Despite a tough January schedule, the Estevan Apex Bruins continue to play some of their best hockey of the season.
The midget AA Bruins extended their 2013 undefeated streak in league play to six games with a pair of victories on the weekend.
The Bruins (13-7-6), who are now within six points of the South Saskatchewan Minor Hockey League leading Notre Dame Hounds, defeated the Regina Capitals 6-3 on Saturday and the Swift Current Hurricanes 5-3 on Sunday.
On Sunday, the Bruins held the Hurricanes, who are tied for third place, in check.
Marc Shaw and Tanner Jeannot led Estevan with two goals apiece.
"That was probably our best game of the year. We pretty much put in a full 60 minutes," said Apex Bruins head coach Dalton Giblett.
The victory marked the Bruins' third win over a top-three team in a span of nine days.
"It's hard to explain, but that just shows that we're capable. We've taken five of six points against top-three teams in the last week. I think that just shows that we can play with the big boys in our league," said Giblett.
"It builds confidence for us going down the stretch here. Since Christmas, we've been doing some good things right."
Preston Hutt opened the scoring for the Bruins on Sunday at the 13-minute mark of the first period.
Shaw extended that lead three minutes later, finding the back of the net off a centring pass.
The Hurricanes struck back before the buzzer though, with Thomas Hammerton scoring from point-blank range with 44 seconds to play.
Less than four minutes into the second period, Blaine Herzberg carried the puck down the right wing, stopped, and fed Jeannot at the side of the net for the team's third goal.
Swift Current needed only 76 seconds to reply, with Brayden Karmazinuk getting the visitors within one again.
Four minutes into the third, Jeannot scored again to restore the team's two-goal cushion.
Shaw added another goal 82 seconds later, firing a wrist shot from the top of the right circle off the rush to make it 5-3 for Estevan.
The Hurricanes would add a third goal at the very end of the game, with Kyler Sachkowski scoring on a breakaway just as the green light flashed to end the third period. It was ruled a good goal.
Giblett said that Jeannot and Shaw have both provided valuable contributions as first-year midget players.
"Jeannot has played well for us all year. If he's not on the game sheet, he's doing good things in his own end and he's probably our hardest hitter. Shaw just has a knack for putting the puck in the net. He has an unreal shot."
On Saturday, against the 10th-place Capitals, the Bruins got goals from five different players to earn the win.
Jason Hengen was the first to score, staking the Bruins to an early lead at the 1:28 mark.
Regina's Derek Frater tied the game at 7:26, but the hosts regained the lead before the end of the frame on a power play goal by Shaw with three minutes left.
Dylan Lay scored his first of two markers one minute into the second period to put the Bruins ahead 3-1.
Conner Chaulk found the twine for the Capitals at 6:40, only for Tyson Price to respond for Estevan four minutes later.
Mason Benning's tally three minutes after that put the Bruins on top 5-2.
Arthur Miller notched the Capitals' third goal with less than two minutes to play in the period.
Lay's second goal came late in the third period to add some insurance for the Bruins.
With three games in three nights this weekend, one of them against the second-place Notre Dame bantam Hounds, Giblett said the team's strong play is coming at a good time.
"We had the one little hiccup in Weyburn (on Jan. 12) in the provincial run that cost us, but other than that we've played well. We seem to be rising to the challenge."
The Bruins visit the Prairie Storm on Friday before returning home for two games: Saturday against the bantam Hounds at 4 p.m., and Sunday against Yorkton at 2:45 p.m. Both games are at Spectra Place.
