Photo credit – Pederson Photographic
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Steinbach’s first line went off again and they proved to be the difference on Tuesday night in game three of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League finals.
Dauphin hosted their first finals home game since 2014 and they came out on the wrong end as the Pistons downed the home club, 5-4, in overtime in front of a tremendous crowd at Credit Union Place.
Just 55 seconds into overtime, Zach Power sauced a pass right in front of the net to Quinton Pepper and #25 did the rest as he went to the backhand and hoisted the puck up and over Carson Cherepak to lift Steinbach to victory. Cherepak made two unbelievable saves late in the third to force overtime.
The line of Power, Pepper and Birnie combined for five points, the same total they combined for in game one of the series. Steinbach jumped out to a great start in the game as they scored just 1:55 into the contest but just 1:59 later, Brayden Dube tied the game up with a goal from the goal line.
Pepper scored his first of the game 6:04 into the period but Mathew Rathbone came back for Dauphin and scored perhaps one of the weirdest goals you will see. He bounced the puck off the glass from the blue line and it redirected and snuck past the blocker of Simon Harkness as Dauphin tied the game. Cooper Rice scored with just 39 seconds left to give Steinbach a 3-2 lead after 20.
Dauphin’s Logan Calder and Cordell Coleman would score for the Kings in the second as they took a 4-3 lead into the third. However, Steinbach didn’t go down as Bryce Kilbourne took a drop pass from Travis Hensrud and hammered it up and over the glove of Cherepak and that goal ultimately forced overtime.
Pepper went on to end it 55 seconds into overtime. With the win, the Pistons have now taken a two games to one lead in the league’s final and they will look to take a three games to one lead on Wednesday night.
You can listen to Wednesday’s game on 730CKDM with Darnell Duff, the pregame show begins at 7:00 p.m.