Failing to finish off a number of scoring chances came back to haunt the CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins in a 4-1 loss to the Weyburn Red Wings on Sunday.
It was the first game after the Christmas break for both teams, but the Red Wings showed little rust, while the Bruins were thoroughly outplayed in the first period.
Miguel Pereira, Robert Wilkinson, Josh Lees and Adam Pulliam scored the goals for Weyburn (10-19-0-2).
Tyler Paslawski had the lone marker for the Bruins (12-18-2) in the first period.
Bruins head coach and general manager Keith Cassidy said he felt his team didn't attack the play enough.
"I'm not going to call it rust, we'll call it a bit of tentativeness there. We know what kind of a game this is and we know how big it is. I think you saw some of our veteran guys went out there and did what they had to do to get things done. Other guys had a bit of the yips to start off."
Pereira opened the scoring on a power play at 3:47, taking a pass in the left faceoff circle and beating Bruins goalie Curtis Martinu.
Paslawski tied the game halfway through the period on a play with Taylor Reich in the slot.
Although the teams were tied after the first period, the shots were 16-7 for the Red Wings, who were playing their first game after the controversial dismissal of head coach Dwight McMillan over the Christmas break.
Assistant coach Darcy Pindus has taken over the reins of the team for the rest of the year.
Wilkinson restored the Wings' lead 11 minutes into the second period, finishing off a 3-on-1 break with a high shot past Martinu.
Lees made it 3-1 with 40 seconds left in the period after a Bruins defenceman knocked the puck off Brian Farkas' stick, only for it to bounce right to Lees for an easy goal.
Pulliam closed out the scoring at 18:36 of the third on a power play marker, getting a point shot past a screened Martinu.
Despite narrowly outshooting the Wings in the final 40 minutes and getting plenty of good chances, it was Weyburn who did all the scoring in the last two periods.
"It was a huge factor," Cassidy said of the blown scoring chances. "We worked really hard to get some quality chances and we gotta hand it to their goaltender (J-P Boucher), I thought he played well.
"You can't get much better than 1-on-0 against the goaltender and I think our guys worked hard to get those opportunities," Cassidy said.
As usual, Martinu made some big saves for the Bruins and held them in the game, stopping 28 shots. Weyburn outshot Estevan 32-25.
"I think Marty has done what Marty's done all year, he's given us an opportunity to win. We need to recognize that when we see that effort," said Cassidy.
"The games where we can get out to a goal or two lead, we play like a different hockey club when we get behind the eight-ball, our mindset's a little different. Coming from behind has not been our specialty, obviously, this year, but we had an opportunity here to do that with the play of our goaltender. That hard work was there and the reward for that hard work wasn't there."
The Bruins and Red Wings were set to play in Weyburn yesterday in the annual New Year's Day game. The annual alumni game between the two teams was also part of the festivities.
The Bruins were playing without several regulars on Sunday. Two affiliated players, 16-year-old forward Lynnden Pastachak of Bienfait and 17-year-old defenceman Edwin Hookenson of Lampman, were in the lineup.
Rookie left winger Darcy DeRoose was summoned to the Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL) on Christmas Day, but is not expected to stay long. Cassidy said he will likely be returned on Sunday.
Meanwhile, defencemen Brett Blatz and Leighton McLauchlan were both injured Dec. 18 in a game against the Melville Millionaires. Cassidy said one or both of them could return during a home-and-home series against Melville this weekend.
That two-game set sees the Bruins host the Mils on Friday and visit Melville on Saturday.
