The Steinbach Pistons beat the Swan Valley Stampeders by a score of 5-3 Sunday evening at the TG Smith Centre.
Steinbach took a penalty just over a minute in the game to get their long night of penalty killing started. The penalty kill would have one of its strongest games yet as it was firing on all cylinders.
The Pistons opened the scoring at the 11:54 mark of the first period. Ian Amsbaugh poked the puck loose at the Pistons own blue line. Having a leg up on the Stamps defencemen, Amsbaugh closed in on net on the breakaway and backhanded it over the glove of Kobe Grant and into the net to make it 1-0.
Steinbach would extend their lead to 2-0 with a powerplay marker with just under 5-minutes remaining in the opening frame. Parker Jasper got the puck to Langley Kruggel at the point who then put it on net with Dawson Milliken tipping it past Kobe Grant.
The Pistons went into the first intermission with a 2-0 lead and outshooting the Stamps 16-7.
Steinbach would get another powerplay goal midway through the second period to make it 3-0. Ian Amsbaugh skated in from the point and found Leo Chambers in the high slot who put it top corner and popped the water bottle to extend the Pistons lead.
Steinbach would not take their foot off the gas as they would make it 4-0 just under 4-minutes later. Kirk Mullen had the puck at the right-side boards and found a wide-open Langley Kruggel cutting towards the net who put it top corner and over the shoulder of Kobe Grant.
Swan Valley would get their first goal of the game with just under 3-minutes remaining in the second period. Jakob Jones drove to the net and dropped the puck off for Trey Sauder who ripped it glove side to make it 4-1.
Steinbach went into the second intermission up 4-1 with the shot totals 30-18 for the Pistons.
Swan Valley would bring the game to within two as they scored under 3-minutes into the third period. Collin Jennings just kept the puck in the offensive zone and walked in on net, making a nice move around Dominik Wasik to make it 4-2.
Steinbach would restore the 3-goal lead at the 7:30 mark of the third period. Brett Kaiser had a good forecheck and kept the puck in the zone and found Hunter Degelman in the slot who put it glove side and past Grant to make it 5-2.
Steinbach would get into penalty trouble to close out the game as Davis Fry would be assessed a 5-minute major and a game misconduct for checking from behind and then just over a minute later Dawson Milliken would take a 2-minute minor for cross checking. The Stamps would pull their goalie so they would have a 6 on 3 powerplay and the Pistons did all they could to fend it off.
Warren Marcotte almost scored on the man advantage but hit the cross bar and out but then a couple minutes later he got the puck back and made no mistake, putting it top corner to make it 5-3.
Swan Valley would still be on the powerplay however, but with some key blocks by Landon Roberts and a solid PK the Pistons would secure the 5-3 win.