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After games one and three where it was the Winkler Flyers scoring in the third period to eventually win, Thursday night saw the Niverville Nighthawks steal a page from that book and even up the series with a thrilling 3-2 win at the CRRC.
As has been the norm in the series, both teams stood toe-to-toe and knew if they wanted to deliver a punch, they'd have to take one.
Three minutes into the game, the teams exchanged power play chances and while the Flyers failed, the Nighthawks did not.
Niverville worked the puck from behind the goal and eventually got it up to the point where Alex Ballard floated a shot through and Aiden Corbett, who was parked right in front of the goal, got a stick on the shot and tipped home the 1-0 marker. Sean Williams picked up the secondary assist on the goal.
Winkler would respond as Brady Craik was in the right place at the right time and after a three-on-two rush produced a Jayce Legaarden shot that clanked off the post, Craik was there to knock it into the open net, knotting up the game 1-1.
Less than three minutes later, Winkler would grab their first lead of the night.
On a power play, the Flyers used great, quick passing to force the Nighthawks into a defensive shell. Isaiah Peters and Blake Matheson worked the puck back and forth at the blueline before Matheson fed a pass down to Nicholas McKee, who wired home his first of the playoffs to put the visitors up 2-1.
That lead would not make it to the intermission.
Hayden Wheddon continues to have a breakout playoffs as the heard-working forward took a little pass from Dawson Zeller at the Flyers blueline and bullied his way into the middle of the ice. Despite being knocked down and a fair ways away from the goal, Wheddon put a shot on that found the back of the net for his second of the playoffs, evening up the game 2-2.
Shots were 14-8 Winkler after the first period but the score was tied.
In the second, both teams tightened up, refusing to let the other gain much traction or momentum.
Neither team scored in the middle frame and shots were a modest 9-4 for the home Nighthawks.
The third period looked much like the second period early on, neither team wanting to give the other anything to work with.
Just past the midway point of the frame, Jase Konecsni stared the play by using his legs to create some space in his own zone, before filtering a pass up the ice. Matteo Speranza had the puck in the neutral zone and knowing he was going to get cut off, he gave it up to a streaking Merik Boles who blazed a path into the offensive zone. Speranza joined the party late, took a pass from Boles and put a backhander to the net that fooled the Flyers goalie and the CRRC erupted with the home side taking a 3-2 lead.
Winkler pushed from then on but the Nighthawks held strong.
Time ran out and the series which started as best-of-seven has been turned into a best-of-three, with each team winning two games.
Austin Dubinsky continued his strong playoffs making 25 saves while Liam Ernst stopped 20.
Winkler's power play finished 1-2 while the Nighthawks man-advantage went 1-4.
Game five is set for Saturday night at the Icon Arena in Winkler.