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The Steinbach Pistons picked up their 11th straight win on Saturday but the streak stopped there as they fell to the Portage Terriers on Sunday, also halting a stretch of 17 straight games with at least a point.
Before the start of the weekend, it was announced that Noah Szabo was named the MJHL Defenseman of the Month while Kirk Mullen was named MJHL’s Manitoba Pork Peak Performer.
New Venue Boost
Steinbach met up with the Dauphin Kings at a neutral site on Saturday night, the Wayne Fleming Arena in Winnipeg, which is home to the U of M Bisons and it was the scene of a 4-1 Pistons win.
Before the game, Cole Plowman was named the Steinbach Pistons Player of the Month for November. The 20-year-old goalie was absolutely incredible sporting a perfect 6-0 record which included a shutout and sparking goals against average and save percentage. Plowman’s play so far this year has him not only one of the top goalies in the province but one of the top puck-stoppers in the country.
Plowman’s dominance continued early as he faced a stiff test right away. A Kings defender made it through almost everyone and broke in on Plowman but the netminder was able to stretch out and get a pad on the puck, keeping things deadlocked 0-0 in the first.
Brandon Funk would get Steinbach on the board as the “little ball of hate” cashed in on a rebound for his 13th of the season. Leo Chambers who took the original shot that was stopped picked up one assist while Connor Paronuzzi continued his great stretch of play with the other helper.
Steinbach held the edge in shots 12-8 after 1 and took a 1-0 lead into intermission.
In the second, the Kings managed to tie it up on a harmless-looking play. A shot from the half wall was stopped by Plowman but as the rebound came out, it clanked off a defender in front who was backchecking, sending the puck across the goal line and knotting the game up 1-1.
Plowman was called upon a few times, especially when the club was shorthanded and managed to keep the score 1-1.
In the third, Leo Chambers gave his team the lead as the Captain hammered home his 7th of the year after some good work by newcomer Kyle Kudrna freed up the puck in front of the net, giving Steinbach a 2-1 lead. David Cote continued his point streak with the secondary assist.
Less than two minutes later, Kirk Mullen dumped a puck into the Kings zone, Funk raced down and the pressure of his forecheck forced a turnover to Paronuzzi who tucked a puck up and under the crossbar to extend the lead to 3-1 with his 8th of the campaign.
Chambers sealed the deal late with an empty netter, his 8th from Grady Hoffman to put the game away, 4-1 Steinbach.
Steinbach’s penalty kill was spectacular going 7-7 while the penalty kill went 1 for 5 but it was a big 1 for 5 as it was the goal that gave them the lead.
Plowman finished with 31 saves, improving his record to 14-1.
Streak Snapped
The good times stopped on Sunday as the Pistons gave up a late second-period goal to go down by two and could not claw back as the Portage Terriers held on for a 3-1 win, stopping the streak.
A neutral zone breakdown allowed the Terriers to open the scoring less than two minutes in, putting Steinbach in an early 1-0 hole.
Almost 10 minutes later, a similar breakdown again sent Portage into the offensive zone with speed and again, they came away with a goal, giving them a 2-0 lead.
In the second, the Pistons picked up their pace and started to dictate play. They earned offensive zone time, causing confusion for the Portage defenders, and eventually, got on the board thanks to Kirk Mullen who cashed in with his 13th of the year. Brandon Funk and Noah Szabo picked up the helpers.
Steinbach continued to push looking for the equalizer but it remained 2-1 heading into the final minute.
A miscommunication behind the Piston’s net turned into a failure to clear the zone, allowing the Terriers to work the puck to the point where the shot would be tipped in front and restored the Terriers’ two-goal lead.
Steinbach did what they could to try and get back into it in the third but couldn’t find the back of the net. The clock ran out and the Pistons felt the sting of a loss for the first time in over a month.
Steinbach’s power play was 0-3 while the league’s best penalty kill was perfect again, going 3-3.
Plowman did all he could to keep his team in it stopping 17 of 20.
Up Next
It’s a busy stretch for Steinbach as they’ll be in Virden on Thursday night, home to Portage on Friday, and off Saturday before heading to Neepawa on Sunday.