The Steinbach Pistons put together two nearly perfect periods against the Dauphin Kings, but the third period flipped the script as the Kings scored four unanswered, stealing a win on home ice, 4-2 on Friday night.
First period
From the moment the puck dropped, the Steinbach Pistons dominated.
Shift after shift, every line put pressure on the Kings in their own zone, the defenders moved pucks quickly and effectively, never letting Dauphin pin them deep, and every combination on the ice seemingly had a chance to score a goal.
During a power play in the opening frame, Zhenya Miles made his way into the offensive zone and as he turned to drop the puck back to a teammate, and was hit from behind into the boards. Miles was in a dangerous area and went hard into the boards and needed assistance getting off the ice.
There was no call on the hit.
Steinbach would be forced to play the rest of the game with five defenders, as Miles was not able to continue, but did manage to leave the ice on his own.
Steinbach owned the Kings through the first, but couldn’t find the back of the net despite some excellent chances. The score held 0-0 with the shots listed at 17-6 for Steinbach.
Second period
Again, much like the first, the Pistons controlled much of the play.
Jack Greenwell finally got Steinbach on the board as the 20-year-old drove hard to the net and took a perfect pass from Liam Doyle, knocking the puck toward the goal and while his original shot was stopped, Greenwell stuck with it and tucked the rebound into the open net, putting Steinbach up 1-0.
The first year Piston leads the MJHL in goals with 18.
More chances continued to pile up for Steinbach, and they held a distinct advantage in shots, 15-8 in the period and 32-14 after two periods, but could only celebrate the single marker.
Third period
Marek Miller would extend the lead for Steinbach early in the third, putting them up 2-0. His fifth of the year was assisted by Eric Han, who extended his point streak to four games.
Dauphin would take over from there.
Just over a minute after going down by two, Dauphin got one back, cutting the lead in half, 2-1.
Working in the offensive zone, the Kings caught a break when a defender lost his stick, allowing the Dauphin forward to walk out and slide a puck into the back of the net, knotting the game 2-2.
A frantic, scrambly play had Steinbach on their heels, and a point shot managed to miss a swarm of bodies in front, giving Dauphin their first lead 3-2.
They capped it off with an empty netter, sealing a 4-2 win.
Game notes
Easton Thvedt was saddled with the loss, but the 18-year-old battled throughout, finishing with 22 saves on 25 shots.
Steinbach’s power play was 0-3, and the penalty kill was 1-1.
The Pistons outshot Dauphin 42-26 in the game.
Up next
Steinbach will start a six-game homestand on Sunday, as they welcome the Neepawa Titans to the Southeast Event Centre. Game time has been changed from the original time and will be at 7:00 p.m.
Article provided by Steinbachonline.com – Photo provided by Pederson Photographic
