The Steinbach Pistons beat the Swan Valley Stampeders by a score of 5-1 Saturday evening at the TG Smith Centre to take a 2-0 series lead.
The Pistons played a dominant first half of the first period, controlling much of the zone time and generating lots of scoring chances. The Pistons hit two posts but could not find the back of the net.
Swan Valley opened the scoring at the 12:46 mark of the first period. Justin Keck took the puck into the offensive zone and wired it top corner, right over the should of Dominik Wasik to make it 1-0.
Three minutes later Steinbach would even the score at 1-1. Leo Chambers entered the offensive zone and lost the puck in the slot with Ian Amsbaugh finding the puck and sliding it through the five hole of Kobe Grant.
Steinbach would kill two penalties in the first period and have a powerplay of their own but did not capitalize on the chance.
Midway through the second period the puck would get to centre ice, timing perfectly with Hunter Degelman coming out of the penalty box and getting a breakaway. Degelman would squeak the puck through the arm of Grant, making it 2-1.
Just under two minutes later the Pistons would extend their lead to 3-1. Paisley got the puck out front to Kirk Mullen in the slot who put it on net and off of Dawson Milliken’s skate and into the net.
The Pistons were up 3-1 after two periods of play with Steinach outshooting the Stampeders 23-20.
The Pistons would keep control for much of the third period. Steinbach did a great job of clogging the neutral zone and keeping the puck in the Stampeders end.
In the latter parts of the third period the Stampeders would take two penalties, 20 seconds apart to give the Pistons a 5 on 3 powerplay for 1:42.
Just under 40-seconds into the powerplay Steinbach would extend the lead to 4-1. The Pistons cycled the puck with Ty Paisley setting up Davis Fry from a sharp angle with a one timer who put it off Grant’s shoulder and into the net.
58-seconds later Steinbach would strike again on the 5 on 4 powerplay. Nick Mikan had a great screen in front with Ian Amsbaugh getting a seeing eye shot through from the point scoring his second goal of the game to make 5-1.
The Pistons would close out the game, securing the 5-1 win and a 2-0 series lead as the series now heads to Swan Valley for games 3 and 4.