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After a pair of quick goals in the first period, the game between the Steinbach Pistons and NIverville Nighthawks turned into a goalie battle with Steinbach getting the edge in a 2-0 win.
Brayden Berg put Steinbach on the board less than three minutes into the game. A good, hardworking shift by his line helped free the puck along the boards. Jackson Kostiuk filtered a puck to Brody Green who snapped one toward the goal. While the Green shot was deflected, the puck bounced right to Berg who calmly shoveled home his 4th of the year.
Less than two minutes later, Kostiuk would strike while on a power play as he muscled a shot through the outstretched goaltender for his 3rd of the year. Berg and Brett Kaiser had the assists.
The rest of the night belonged to the goalies.
After going up 2-0, the Nighthawks started to put on some pressure but Christian Green turned away every chance. Despite the low total, Niverville was credited with just 6 shots, they were high caliber and forced Green to be on his toes.
Steinbach pushed for more but Legall made two point-blank saves, keeping the score 2-0 after the first period.
In the second, Legall was called upon time and time again to come up large for his team and he did not disappoint. He made save after save, including a couple of dandy glove saves to keep his team in the game.
Steinbach, already missing several key pieces, would lose two more between the first and early part of the second as forward Cole Carins and defender Shane Burns were both shaken up in separate instances and did not return.
Much like the first, Steinbach limited the Nighthawks but when they did get anything going, Green was there to snuff it out and made several more key saves, helping carry that 2-0 lead into the third.
A defensive clinic in the third and some great penalty killing, paired with more sensational work by Green, was what Steinbach needed to close the game out, picking up the 2-0 win.
Green finished with a 23-save shutout, his second clean sheet of the season.
Legall was spectacular as well, stopping 33 of 35 for a hard-luck loss.
Steinbach's power play was 1-3 while the penalty kill was a very strong 4-4.
"It felt a little different than our game in Portage" Head Coach Paul Dyck said post-game. "Guys came here on a mission today, kind of whatever it takes. Our details were better, our work ethic was better, we had more intensity, more organized in the d-zone. It's nice to get out to the lead, we talked about it and it's something we executed."
Berg and Kostiuk each had a goal and an assist, but it was their 200-foot, complete game that was on display all night, according the to coach. "Those guys have been dynamite. They are playing really smart hockey. They're part of our kill, our power play, four on four, they're just all over the place."
Coming off that loss to Portage, Dyck says Green went into the night wanting to make a statement and he rose to the occasion. "I thought he was just awesome tonight. He was dialed in. He was seeing pucks and he has the ability to be a game changer. There may not have been a high volume but there were some high danger. Their goalie was really good too and we needed Greener to step up and he did that and more."
Both teams will be in action on Friday with Steinbach hosting Neepawa and Niverville set to welcome in the Winnipeg Freeze.