Winning three games in three nights on a road swing up north is so rare that when it happens, it's something to be savoured and remembered.
The Estevan CanElson Drilling Bruins did just that last week, knocking off the Nipawin Hawks 6-3, the Melfort Mustangs 4-3 in a shootout and the Flin Flon Bombers 2-0 on consecutive nights during a mid-week trip.
Bruins head coach Chris Lewgood said it's hard to say why the Bruins (6-5-1-1) were able to sweep the trip.
"That's a tough question. I think that the biggest thing is guys take every shift one at a time and keep focused on the task at hand. I think when you work as hard as you can and be the best you can, those types of things happen sometimes."
Lewgood said although there isn't too much emphasis on the Bruins' place in the standings (currently third in the Viterra Division) this early in the year, it was still big to get all six points following a three-game losing streak at home.
The Bruins got a bit of a surprise in Nipawin on Oct. 22, that the Hawks had acquired former Estevan starter Steven Glass from Drumheller (AJHL) and he would be starting that night.
Lewgood said he stressed putting lots of shots on net and the Bruins beat Glass six times.
"The pressure was all on him. He was kind of in a new situation and I thought our guys responded really well."
Austin Daae (2), Brett Blatz, Austin Roesslein, Hudson Morrison and Keegan Allison, with his first SJHL goal, scored for the Bruins. Tad Kozun (2) and Evan Mignault replied for the Hawks.
"I've seen an elevation in Austin's game where to me, he's become one of the elite players and when you have that on the bench, it gives other guys a boost in confidence," Lewgood said of Daae, who had a four-point night.
Netminder Matt Gibney stopped 39 of 42 shots for Estevan.
The Bruins beat Melfort for the first time the next night, after losing twice to them earlier this season.
Roesslein, Tanner Froese and Allison scored in regulation, with Lynnden Pastachak netting the shootout winner. Brandon Sloan, Anthony Pickering and Matt Saunderson had the Melfort goals.
Lewgood said the difference this time around was being able to beat Mustangs goalie Jack Romanuik.
"I thought our first game they carried the play, the second time at home I thought we deserved a better fate and this time we were able to capitalize on our chances. We dug out of a couple of holes and we showed a lot of character in that game."
Rookie goaltender Brett Lewchuk made 39 saves.
"It might not be fair, but I don't even spend much time thinking about our goaltenders, they're just so solid," Lewgood said.
On Thursday, the Bruins did what very few teams manage to do: shut out the Bombers in their own rink.
Lewgood noted that while goalie Devin Buffalo stonewalled the Bruins in their last meeting on Oct. 16, this time around, "Gibney was by far the best player on either team. There were a few times he had to answer the bell and he did that really well. He's an elite goalie in our league and he really rose to the challenge that night."
Pastachak scored his first SJHL goal on the game winner early in the third period, redirecting a point shot past Buffalo on a power play. Froese added an empty netter.
In other news, defenceman Nick Egan has returned to the Bruins after leaving the team in the pre-season to explore pro tryout opportunities in the U.S. He played in last night's game against Yorkton.
"He's a multi-faceted player, he's got poise with the puck. Where a team might start running around, he's the guy who grabs the puck and settles things down. He's good at getting it out of the zone, a good first pass. I don't think there's anybody in the league who's going to want to push Nick around, I think all the guys grow an extra 15 pounds when he's on the ice," Lewgood said.
Egan's return puts the Bruins at nine 20-year-olds, while only eight can be dressed in a game. Lewgood said that while he's "not in any rush" to move someone out, a decision will have to be made before long.
