The Steinbach Pistons needed to win at least one game in Virden and they thought there was no better time than Monday in game 4 as they tied up the Turnbull Cup Final 2-2 with a 4-0 win.

It's the second win in a row for Steinbach who have all the momentum in the series but early in the first, it was all Oil Capitals. Hard work down low gave Virden a couple of in-tight scoring chances that were turned away by Piston's netminder Matthew Thiessen.

Thiessen also got a little help from his red friends as two Oil Caps shots clanked off the bar and stayed out.

After a Virden penalty, Steinbach was able to take advantage when Mark Taraschuk blasted a shot from the point that went off a body in front and in for the 20-year-olds 5th goal of the playoffs to make it a 1-0 game. Darby Gula and Brendan Martin had the assists.

Virden carried most of the play through the opening 20 minutes and ended up outshooting Steinbach 7-6 but it was Taraschuks goal that was the only marker heading into intermission.

Whatever was said in the Pistons locker-room between periods worked.

Really worked.

Only 14 seconds into the second, forward Austin Heidemann worked the puck back to the point where Darby Gula wristed one through a crowd that went high glove on the Oil Capitals goalie for his first of the playoffs and a big goal to deflate the Virden crowd, 2-0 Steinbach.

Steinbach upped their defensive game and really frustrated the Oil Caps by limiting time and space as well as using physical play to limit any type of pressure or offensive rushes by the opposition.

Mid-way through the period, off a Taraschuk dump in, Bradley Schoonbaert tore into the offensive zone to pressure the Virden defender. The pressure worked as Schoonbaret not only eliminated his man, he picked up the free puck and passed it out in front to a waiting Heidemann who snapped off a perfect shot to make it 3-0 Steinbach.

Towards the end of the period, another glorious scoring chance for the Pistons as Schoonbaert and Drew Worrad broke in on a 2 on 0. Schoonbaert passed over to Worrad who slid it back to Schoonbaert who just missed the short side and the game remained 3-0 heading into the second intermission. 

As expected the Oil Caps tried to get a little something cooking in the third but again, a total team defensive effort stalled any rushes that they faced.

Then the line of Brady Tatro, Easton Bennett and Tanner Mole put the game away as the trio combined for the 4-0 goal as Bennett and Mole worked down below the Virden goal line before Tatro picked up the puck and buried a backhander for his fifth of the playoffs. 

After being outshot in the first, the Pistons only allowed 16 shots in the second and third respectively. 

Thiessen was perfect making all 23 saves he was asked to for his 4th MJHL playoff shutout. 

The power play was only given one chance to work with and they made it count finishing 1-1 while the penalty kill was again solid going 3-3.

Game 5 is set for Thursday night in Steinbach with the series now deadlocked 2-2.

Coaches Notes

Head coach Paul Dyck was asked what he said between the first and second period that inspired his team to come out on a mission. "I asked all the guys if they were prepared to give us a better defensive commitment. And really, it was really looking into each other's eyes and saying 'are we prepared to do a better job in the D zone', that was really our primary focus. I thought we were fairly disciplined in the neutral zone with our forecheck. We needed to clean up the D zone and that second goal really sparked us. I felt we had more jump in our legs that we could tap into after the first and I thought we did get that. Not sure if it was Darby's goal that really sparked the bench but we really came to life after that."

Throughout the season, the staff has never thought of Tatro, Bennett and Mole as being a typical 4th line and again on Monday, they proved to be too much to handle. "They were a factor, that fourth goal was huge for us. That shift was very, very impressive. I thought they had a really good game today. We need that, where at 75 games this season, we have (Will) Koop out of the lineup and (Brendan) Martin stepping in, we need the depth."

Bradley Schoonbaert was the Pistons top scorer in the regular season but has brought his game to a whole nother level playing physically to generate chances and it's really caught the coaches eye. "I loved his game 3 and he built on it today. He made just a lot of little plays, managing the puck, managing the game. If he didn't have anything, instead of trying to beat someone one on one, he'd just put the puck in the corner even off the cycle. Sometimes, with those guys who score, they think they can score every time they get the puck and he's starting to see that there are times we have to concede it and get in on the forecheck. He's really led us here and he's been a great leader this past two games."

Surprise! Thiessen All Smiles (Usually Always Is)

17-year-old Matthew Thiessen never really seems to have a bad day. He always is positive, always smiling but after a shutout, that smile shines just a little brighter. As happy as Thiessen is with his success, he's quick to point out that it's in large part of the teammates around him. "We battled all night, blocking lots of shots, played 60 minutes and worked hard. Great team effort."

Some goalies call the posts by names like Donny and Brook or Siegfreid and Roy but for Thiessen, he just calls them Friends. "Got a little help from the old' posts tonight. Had a couple good bounces that went our way. You have to have that some nights."

Steinbach as a team put up nearly 300 goals for this year during the regular season but Thiessen has noticed the attention to detail defensively has really been ratcheted up in the playoffs. "Just the battle, the extra effort on everything coming back to our zone, the back checkers, everyone coming back to help out the defence and help me as well with all the extra back pressure not giving them much of anything."

The NHL Central Scouting has released their rankings for the upcoming NHL draft and Thiessen is ranked 4th among North American goalies. It's an honour that again, he's quick to credit his teammates for. "I just couldn't do it without the teammates. They help me out with everything. That's totally for the guys in front of me."