Photo: Scott Stroh
Malachi Klassen stopped 27/28 shots while Trent Penner scored the game winner as the Winkler Flyers defeated the Steinbach Pistons 2-1, taking a 1-0 series lead in the Turnbull Cup Final.
“It took us a little while to get to our game but I think that could be from not playing for a couple of days,” shared Flyers captain, Trent Penner. “The second period came around and we found our game, got those two goals in the second and they ended up being enough.”
After a scoreless first period, the Winkler Flyers stepped on the gas in the second and took over, outshooting the Pistons 21-7. With under two to play in the second, Isaiah Peters fired a shot through traffic that made its way through Cole Plowman, giving the Flyers a 1-0 lead.
The Flyers continued to push until the buzzer rang at the end of the second, which saw captain, Trent Penner cash in off a rebound at the side of the net with 0.4 seconds remaining to give Winkler a 2-0 lead heading into the final twenty minutes of play.
Leo Chambers snapped Malachi Klassen’s shutout late in the third and brought the Pistons to within one, bringing life to the home crowd for a late push.
Blake Matheson would make a game saving block on the doorstep with four seconds left in the game that would seal the deal for Winkler as the Flyers would bend but not break and hold on for a 2-1 road win.
Game two is set for Sunday night in Winkler at the Centennial Arena with puck drop at 7:00 PM CST.
