FULL GAME HIGHLIGHTS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swsOxG51mBg
The Steinbach Pistons fell to the Winkler Flyers by a score of 5-4 in OT in game 1 of the quarterfinals.
The Flyers opened the scoring a minute and a half into the first period. Jayce Legaarden got the puck out front to Xyon Kiemeney who then tapped it past Dominik Wasik to make it 1-0.
Steinbach would answer back with a powerplay goal at the 7:35 mark of the first period. Parker Jasper got the puck at the point, putting it on net with Leo Chambers tipping the puck in the high slot and into the net.
Steinbach would kill off two penalties in the back half of the period to keep the game tied 1-1 going into the first intermission.
Winkler would get to work quickly in the second period, scoring 40-seconds into the period. Winkler dumped the puck in with it hitting off Langley Kruggel and centering to Brody Beauchemin who then tried to get it to a cutting Flyers player but put it off Landon Roberts skate and into the net to make it 2-1.
Steinbach would tie the game up 2-2 with another powerplay goal 5-minutes later. Travis Hensrud got the puck out of a scrum at the side boards to Warren Clark at the point who then cycled it to Ian Amsbaugh at the left faceoff dot with him getting it through Malachi Klassen.
Steinbach would take their first lead of the game with two and a half minutes remaining in the second period. Winkler tried to clear the puck out of their zone with the puck hitting Kirk Mullen’s skate and going to Ty Paisley out front who flipped the puck over Klassen and into the net to make it 3-2.
Steinbach would go into the second intermission up 3-2 but was assessed a tripping penalty right as time expired so they would start the third period on a 5 on 3 penalty kill as they already were shorthanded.
Winkler would have another hot start to a period as they would tie the game up on the powerplay 53-seconds into the period. Trent Sambrook gave a beautiful backdoor feed to Gavin Waltz on the doorstep who jammed it over the pad of Wasik to make it 3-3.
Two minutes later the Pistons would restore the one goal lead, making it 4-3. Travis Hensrud dropped the puck off for Neo Kiemeney in the offensive zone who tried to get the puck to Landon Roberts down low, but it hit off a Flyers player and went into the net.
Steinbach would try to lock it down and close out the game, but the Flyers would strike again with just under 4-minutes remaining in the game to make it 4-4. Zach Nicolas made two beautiful moves around Piston’s defenders and then put the puck past Wasik from the high slot.
Neither team could find the go-ahead goal so the game would have to head to OT to find a winner. Fourteen seconds into OT Nick Mikan would be assessed his second hit to the head penalty so the Pistons would be sent to the PK yet again and Mikan’s evening would be done.
Steinbach would successfully kill off the penalty but before an attacker could get back into the play the Flyers would find twine, winning game 1. Wasik made a nice save on the first attempt but Jayce Legaarden would find the loose puck on the doorstep and put it past Wasik to win the game.