With the Saskatchewan Prairie Hockey League playoffs only a couple of weeks away, the Battleford Beaver Blues made a major statement to the rest of the league over the weekend.
In a pair of home games at the Battleford Arena, the Beaver Blues earned a pair of wins over two of the top teams in the SPHL.
They defeated the Shellbrook Silvertips by a score of 9-5 Friday and followed that up with an 8-5 triumph over the Edam Three Stars a night later.
With the win, the Beaver Blues now have a 10-6 record and are tied for second place in the standings with the Meota Combines and the Silvertips with 20 points.
The Hafford Hawks are one point ahead of all three teams in the race for the top spot in the league.
“I think we’re starting to play our systems and we’re really starting to gel at the right time of the season,” Beaver Blues captain Brent Salzl said. “These are two of the biggest games that we’ve had all year and we’ve been priming for these matchups for quite awhile.
“Everything was just clicking for us and we want to make sure that everything is on the up and up going forward.”
Friday’s battle with the Silvertips was a back-and-forth contest until the final minutes when the Beaver Blues scored a couple of goals to pull away.
“I think the little things made the biggest difference,” Salzl said. “We were chipping the puck off of the glass and making that second effort to help our goalie (Mitch Hawtin) out.”
Mike George had a goal and three assists in the win while Cody Danberg, Traye Tkatchuk and Salzal each lit the lamp twice.
Saturday’s contest featured a bit of excitement in between the pipes for the Beaver Blues as backup netminder Geoff Lang was called into action during the second period after Hawtin was tossed from the game.
“Getting thrown in there like that in the middle of the game can be a challenge, especially since I’m the oldest guy on the team,” Lang said.
“I was able to stretch out and I got in the zone right away. There’s one goal I’d like back, but overall I felt like I played well and the guys did a great job in front of me to help me out.”
Kevin Bendall had a stellar game for the Beaver Blues as he scored four goals.
Over in North Battleford, the Combines were impressive in two games at the Civic Centre.
They cruised to a 12-4 win over the Cut Knife Colts Friday and followed that up with a 10-5 triumph over the Maymont Settlers a night later.
Michael Pylypow had five points in Friday’s victory, while Vince Sauvie matched that feat in Saturday’s triumph.
The Combines will return to the Civic Centre Friday to host the Radisson Wheatkings at 7:30 p.m.
The Beaver Blues will also be at home Friday for an 8 p.m. tilt with the Spiritwood Timberwolves.
