The CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins’ final game before their holiday break began well enough, splitting a scoreless first period with the Kindersley Klippers on Dec. 18, before eventually falling 6-2 to the Kramer Division leaders.
It was 8:08 into the second period when RT Rice opened the scoring for the Bruins, but that initial 1-0 lead did not stand for long. Just 14 seconds later, the Klippers tied the game on a Derrick Morell goal.
Three minutes after that Kindersley defenceman Tyler Anderson potted his second of the season to stretch the lead to two. Another five minutes after that Owen Leclare, SJHL goal scoring leader, knocked in his 26th of the season to send the Klippers into the third period with a 3-1 lead.
The Bruins would need a quick start in the third period in order to stop the bleeding, but just 1:12 into the final frame, Anderson scored his second of the game.
Just 40 seconds later, the Bruins’ Levi Barnstable was penalized for tripping, and on the ensuing power play, former Bruins forward Darcy DeRoose scored his 18th of the year, stretching the Klippers lead to 5-1 and all but out of reach with another 16:36 left in the game.
Marc Dubeau further stretched the Klippers lead with less than four minutes left in the game, and 30 seconds after that Kurt Sonne got one back, with Taylor Ross and Brayden Pachal collecting assists for the Bruins.
Tyler Fuhr was in goal for the Bruins stopping 31 of 37 shots. His counterpart, Nath Hargraves stopped 30 of 32 for the Klippers.
The Bruins currently sit in last place in the Viterra Division and last in the league. With a 10-17-1-5 record, they sit one point behind the Yorkton Terriers and six points behind the Weyburn Red Wings. Despite their position, the Bruins remain nine points out of the Viterra Division lead, nine points back of the Melville Millionaires.
The Bruins’ next action will be at Affinity Place on Dec. 30, when they face the Red Wings in Game 1 of a home-and-home series around New Year’s Eve, with Game 2 back in Weyburn on Jan. 1
