After getting scored on the in the first five minutes of the game, Dorrin Luding didn’t let another past him as the Winkler Flyers defeated the Steinbach Pistons 2-1 in a shootout Friday night in Winkler.
Counterpart Danton Belluk was also strong in net for the Pistons stopping 35 of 36 shots as Steinbach closed off a four-game road trip with a 2-1-1 record to show for it.
Codey Behun got the scored start as he caught Luding by surprise and beat him to the glove side to give the Pistons a 1-0 lead 4:48 into the contest. Tanner Mole extended his point streak to six games as he added the only assist on Behun’s 15th of the season.
The Flyers came out hard in the second period, but as the minutes ticked away Steinbach controlled the play in Winkler’s end for most of the frame. But Luding was on his game and turned every shot the Pistons threw at him and the score remained 1-0 after 40 minutes.
Winkler would tie it up 1:13 into the third on a shot by Jayden McCarthy that beat a screened Belluk to the glove side. Both teams played good, hard, and clean defensive hockey the rest of the period.
Belluk fought through an apparent injury that occured midway through the third period, and got up very slowly every time he went into the butterfly to make a save. But to his credit, the rookie goalie battled through the pain and did not let in a Winkler go-ahead goal.
That sent the game into extra time, which didn’t solve anything either. Sulivan Shortreed would open the scoring in the penalty shot challenge in the first round, as he outwaited Belluk and slid the puck past his outstretched pad. The next five shooters would be stopped, which was what Winkler was looking for as they would grab the second point in a 2-1 win.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Pistons PP struggled mightily, going 0 for 4 on the net with hardly any quality looks on net. The Flyers went 0 for 3 with the man advantage.
UP NEXT: Steinbach returns home for their final game before the Christmas break against the Winnipeg Blues tomorrow on Ugly Christmas Sweater Night. Game time is at 7:30 pm; catch the game live on HockeyTV.