Playoff dates announced, Pistons open Friday

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/03/2017 (2601 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The pennant-winning Steinbach Pistons will host the Neepawa Natives Friday night at 7:30 p.m. in Steinbach in the opening game of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League playoffs.

Neepawa qualified for the post-season for the first time in the last decade with a dramatic 6-3 victory over the Swan Valley Stampeders Sunday night at Neepawa. The two teams went into the final game of the MJHL season tied, with the eighth and final playoff position in the post-season at stake.

The MJHL annnounced all first round playoffs dates Monday morning as the four quarter-final series will be best of seven affairs.

Steinbach finished first overall in the standings with a record of 49-10-1, and the Natives, one of the teams hottest in the league of late, qualifed with a 21-33-6 record. The Pistons won five of six meetings between the two clubs this season.

Game two in the series will be played Sunday at 6:30 p.m. in Neepawa and then game three back in Steinbach on Tuesday, Mar. 14 at 7:30 p.m.

The other playoff matchups will have: (2) Winkler Flyers vs. (7) Virden Oil Capitals; (3) OCN Blizzard vs. (6) Winnipeg Blues; and (4) Selkirk Steelers vs. (5) Portage Terriers.

With their first place finish this year, the Pistons have earned home ice advantage throughout the MJHL playoffs.