They are the most famous words in hockey: Game 7.
The Nipawin Hawks and Estevan Bruins will be headed to a do-or-die seventh game after the Bruins held serve on home ice, knocking off the Hawks 4-0 in game six action of their Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League championship series.
The April 22 win for the Bruins tied their series at three games apiece, with Game 7 action in Nipawin on April 24.
Jake Fletcher led the way offensively for the Bruins, scoring once and setting up two others, while Johnny Witzke added a goal and one assist, Kaelen Holt chipped in with two assists, and Hayden Guilderson and Michael McChesney added the other goals.
Bo Didur stopped all 36 shots he faced for his second shutout of the playoffs as the Hawks outshot the Bruins 36-31.
Declan Hobbs responded by turning aside 27 of the 31 shots he faced for his fifth playoff loss in the Hawks goal.
After a scoreless first period, it was the Hawks who came alive in period two, firing 17 shots Didur’s way, as they held a 17-8 edge in shots.
Despite carrying the play on the shotclock, the Hawks found themselves on the wrong end of the scoreboard as Witzke, and McChesney, on the power play, both scored for the Bruins, who took a 2-0 lead into the third period, despite being outshot 28-19 to that point.
Guilderson extended the Bruins’ lead to three with his sixth of the playoffs just 17 seconds into period three, and Fletcher added another just over four minutes later giving the Bruins a commanding 4-0 lead.
After turning a 4-0 deficit into a 4-3 deficit in game four, the Hawks had no magic up their sleeves in Game 6, as they failed to generate much in the way of third period offense, firing just eight shots Didur’s way.
Didur turned them all aside as the Bruins cruised to a 4-0 win, setting up Tuesday’s winner take-all Game 7 in Nipawin.
If the Hawks hope to win on their home ice, they will have to improve on their game six special teams effort, which saw them finish 0-for-5 with the man advantage.
