HTJHL Champs - Red Wings Complete Four Game Sweep

The Grunthal Red Wings are Hanover-Tache Junior Hockey League champions for the fourth time.

Jayden Plett scored a pair of power play goals as the Red Wings defeated the Steinbach Huskies 4-2 Wednesday night at the T. G. Smith Centre and swept the best-of-seven final in four games straight.

"They pushed us hard," said Plett who notched the winner 5:11 into the third period. "We came out flat and they were on us. We were on our heels the whole first period. It took a whole team effort - a full 60 minutes."

Game four was only 1:45 old when Brady Musey got Grunthal on the board.

Kalem Penner got that one back for the Huskies two minutes later.

The first period ended in a 1-1 tie.

The two teams exchanged goals in the middle frame.

Plett's first of the night, 4:41 into the second period, restored the Red Wings lead but again it was shortlived.

Less than two minutes later - Arnell Evans slid the loose puck, which was laying in the crease for what seemed like an eternity, past Grunthal goaltender John Laninga and into the wide open net.

The Red Wings got the break they needed early in the third period when Plett scored on the power play.

Brody Kornelsen sealed the deal with an empty net goal with just five seconds remaining.

Grunthal forward Eric Froese said the four-game sweep by the Red Wings more than made up for the disappointment of losing last years final to Steinbach.

"Last year we got swept so we were in the same position. It's very sweet to be able to do this finally."

"It's tough," said Huskies captain Jeremy Levesque. "We played all year for this. It hurts, but you know what, they played well and they deserved it. We didn't play the whole four games and that was the difference."

The Red Wings were solid defensively as they allowed just four goals in four games and shutout Steinbach in games one and two of the series.

"We moved the puck good out of our own end," said Grunthal defenseman Cole Penner. "We didn't let them play with it in our end and we buried our opportunities. I think we outworked them a bit."

The Red Wings previously won the HTJHL championship in 2007-08, 2010-11 & 2012-13.