Tanner Mole had two goals, including the game-winner early in the second as the Pistons picked up their first win of the new season beating the Winkler Flyers 6-2.
Head Coach Paul Dyck called this their most complete performance of the young season, with all four lines and three D-pairs seemingly on their game from the start.
“Everyone was competing at a much higher level, and we were winning more of our puck battles,” Dyck said shortly after the final buzzer. “It’s always satisfying as a coach to get contributions from all four lines.”
The Pistons controlled the first two periods, as they outshot the Flyers 15-7 in the first 10 minutes of the contest. Then Steinbach went to work on the PP, as a Liam Anderson shot was tipped in the high slot by Brady Tatro past Flyers goalie Aaron Brunn. Declan Graham picked up the secondary assist on Tatro’s first of the year.
Then a minute and a half later, some good passes from rookies Caydin Cleland and Troy Beauchemin found Boedey Vaeth. Vaeth picked the top corner to give the Pistons a 2-0 lead with 7:37 to go.
Mole jammed home a loose puck in front of Brunn for his 2nd goal of the season, which gave Steinbach a quick 3-0 lead 4:41 into the second period. And then Brendan Westbrook notched his first MJHL goal as he buried the puck past a sliding Brunn to give the Pistons a 4 goal lead heading into the second intermission.
Playing his first MJHL game, Max Neill got in on the fun as he wired home his first from Vaeth to make it 5-0 at the 5:29 mark of the third period.
But the name of the game in the final two frames was the number of penalties taken by both sides. Winkler and Steinbach both took 9 minor penalties in the contest, with the Pistons taking six minors in the third, something that Dyck will look to address in their next game.
“It was a chippy game, and for the most part we remained disciplined,” he said, referring to the third period. “I think we need to eliminate the number of stick penalties (we take).”
Jesse Korytko notched his first of the season on a 5-on-3 PP from Collin Caulfied and Raihan Kheraj at the 8:48 mark, and then Erik Dahl hammered one from the point past Pistons goalie Matt Radomsky pulling the Flyers to within three.
However Mole sealed the deal with an empty netter, taking a pass from Curtis Ireland and fired it into the yawning cage shorthanded to make the final 6-2.
The Pistons outshot Winkler 44-29, and Radomsky continues to excel for Steinbach in goal by making 27 saves on the night.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Penalties were the name of the game in the second and third period. Steinbach went 2 for 9 on the PP, while Winkler went 1 for 9.
UP NEXT: The Pistons will be right back at it tomorrow at the TG Smith Centre, as they welcome the Dauphin Kings to town for a Saturday night tilt in Steinbach. Game time is scheduled for 7:30 pm, you can get your tickets for that at the door one hour prior to the game or online already at Steinbachpistons.ca.