It was a tight game, right from the first period, but the Broncos beat the Bruins when they battled in Humboldt for the first time this season on November 30.
The Humboldt Broncos came flying onto the ice, scoring their first goal on Estevan Bruins goaltender Steven Glass just over two minutes in.
Riley Kieser, back from his stint with Team Canada West at the World Junior A Hockey Challenge in British Columbia, got the point after a scramble around the net, assisted by Adam Antkowiak and Chase Wharton at 2:02.
Ryan Marshall put the Broncos up 2-0 with a goal off Mathew Backhouse and Wharton at 6:43.
After that point, the Bruins stepped up their game, and after putting pressure on Humboldt goalie Deven Dubyk, tied the game with two goals at 7:10 and 12:17.
Regrouping, the Broncos took back their lead with a goal by Andrew Johnston at 14:36, assisted by Marshall and Wharton.
It was after that goal that a fight broke out. Bronco Logan Sproule and Bruin Dylan Schellenberg were both boxed for five minutes for fighting at the 17:40 mark. Schellenberg also got a 10-minute misconduct.
With the first fight of the game out of the way, it seems the players were able to put their minds back on scoring.
Johnston struck again, scoring at 18:51 and putting the Broncos in a two-point lead once again. Andrew Herle and Kameron Ballas got the assists on that point.
In the second period, it was the Broncos power-play line that made the difference.
Herle got a power-play point at 5:03, assisted by Johnston and Marshall, to give Humboldt a 5-2 lead.
However, the Bruins answered back with a power play goal of their own at 8:50.
The Broncos regained their three-point lead with another power-play goal, this one by Marshall, and assisted by Johnston and Herle, at 16:55 of the second.
However, the Bruins weren't done yet. They got their final goal of the night at 17:06 of the second, this time with the teams at even strength.
After 10 goals in the first two periods, the third period was surprisingly empty of scoring. The game ended with the Broncos up 6-4.
Humboldt also won when it came to shots on goal, sending 36 shots at the Bruins' net, while Estevan levelled just 27 at Dubyk.
Besides the fight in the first period, no major penalties were handed out in the game, though it was by no means penalty-free. Calls for roughing, tripping, hooking, slashing, cross checking and high sticking were made on either team.
On the power play, the Bruins were one for five and the Broncos were two for four.
All three stars of the game were Humboldt players: Marshall, Johnston and Wharton.
