The defending Manitoba Junior Hockey League champion Steinbach Pistons dropped a 4-2 decision to the OCN Blizzard Wednesday night at the Roy H. Johnston Arena. Keenan McNeill had a pair of goals for the Blizzard who now lead the best-of-seven semifinal two games to one. James Fuchs and Noah Szabo did the goal scoring for the Pistons. OCN led 2-0 after the first period and 3-1 after forty minutes. Szabo's first of the playoffs at 13:47 of the third period cut the Blizzard's lead to 3-2. OCN's Quincy Supprien sealed the deal with an empty netter with two seconds left in regulation. Steinbach's Cole Plowman stopped 30 of the 33 shots he faced. Tomas Anderson made 34 saves in net for the Blizzard. Game four goes tonight at OCN.


Canada will meet Sweden today (4 p.m.)  in the quarterfinals at the 2024 World Women's Hockey Championship in Utica, New York. Team Canada finished the preliminary round in second place in Group A. The United States faces Japan, Finland meets Switzerland and Czechia plays Germany in the other three quarterfinals. 


The Winnipeg Jets four-game road trip continues tonight against the Dallas Stars. The Jets (48-24-6) have won four in a row and are seven points back of the Central Division leading Stars and two points behind the second place Colorado Avalanche. Winnipeg has four games left in the regular season schedule. 


The round robin continues today at the Players Championship in Toronto which is the last Grand Slam curling event of the season. Matt Dunstone has a 1-1 record; Reid Carruthers & Jennifer Jones are 1-2 while Kerri Einarson & Kaitlyn Lawes are 0-2.


Summer McIntosh posted the world's fastest 200-metre freestyle time of the year Wednesday night at the Canadian Swimming Open. One of Canada's top medal hopes for this summer's Paris Olympics, the 17-year-old McIntosh swam to first place in one minute 54.21 seconds at the Pan Am Sports Centre in Toronto. 

hockey_2023The Pistons trail the Blizzard two games to one in their second round playoff series (photo courtesy Scott Stroh - Ice Wave Media)

The Steinbach Pistons face the OCN Blizzard tonight in game four of their semifinal. Head coach Paul Dyck will join Clayton Dreger on the Pistons Report which airs Thursdays at 5:15 p.m. on AM 1250 Radio.