with less than three minutes to go in the period. The extra attacker helped them generate a goal, making it 4-3.
The goalie went back in for the face off but didn’t stay in the net long and again, the Kings used the extra attacker to score, knotting the game up 4-4 with 33 seconds left in regulation.
Overtime was a chess match where neither team wanted to make a mistake allowing the other to capitalize. The game would need to be decided in a shootout.
Christian Green of Steinbach stood tall in the breakaway challenge giving his team an early opportunity to take advantage after the 20-year-old stopped the first Kings shooter.
Jamie Fuchs, back from injury, was the first shooter for Steinbach. He glided in, picked his spot and fired home a beauty goal to put the Pistons in control.
Green stepped up and made two more big time saves, giving his team the 5-4 shootout victory.
Steinbach’s power play finished the night 1-3 while the penalty kill was a perfect 2-2.
The Pistons are right back in action on Saturday night as they welcome in the Winkler Flyers to HyLife Centre.