Content Provided By: Steinbach Online
To say things looked dire in the first period might be an understatement as the Steinbach Pistons dug themselves a massive hole but, the group responded and managed to come out with a 5-4 overtime win over the Swan Valley Stampeders on Friday night.
Right from puck drop, it was easy to see that one team was engaged and skating while the other looked as thought they forgot the game started at 7:00.
Swan’s hard work, compete and extra effort helped get them the first two goals of the game, scoring twice in the span of less than a minute.
A power play for the visitors would extend the lead as a point shot deflected off of something in front and got past the Pistons goalie to make it a 3-0 game.
With the game 3-0, the Pistons finally started to get their legs going, their feet moving, connect on some passes and gain a little momentum.
Brody Green scored with just over a minute remaining in the opening period.
As he’s done a few times this year, the 17-year-old showed an incredible ability to knock pucks off the goalie and into the net. Green was almost in the corner by the Zamboni door when he fired a shot off the Swan netminder and it trickled in for his 16th of the year. Zhenya Miles and Matt Munro picked up the assists.
Even after the goal, things still seemed bleak with the score 3-1 for Swan.
Two minutes into the second, things got even worse for the home side as the Stamps regained their three goal lead, scoring to make it 4-1.
That would be the last time Christian Green would let the Stampeders celebrate a goal against him.
Connor Paronuzzi, the MJHL leading scorer pulled the Pistons to within two as the shifty forward danced around the offensive zone while on a power play, leaned into a shot and it managed to squeak through the goalie and get over the line for his 18th of the year.
Both teams had some chances throughout the period but when the buzzer sounded, it was 4-2 Stamps.
In the first half of the third, things were relatively quiet but there was a growing sense the Pistons were looking to make a big time push. They had some chances, they owned the puck and the offensive zone, working harder then they did at any point previous and it was showing.
With under nine minutes to go, a harmless looking dump in wide of the goal by Paronuzzi ended up finding it’s way to the blue line to a waiting Reece Gault. Gault moved in a floated a puck on goal that was tipped in by Grady Hoffman. Hoffman celebrated his 11th, cutting the lead to 4-3.
Less than a minute later, a battle along the boards by the Pistons bench almost produced a big error as Sam Noad and Luke Bogart nearly avoided a collision. As they did, the puck found it’s way across the ice to Brayden Barnett who marched into the zone, fed a pass into the middle for a streaking Noad who then dished to a crashing Mathis Leplante who buried his 16th of the year and brought the crowd to their feet with an electrifying tic-tac-toe goal to tie the game 4-4.
Inside the HyLife Centre, the buzz in the building continued to build as the time slowly drifted away.
The Stamps had a glorious chance to regain the lead but goalie Christian Green made two unbelievable saves to keep it knotted up.
His first stop of the sequence came when a shot from the half wall changed both speed and direction before reaching the goal. The 20-year-old adjusted quickly and managed to knock knuckle puck down but the rebound went right out in front and a cutting Stampeder scooped it up in stride, moved over to where it looked as thought the net would be open and fired but Green never gave up on the play and stretched out with all he had, robbing the Stamps point blank, ensuring the game stayed tied.
Time drifted away and overtime would be needed.
In the extra frame, the teams played a possession game, making sure not to make a mistake.
The Pistons were the first to blink as the Stamps used their speed to drive from the defensive zone into the offensive zone. With the defense caught a little off guard by just how fast the play came bearing down, a Swan forward cut right to the net, got the pass he was hoping for and looked to tip it up under the bar but once again, Christian Green was there to make a stunning save, leaving the Stamps looking skyward in disbelief.
After keeping his team in the game through most of the back half plus overtime, one of Green’s easier saves would lead to the winning goal.
An offensive zone faceoff for Swan won them the puck and the defender floated it on goal. Green gloved it and alertly moved it to the open Brett Kaiser who swung behind the net, looking to break out of the zone.
Kaiser did better than just break out of the zone.
Using his elite vision, Kaiser sifted his way through the neutral zone, waiting for the Stamps to make a mistake and for a lane to open, which is exactly what happened. Kaiser took the room, walked in and wired an perfect, absolutely perfect wrist shot right off the crossbar and in to give Steinbach a 5-4 overtime win in thrilling comeback fashion.
For Kaiser, it was his 14th of the year and the lone assist went to goalie Christian Green who started the play by simply dropping the puck to Kaiser after making a glove save.
While it wasn’t how they drew it up and the start was the exact opposite of what they were hoping for, two points is two points and they’re big ones for Steinbach who still sits atop the division and the league.
Steinbach’s power play was 1-3 while the penalty kill was 3-4.
Green was spectacular after giving up the fourth goal and he’s a big reason why Steinbach got both points on the night. He finished with 31 saves in the win.
Steinbach will have a fair amount of time off as they don’t see action until January 31st when they head to Stride Place to take on the Portage Terriers.