Steinbach Pistons fall to Winkler Flyers in MJHL finals

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This article was published 02/05/2024 (382 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In the end, the 2024 Manitoba Junior Hockey League finals will go down as a 4-0 sweep for the Winkler Flyers, but it didn’t feel that way in the moment.

The Flyers needed two overtime wins to complete the sweep over the Steinbach Pistons, including a 5-4 victory in game four in front of a raucous crowd of 1,300 at the Centennial Arena in Winkler April 26. The victory gave Winkler their first MJHL championship since 1998.

“It was a series that wasn’t the best hockey if I’m going to be honest,” Winkler head coach and general manager Justin Falk said after the game.

“It was a bit sloppy, we were a bit nervous knowing the situation we were in. I (would have) liked our execution to be a bit better. But we found a way to be resilient, we found a way to be desperate enough to find a way through each moment.”

Zach Nicolas scored the series-winning goal, banging home a rebound after a pair of Steinbach defenders were sent to the box just 16 seconds apart.

Spencer Penner was engaged in a puck battle with a Winkler forechecker behind his own net, when he knocked the stick out of his counterpart’s hands. Moments later David Cote followed Penner to the box, as his stick bounced right off Flyers’ captain Trent Penner’s face in front of the net.

Steinbach head coach and general manager Paul Dyck was obviously disappointed to see an extended five-on-three against his team during a elimination overtime, adding the Penner slash was a play which happened throughout the game and had not been called.

“To me to go five-on-three you better have some severity to both of the calls in overtime,” Dyck said.

Dyck wasted no time in reviewing film from game four, joking it was a “sickness,” during the Steinbach year-end awards ceremony April 28.

“I couldn’t help myself,” Dyck said.

With an extended two-man advantage, Winkler made no mistake, working the puck around before Ile des Chene’s Brody Beauchemin unleashed a shot that Cole Plowman couldn’t control. While Plowman could make the initial stop, Nicolas was right on the doorstep to bang home the winning goal.

“After I scored, it was just a shock, the happiness hit me and I didn’t know what to do,” Nicolas said.

“It comes down to whoever wants it more… I had such a good feeling we would score on that five-on-three.”

Game four was an absolute roller-coaster for both teams. Winkler, boosted by a groundswell of community support and a sold-out building, got off to a perfect start, with Dalton Andrew tallying just 13 seconds into the game.

Andrew found himself all alone in front of the Steinbach net after a wraparound attempt, and got a couple free whacks at a loose puck to give the Flyers an early advantage.

It appeared as if the extra day of rest between games three and four hadn’t helped Steinbach, but Connor Paronuzzi quickly replied for Steinbach. He also found himself all alone in front of the net, and quickly moved from his backhand to his forehand to beat series most valuable player Malachi Klassen.

Jackson Kostiuk actually gave Steinbach a first period lead, with a seeing-eye wrist shot from along the half-wall, but Beauchemin responded for Winkler.

Depth scoring had been a strength for Steinbach all season, but it disappeared in the final until game four. Through three games, the only forwards who scored for the Pistons were 20-year-olds Kirk Mullen, Trey Sauder and Leo Chambers.

“Some of our offense just dried up a little bit at the wrong time,” Dyck said.

“You have stretches like that maybe during the regular season, but if it happens in the playoffs at the wrong time and extends for too long of a period you’re going to be out of the playoffs.”

A key moment came right as the first period came to a close. With Steinbach on the powerplay, Jayce Legaarden blocked a shot and scored on his subsequent breakaway, giving Winkler a lead they would never relinquish.

It was the second straight game in Winkler the Pistons gave up a back-breaking short-handed goal.

“Those were definitely deflating,” Dyck said.

“That was really uncharacteristic of our group all year. (Short-handed goals) are always tough to overcome.”

Steinbach didn’t go away quietly in game four. After Avery Anderson scored in the second period, Steinbach’s season was 20 minutes away from ending.

A pair of huge plays from a pair of 20-year-old defensemen got Steinbach back into the game. First it was Jack Cook, who jumped up the ice from his own zone to create a two-on-one chance nearly single-handedly, before laying a perfect pass onto the stick of Jamie Fuchs with just over 10 minutes to go in regulation.

Dyck said Cook was playing through an injury that hampered his effectiveness. Noah Szabo, who was named the MJHL’s best defenseman of the regular season, saw no action in the finals after blocking a shot with his foot during game five of the semi-finals.

That semi-final series against the Blizzard played a role in the finals, with Dyck saying his team came out flat in game one after needing seven games to get past the Blizzard. The Pistons were outplayed in game one and two of the finals before dropping a pair of overtime games as they grew into the series.

“We spent a tremendous amount of energy (against the Blizzard), certainly more than we had hoped,” Dyck said.

“I know guys were fatigued. (Winkler) looked a little fresher right from the beginning. The Flyers came in with a lot of passion and hunger and they were able to carry that forward.”

After Steinbach drew to within one in game four, they put the pressure on to get a tying goal, with several great blocks from both the goalie and skaters. Finally, the Pistons were able to break through, with a Parker Jasper one timer squeaking under Klassen’s arm with 40 seconds left in the game, setting up Nicolas’ overtime heroics.

Dyck said he loved how his team played in the third period. As they pushed for the tying goal, Steinbach’s forecheck and defense came alive, playing aggressively and at times pinning Winkler in their own zone.

“Had we played the way we had in the third period for the majority of the majority of that game, we would have been in a much better spot,” he said.

“To be honest, I thought we deserved a better fate in game four.”

The shock of having the game tied appeared to wake up the Flyers, with Winkler dominating the overtime frame, including a breakaway chance just after the opening face-off.

“We needed a situation where it forced us to be more aggressive,” Falk said.

“When we have that mindset of attacking, playing north and getting on pucks in the O-zone is when we play our best… I knew we’d have resilience, time and time again like we’ve shown in previous overtimes.”

Falk said it’s especially challenging at the Junior A level for players to re-set their mentality after giving up a late equalizer.

“There were tons of moments where you could fold, but that’s the foundation we try to invest in these guys throughout the course of the entire season, that they’re ready for moments like this,” he said.

Winkler’s arena will be undergoing major renovations next season, forcing them to play in a smaller arena next door. Hundreds of fans were lining up at 4 p.m. to try and nab standing-room tickets for the 7 p.m. puck drop in game four.

“This fan support, this community support has been truly incredible, the way they give back and support this group.” Falk said.

Falk was full of praise for Paul Dyck and this edition of the Steinbach Pistons, which put together a historic regular season, but couldn’t find success in the finals.

“(Dyck has) an incredible standard that he holds day in and day out, year after year, we knew it would be a tough match-up,” Falk said.

“A few bounces our way in some games, and it could go different ways in different moments.”

Winkler will move on to play in the Centennial Cup in Oakville Ont, matching up against other championship Junior A programs from across the country.