A big third period guided the Winnipeg Blues to a 7-4 win over the Steinbach Pistons, moving them into first place in the East Division.
The Pistons came out fast in front of their fans, forcing Dawson Cowan to make some solid saves to keep his team in it. Both teams scored twice in the first 20 to head into the first period intermission tied at two.
The second period started off even, but Caden Zaplitny got a lucky break when his pass from behind the net deflected off a Piston defender into the net.
The Pistons scored late, and it seemed the game would be tied after two. Eric Fawkes changed that, tipping home Josiah Vanderhooft’s blue line bid with 47 seconds left to give the Blues a lead after 40 minutes.
Once again, first thoughts were proven wrong. It seemed the third would be a tight, defensive period from the Blues. Instead, Winnipeg scored three times in the first six minutes of the frame to take control of the game.
Steinbach would add one more goal, but the Blues got the win to move past the Pistons into first place in the East.
The Winnipeg Blues next game is Tuesday, November 23, when they travel to Portage la Prairie to battle the Waywayseecappo Wolverines in their first game of the 2021 MJHL Showcase. The puck drops at 7:30 p.m.