With a 4-1 loss to the Battlefords North Stars on Friday, the odds of the CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins catching the Humboldt Broncos for sixth place in the SJHL got slimmer.
The Broncos could clinch the spot, which comes with a bye past the survivor series, with a win against Kindersley last night along with an Estevan loss in Melville.
Friday's game at Affinity place was close until midway through the third period, when Battlefords tacked on two more goals.
"They're a top two or three D corps in the entire league and tonight they showed it. They were stingy and they smothered us," Bruins head coach Chris Lewgood of the Stars' defenders.
The North Stars opened the scoring 53 seconds into the game, shortly after the Bruins were denied on a couple of chances at the other end, as Luke McColgan flicked in a Jake McMillen rebound.
The Bruins evened it up just shy of the seven-minute mark, as affiliated player Brady Anderson tucked a feed from Keegan Allison past Stars goalie Michael Gudmandson.
Cam Blair's goal later in the period put the Stars back on top and they took a 2-1 lead to the intermission.
The Bruins announced between periods that legendary Boston Bruins defenceman Ray Bourque would headline the team's annual sportsman's dinner on April 24. Saskatchewan Roughriders head coach Corey Chamblin and receiver Chris Getzlaf will also be speaking.
After a scoreless second period, Blake Young took a feed from Blair halfway through the third and found a hole top corner, blocker side, to beat Bruins starter Matt Gibney.
Battlefords defenceman Kyle Schmidt added an insurance marker with 44 seconds to go.
Bruins rearguard Nick Egan said there were a lot of things that didn't go right.
"Certain bounces didn't go our way tonight. A lot of penalties we took that we didn't necessarily need to take at all. It's tough to say, it's a lot of things that didn't really work out our way that we needed to. We got puck watching a little bit and that resulted in a few goals in the back of our net. It was a tough game, through and through."
With the Bruins struggling to generate offensive pressure and firing only 19 shots to the Stars' 34, Lewgood said the troubles started in their own zone.
"I think they're such an aggressive team on the forecheck and with their offensive zone play that we were a little too cute with the puck and trying to make perfect plays exiting the zone, and it cost us a lot of possession time. I think we turned over pucks inside our blue line a lot. When we eliminated those turnovers and made simple plays exiting the zone and focused more on pursuing the puck in the neutral zone and offensive zone, I think we were able to set up shop and get the odd cycle going and some sustained pressure. But it was too few and far between when that happened."
Egan noted the Stars' defence made it tough to get set up in the offensive zone.
"We struggled bearing down on the walls a bit, chipping pucks, because they're so aggressive that they didn't really give us many opportunities to get in their zone."
The Bruins also edged the Melville Millionaires 3-2 on Feb. 18 in Melville.
Austin Daae, Connor McKenzie and Lynnden Pastachak scored for Estevan, while Simon Genereux and Allen Kilback replied for the Mils. It was McKenzie's first SJHL goal.
The Bruins will close out their season this weekend with a home-and-home set against the Weyburn Red Wings. They play on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Affinity Place, followed by a return date Saturday in Weyburn.
Humboldt, meanwhile, has Yorkton on Saturday and Notre Dame on Sunday.
"At this point, it does us no good to stare at the standings and watch what Humboldt's doing," Lewgood said. "We've just gotta go out, get focused and go back to Melville and play the same game in Melville we did last Tuesday. Play our hockey game, eliminate some of these little things we're doing wrong and have that consistency that we lacked tonight and we'll be OK."
Ben Johnstone suffered a concussion against Kindersley on Feb. 15, but the hope is for him to return on the weekend. Michael Sagen left Friday's game in the first period with back spasms, but isn't expected to miss much time.
