It took six rounds in the shootout to do it, but for the fourth time this season, the Oil Caps downed the Steinbach Pistons. In 12 combined shooters, Ben Williams was the only player to ripple the twine as Sean Kuehn was rock solid in the home end of the ice to lift the Oil Caps to their fifteenth win of the season.
Just as he did last night, Tanner Lewis got the scoring started 2:51 into the first period on a set up from Kaiden Jones and Cole Oliver. The Pistons responded less than two minutes later, but it was Carter Cowlthorp who gave the Oil Caps a 2-1 lead before the end of the first.
Lucas Oliver made it a 3-1 hockey game early in the second for his 10th of the season. The Pistons answered back with a goal from Taillefer, but it was Captain Williams who restored the two-goal cushion with his 15th of the season. Then just as the buzzer sounded to end the second, the Pistons beat Kuehn to make it 4-3 after 40 minutes.
The Pistons came out hard in the third and were rewarded twice for their efforts on Jordan Boschinski’s second of the game and a Colin Baudry tally. However, the Oil Caps responded with a beauty from Tyler Ham who beat Steinbach net minder, Nick Deery, upstairs to knot things back up at 5-5.
The final 10 minutes of regulation solved nothing, same with overtime despite the Oil Caps power play opportunity in the extra frame.
To the shootout they went where 10 shooters failed to score before Williams answered the bell. Tyler Penner needed to score for the Pistons, but was denied by Kuehn, just as the previous five shooters were.
The Oil Caps earned the extra point and are now 4-1 against the Pistons on the season. The two teams are separated by six points in the standings now at the official half way point in the season. The Pistons are firmly in fourth and just three points back of Winkler for third. The Oil Caps have six points on the south side of them in the standings as well, but have the Pistons firmly in their sights.
Virden will take tomorrow off before heading to Dauphin on Tuesday in an attempt to avenge their 4-3 loss on home ice on Saturday night. They will then return home on Friday to take on the second place Winnipeg Blues before hosting the Neepawa Natives on Saturday night. All three games are slated for 7:30 pm start times.