Content Provided By: Steinbach Online
A late third-period goal against cost Steinbach game 1 but the Pistons bounced back with a third-period goal of their own in game 2, evening the MJHL Semifinal at 1-1.
Falling On Friday
After 8 days between games and facing an opponent who came off an emotional game 7 overtime win, Steinbach piled up the shots and chances but couldn’t find more than just a single goal, eventually losing 2-1 in game 1.
In the opening minutes of the first period, Steinbach came out strong putting a number of shots toward the goal and putting up some pretty good chances but everyone was turned away by the Blizzard netminder.
The road team would get on the board first off a nice rush through the neutral zone and into Pistons territory, driving around a defender and sliding the puck home to put them up 1-0.
Shots were 16-4 Steinbach through the first 20 minutes, but the Blizzard held on to a 1-0 lead.
The second period was similar as Steinbach again controlled much of the play, much of the offensive zone time but despite putting up another 16 shots, still couldn’t find the back of the net.
On the other side, Cole Plowman kept his team in it until the offense could find it’s way as the 20-year-old made 8 saves in the middle frame, twice as many as he did in the first.
As time ticked away in the third, Steinbach earned a 4:00 power play and that finally was the solution to scoring a goal.
Parker Jasper fired a point shot that deflected off something in front and found it’s way home for the 20-year-old’s second of the playoffs, knotting the game 1-1. Brandon Funk and Trey Sauder were given the assists.
Steinbach still had 2:00 on the power play to work after Jaspers goal but they couldn’t get anything going and the game remained tied head into the final minute.
The Blizzard didn’t want to see another overtime game and they managed to produce the game winning goal with 56 seconds remaining in regulation.
Steinbach never was able to get much traction in the offensive zone and would hand the Blizzard game 1 by a 2-1 score.
The Pistons outshot the Blizzard 42-23. Their power play was 1/3 while their penalty kill was 2/2.
Powerful Penner, Sensational Sauder
It was another back and forth contest on Saturday night with both teams trading the lead several times before Trey Sauder’s third period goal put Steinbach ahead for good to even the series 1-1.
Coming off a game where there was not a lot of energy or buzz thanks in large part to the play of the Blizzard, Steinbach wanted to get things rolling early and that’s exactly what they did.
Leo Chambers cashed in on a power play putting Steinbach up 1-0 just 2:31 into the opening period. Noah Szabo and Connor Paronuzzi had the assists.
It would be the last power play Steinbach would get and soon their penalties would start to pile up.
A pair of Blizzard goals in the opening period turned the tables and put the road team up 2-1 head into the second period.
In the middle frame, Paronuzzi went streaking down the boards and as a Blizzard defender tried to reach out to stick check him, the 18-year-old sniper from Ontario snapped off a wrister that found it’s way through the goaltender and in for his 3rd of the playoffs. Parker Jasper and Spencer Penner were given the assists.
After the 2-2 goal, Paronuzzi was ejected as the Pistons were called for their 3rd goaltender interference penalty of the game. While killing off that penalty, they were called for another infraction putting them down 5 on 3 for over 30 seconds. Steinbach’s penalty killers stepped up and killed everything off, keeping the game tied.
After having so man power play chances, the Blizzard punched back grabbing a 3-2 lead 5 on 5.
Steinbach refused to quit and after a shot from the point was stopped, Jamie Fuchs fought the puck loose, drove behind the net and centered the puck to Kirk Mullen who fished it out of some skates and buried his 4th of the playoffs, putting Steinbach back on even ground, 3-3. Penner notched his second assist on the goal.
In the third, Trey Sauder gave Steinbach the lead as the 20-year-old battled his way to the front of the net and found the rebound before any Blizzard stick, sliding home his 2nd of the playoffs. Jackson Kostiuk and Brett Kaiser had the assists.
As time melted away, Steinbach locked down defensively.
With under a minute to go in regulation and the Blizzard net empty putting them up 6 on 5, the Pistons were called for yet another penalty, the 7th consecutive penalty called against them, giving the Blizzard a 6 on 4 for 46 seconds.
Once again, the penalty killers and Cole Plowman stepped up big and managed to kill the rest of regulation, securing a 4-3 win and evening the series 1-1.
Penalty killing was spectacular for Steinbach finishing a sparkling 7/7 while they scored on their only power play opportunity of the night, finishing 1/1.
Plowman collected the win making 27 saves.
Up Next
After a couple of days off, the Pistons will travel up to The Pas for games 3 and 4 on Wednesday and Thursday. Game 5 is back in La Broquerie on Saturday night.