There’s a chance the Steinbach Pistons’ last junior hockey game was played inside the TG Smith Centre. The home team took care of business with a pair of shutout victories over the Virden Oil Capitals to take a 2-0 series lead in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League final on April 22-23.
The series will head to Virden for games three and four, meaning Sunday’s 3-0 win could be the last piece of hockey played in the old barn.
GAME 1:
The Pistons came out strong in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) finals, defeating the Oil Capitals in a convincing 4-0 win in game one.
Steinbach Pistons fans gave the team their full support as they left for Virden on the morning of April 26th. The team bus took a trip down Main Street to allow fans to show their support as they embarked on the nearly four-hour journey. . Steinbach won the first two games of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League final, both at the TG Smith Centre, and will play games three and four in Virden on April 26-27. For more information on the MJHL finals, see page B1 of The Carillon. (Cassidy Dankochik The Carillon)
“I liked how we came out of the gates in the first game,” coach and general manager Paul Dyck said after the first two games.
“We were pretty determined to win the first game of the series, I think everyone knew the importance of winning the first game and gaining some confidence going forward.”
It was a game won by Steinbach’s play in his own end. Despite posting a 28-save shutout, Steinbach goaltender Dominik Wasik was not named the game’s first star. Many of the shots Wasik stopped were weak point shots with little traffic in front. When in traffic, Wasik was able to limit any rebound opportunities.
“I thought our team defense was very solid and limited the quality of scoring chances we gave up,” Dyck said, noting Wasik had to make some good saves in the second period.
“As a collective group, our play away from the puck was pretty good.”
Instead, the first star of the game went to defenseman Noah Szabo, who opened the scoring in the second period and put the game out of reach with his second of the game about five minutes into the third.
Szabo’s first score showed great offensive instincts. As Ty Paisley and Kirk Mullen battled below the goal line, Szabo predicted Paisley would win the puck battle, dragging from his spot at the point, to just above the faceoff point. Paisley, the MJHL’s leading scorer in these playoffs, made no mistake after winning the battle of the pucks, finding Szabo with a pass that he swatted past Virden starter Owen LaRocque.
Another key for Steinbach was his penalty kill, which was not only a perfect 8/8 during the series, but he also managed to attack offensively as versatile winger Davin Griffin scored on a short breakaway. Griffin has played up and down Steinbach’s lineup, including playing defense during the series against Swan Valley, as Steinbach dealt with injuries and suspensions in the back.
“(Griffin is) a bit of a Swiss army knife,” Dyck said.
“He can play both wings, he can play center, we’ve had him in the bumper on the powerplay, he’s great on the penalty kill … He’s been a valuable piece for us.”
The Pistons received some reinforcements for Game 1 as Parker Jasper returned to the lineup. The team’s acquisition deadline had been off since the first round.
GAME 2:
While Wasik didn’t have to be brilliant for Steinbach to prevail in the first game, his workload increased tremendously in the second game. The extra traffic up front, with more dangerous chances from Virden didn’t make a difference as Wasik capped off a perfect weekend with his second straight shutout.
Dyck said there was no question Wasik would have the net on back-to-back nights, as he has throughout this playoff. Wasik has started every game for the Pistons so far this postseason.
Ty Paisley waves to the crowd after being named second star of the match in Steinbach’s 3-0 win. If Steinbach is able to win Games 3 and 4 in Virden, the win in Game 2 would have been the last game inside the TG Smith Center as it is torn down to be replaced by a new rink in the fall of 2024. (Cassidy Dankochik The Carillon)
“(Wasik) feels great, he’s strong, he knows how to set up and maintain,” Dyck said.
Paisley was the difference up front, scoring the first two goals of the game, both off the rush. Dawson Milliken may not have earned an assist on the goal, but it was his play that made the difference.
As the Pistons faced a three-on-two run, Milliken drove right in front of Eric Reid, who got the go-ahead run to start the game for Virden. Paisley would make no mistake, beating the keeper with a shot past the blocker.
Virden started strong in the second period, at one point leading the Pistons 23-12, but Paisley struck again to double Steinbach’s lead. It was another three-on-two run, but this time Davis Fry, on the ice as the fourth forward on a powerplay, scored the goal. He put Paisley perfectly in the slot, and the MJHL’s leading point scorer wasn’t about to miss.
“(Paisley) has really felt it,” Dyck said.
“Whenever he has the puck, he feels like he’s going to create something, which he’s been doing with some regularity. It’s fun to see when a player plays with that level of confidence.”
With Virden’s net empty and Steinbach up 3-0, Paisley showed great discipline to cut a turnover instead of hanging around for a playoff hat trick.
Dyck said Paisley’s experience of losing the MJHL finals in seven games last season has the forward locked in a big mindset.
“There’s a bigger picture here than hat tricks,” Dyck said.
“He’s one of those players who was here last year and fell short. I think there’s a lot of drive in his game to put wins ahead of personal success.”
Heading to Virden for the next couple of games, the Pistons will look to improve their performance early in the periods as the Oil Capitals looked to be the better team in the first five minutes of each frame.
“We’ve seen it throughout the playoffs, sometimes we’re a little slow to start some periods, and we needed a little bit of a jump or start to get going,” Dyck said.
Ian Amsbaugh gets up close and personal with a pair of Virden defensemen during Game 1 of the MJHL Finals, including Lorette’s Thomas Phillips. (Cassidy Dankochik The Carillon)
It’s something we’ll have to address in the future.”
Griffin grabbed his second of the Finals to round out the scoring in the third period as the Pistons grew into the game, tying the shot total at the end of the third period.
Don’t let the Oil Capitals find themselves as the sixth place regular season team in the MJHL, the team has been playing at a championship level since the new year. On January 2, Virden was in last place in the West division and 10 points out of a playoff spot. They went on to post a 21-6 record over the final three months of the regular season.
Two of those wins came at Steinbach’s expense, as Virden won back-to-back games 3-2 in January. Those results were a far cry from a pair of matches in early December that Steinbach won 7-2, 7-1.
Virden defeated the top-seeded Portage Terriers in a seven-game classic that needed double overtime to decide a winner and clinch a spot in the finals.
The Oil Capitals have been led by rookie Nolan Chastko. The 2005-born Brandon forward has 16 points in postseason Virden. On the back end, head coach Tyson Ramsey has rotated the starting job between LaRocque and Reid, with each goalie seeing action in all three series this postseason.
There are local connections on this Virden team, as 2002-born forward Andrew Blocker of Cook’s Creek (north of Oakbank) and 2005-born defenseman Thomas Phillips of Lorette played their minor hockey for the Eastman Selects.
The third game of the series took place at Virden on April 26, with the score not available at press time.
Game five (if necessary) would be played on April 29 in Steinbach, and a potential set would also be in Steinbach on May 3. The winner of the series will join Portage in the Centennial Cup, representing the MJHL, with the Terriers hosting the tournament. this year.
