Pistons lead Terriers 2-1 after convincing game 3 win

The Steinbach Pistons are in control of their first-round series against the Portage Terriers, dominating game three in Steinbach March 24 by a 6-2 score to take a 2-1 lead.

“You’re always learning what it takes to be successful in the playoffs,” head coach and general manager Paul Dyck said after the win.

“We have some players that don’t have a tremendous amount of playoff experience at our level, so I think it’s very important for them to see this is what it looks like. It’s different than the regular season. There’s not a lot of ice out there and the importance of simplicity can’t be overstated.”

Jackson Kostiuk, who left the Pistons mid-way through last season to play in the WHL and didn’t play during the team’s loss to Portage, is dominating. He’s scored scored five goals, adding an assist through three games.

Defenseman Liam Doyle also has six points for the Pistons, as the teammates were tied for the league lead in playoff points as of press time.

GAME 1

Game one of the quarterfinals must have felt familiar for Steinbach, as they were stymied by an outstanding performance in net by a Portage goaltender.

Last year it was Mitchell Kathler who seemed to have the Pistons number and this year, at least for game one, it was Logan Cunningham with a heroic performance, stopping 36 of the 38 shots he faced.

Most of his best work was done in the first period, as Steinbach threw a flurry of offensive punches at the Portage net, but couldn’t beat Cunningham, who stopped breakaways and odd-man rushes to keep the Terriers in it.

That set up Drayden Uhrina and Rhett Platt to give the visitors a 2-0 lead just before the half-way mark of the second period, as Portage rallied behind their goaltender’s great first period to take control of the game. Portage carried more of the play in the second, despite playing on the back foot for most of the first.

While Jackson Kostiuk and Zhenya Miles were able to equalize for the Pistons, Beck Bethard’s goal with under five minutes to go stood up as the game-winner for the visitors.

Bethard scored just 10 seconds after getting out of the penalty box after taking a delay of game penalty due to putting the puck out of play from his own zone.

Bethard picked the pocket of Rory Gilmour, taking it from in front of his own bench on a breakaway, shooting high glove to beat Chris Quizi for the winning goal.

GAME 2

A three minute span of game-time may have saved the Steinbach Pistons season. Down 1-0 in both game two and their quarterfinal season, the Pistons scored three quick goals, powering their way to a win in Portage.

The offense was started from a likely source but in an unlikely way. Defenseman Liam Doyle had an outstanding offensive season, finishing second in league scoring from the blue-line this year, but only had eight goals. He certainly didn’t look like a defenseman scoring the 1-1 goal in Portage March 22, erasing Drayden Uhrina’s first-minute goal.

Doyle was defending the slot, when a clearance attempt bounced past a Portage defender and into the neutral zone. He stayed on his toes to pursue the loose puck, beat the opposite defender to the play. When he got all alone with Cunningham, he opened up the goaltender’s pads with a move across the crease and slipped the puck through the five hole.

Adam Bezil couldn’t keep his cool afterwords, pushing Sam Noad to the ice after the post-goal fly-by and earning a costly unsportsmanlike conduct minor penalty.

Jack Greenwell converted on the powerplay 100 seconds later to give Steinbach the lead, despite protests for goaltender interference and Jackson Kosiuk scored what turned out to be the winning goal 80 seconds after that, one-timing a shot home on a two-on-one rush.

Kostuik’s third of the post-season in the third period gave Steinbach the cover they needed to comfortably survive a late Portage push after Luke Bogart took a five-minute penalty to win 4-2.

Bogart received a one-game suspension for the infraction, as he crossed-checked Rhett Platt up high after the Terriers were whistled for offsides. Platt was able to suit up in game three.

GAME 3

For the third consecutive game, Steinbach conceded the first goal, but this time they flipped the game before the horn sounded to end the period.

Portage made a change in goal, swapping out Cunningham for Donavan Bodnar. Cunningham wasn’t even rostered for the game, with Ryan Velan serving as the back-up.

Sam Noad scored the goal that flipped the game, choosing to shoot on a late two-on-one rush while short-handed, beating Velan and giving the home side a lead they never looked in danger of losing.

Dyck was happy to see his team take lessons from the first two games of the series and apply them in the third.

“Speed was something we have stressed, it’s been a strength of our group all year,” he said.

“(It’s) been absent for some of the stretches leading up to today, but we saw more of it today, which was good to see.”

The second period was the Doyle show, as he set up Connor Paronuzzi and Grady Hoffman for easy goals, jumping up into the rush, before shooting home a powerplay goal with under 10 seconds to go in the frame.

“I think all throughout the season I’ve been trying to bring that to the table every single night,” he said when asked about generating offense off the rush.

“Tonight I had some opportunities to do so, and I’m just trying my best to capitalize.”

The puck seems to be finding Doyle, as he is tied for the league lead in points so far in the playoffs thanks to his first star performance. Dyck noted the 20-year-old was showing passion on and off the ice during game three.

“He was quite emotional when things were not going our way in the first period, but that’s Liam, he cares and fights through things,” Dyck said, calling Doyle’s game “dominant.”

Steinbach and Portage had an extra day between games three and four, with the series shifting to Portage March 27. Steinbach is set to host game 5 March 28. If a game seven is needed, it will take place April 1 in Steinbach.

For more photos of game action, be sure to check out Carillon Sports Second Shots, posted every Wednesday at www.thecarillon.com/sports. For more MJHL stories, be sure to check out the print edition every week.