(Article courtesy of Dave Anthony at Steinbachonline.com)
On a rainy Friday night, the Steinbach Pistons walked into Winkler and rained on the Flyers’ opening night celebration, scoring twice in the third period to take the win 4-2, thanks in large part to strong special teams.
Special teams live up to the name
With a buzz in the Icon Arena, the Flyers came out strong, pushing the Pistons back into their defensive zone, but strong goaltending by 20-year-old Chris Quizi held the Pistons in the game.
The game wasn’t very old, and the Pistons’ penalty kill units were called on to keep the team afloat.
Three penalties in a row, including a 31-second 5-on-3, pushed the Pistons, but some timely saves by Quizi, on top of a gutsy block by Jack Greenwell, killed off the two-man-advantage, keeping the game 0-0 past the midway point of the period.
Later in the frame, it was Steinbach’s power play that would open the scoring.
Great puck movement by the power play allowed a lane to open up for Zhenya Miles, who walked in and wired a shot that looked as if it hit a Flyer body in front, evading the goalie and putting Steinbach up 1-0. Liam Doyle and Brett Kaiser picked up the assists.
On another power play a few minutes later, more slick puck movement opened things up for the Pistons, and it was a beautiful passing play starting with Kaiser, to Sam Noad, to Greenwell, to the back of the net.
2-0, Steinbach would be how the first period ended, with the Pistons going 2-2 on the power play, and 3-3 on the penalty kill in the frame.
Home side response
Unlike the first, it was the visiting team that started roaring early in the second, but the home team managed to survive and claw its way back.
Charlie Weaver managed to pick up a bouncing puck in the neutral zone, turned on the jets, blazing a trail right into the offensive zone, and flipped a puck over Quizi, cutting the lead to 2-1. Nik Gudmundson and Charles Bernier picked up the assists.
Gudmundson would pull the Flyers back to even, as the home team just managed to keep a puck in at the blueline, work it down low in front of the net, and it was the 20-year-old sniper who finished it off, bringing things back to even 2-2. Connor Vandal and Will Lyons were given the assists.
A big reason why the Flyers were able to tie the game was the strong play of goaltender Leif Ekblad. He was tested several times, coming up large and giving his team a chance to battle back and tie the game after two periods.
Game Winning Green
Things moved along swiftly in the third, with both teams refusing to give an inch of ice to the other. Things were tight, pucks were bouncing on both sides, and the pace was a little slower than it was to start the game.
Brody Green changed that.
The 17-year-old went full beast mode, starting the play in the neutral zone, shrugging off a check, then busting his way through the slot. Cullen Ingebritson delivered a perfect, tape-to-tape pass to Green, who was in full stride, and finished the play off by displaying his elite hands, scoring on a backhand to put Steinbach up 3-2.
Winkler pushed for the equalizer, but Steinbach refused to budge and sealed the game with an empty netter.
Evan Gradt, who had a whale of a game, worked hard to keep the puck in the offensive zone. Working from behind the goalline, Gradt put a puck out front, deflecting it off a Flyer and in to bring the score to 4-2. Ingebritson and Green each picked up their second points of the game.
Time ticked away, and Steinbach left the building with two points and a 4-2 win.
Steinbach’s power play finished 2-5, while the Winkler power play went 0-6.
Quizi picked up his first MJHL win, making 29 saves. Ekblad was saddled with the loss after stopping 27.
Rematch
Sunday will be the rematch, this time in Steinbach, with puck drop at the Southeast Event Centre at 6:00 p.m.
