Content Provided By: Steinbach Online
To say it was a special teams battle might be an understatement as the Steinbach Pistons and Virden Oil Capitals combined for 15 minor penalties in what turned out to be a 3-1 Oil Caps win.
In the first period, the bar for penalties was set and it was a low bar. Steinbach was hit with a pair of infractions in the first five minutes, one of which was called hooking when the player who committed the alleged infraction had just one hand on his stick.
The Pistons managed to kill off both and get the game back to five-on-five, but it didn’t matter how many players were on the ice, the Pistons were the team responding to a quicker, more determined Oil Caps team.
In the later stages of the period, Steinbach was back on the penalty kill and they managed to generate a good-looking rush in transition. A glorious chance was turned away and then with the Pistons thinking more offensively, a pass was picked off and the Oil Caps stormed the other way. A two-on-one chance was stopped by Christian Green, who absolutely robbed the Oil Caps, but the rebound was left on the doorstep and Virden cashed in to open the scoring 1-0.
Shots were 10-6 in the first period. Steinbach was 3-4 on the penalty kill and 0-1 on the power play.
In the second, the shots tilted toward Steinbach but there wasn’t much happening through the bulk of the period, despite it being Steinbach’s turn for multiple power plays.
It took until the final couple of minutes for the period to finally get some speed, but the score held at 1-0 Virden.
Shots were 16-3 Steinbach. The Pistons were 0-4 on the power play and 2-2 on the penalty kill.
The third period brought more chances and more special teams opportunities.
Matt Munro got into a skirmish in the corner and ended up dropping the gloves with an Oil Caps forward. It was a solid tilt and both players were sent to the room early.
A few seconds later, another Pistons penalty would prove costly.
Right off the offensive zone faceoff, a point shot got through the netminder and just crept over the line. It was Virden’s first shot of the period and it came past the midway point of the period.
Virden celebrated the 2-0 goal.
Another power play, another power play goal for the home side.
A breakaway stretch pass sent in the Oil Caps forward all alone and he was hauled down while getting the shot away.
The Virden crowd hollered for a penalty shot but they didn’t get it, it was just a tripping penalty.
On that power play, the player that was hauled down and probably should have gotten the penalty shot, scored the goal to make it 3-0.
Grady Hoffman broke the shutout bid on a Steinbach power play, cutting the lead to 3-1.
Noah Szabo picked up one assist, giving him 98 career MJHL points and also Connor Paronuzzi, who picked up an assist giving him 17-games consecutively with a point. Paronuzzi is up to 89 points, putting him two away from Bradley Schoonbaert’s record 91.
Any hope for a comeback was snuffed out when Steinbach took an offensive zone penalty, sealing the much-needed victory for Virden, 3-1.
Shots finished 33-17 for Steinbach. The power play was 1-6, the penalty kill was 6-9.
Christian Green was saddled with the loss, but he was the main reason Steinbach was in the game, especially as the team waited until late in the second period to find their skating legs. Green held the fort.
Steinbach will be right back in action on Friday night as they are set to play their final game at the HyLife Centre in La Broquerie. They’ll be taking on the Northern Manitoba Blizzard. The drop of the puck is set for 7:00 p.m.