The Power Dodge Estevan Bruins lost 5-4 in a shootout to the Humboldt Broncos at a Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) Showcase game at Warman’s Legends Arena on Monday.
The Bruins (3-1-0-1) fell behind early against the Broncos (5-1) with Daniel McKitrick and Trevor Posch finding the back of new Estevan goaltender Kurtis Chapman’s net 12 minutes into the first period. Bruins centre Michael McChesney brought his team to within one a little over two minutes later on a power-play marker.
Posch notched his second of the game on the man advantage 1:57 into the second period, which was followed by another power-play goal by Bruins right wing Matt McNeil at the 3:12 mark and an even-strength shot by Kaelan Holt 7:20 into the middle frame that beat Broncos goalie Carter Seminuk to tie the score at three. Michael Korol put the Broncos back on top with a goal 4:09 into the third period only to have Holt tie the game once again with 17 seconds left to play.
Neither team managed to light the lamp in the three-on-three overtime session bringing the game to a shootout. Humboldt’s Chris Van Os-Shaw and Posch notched markers in the breakaway contest with only Holt scoring for the Bruins.
Chris Lewgood, head coach and general manager of the Bruins, said Chapman played fine in his first action with the Bruins after being transferred to the club by the Western Hockey League’s Regina Pats last week. He said their two power-play goals came about through hard work and puck support, but the team does need to cut back on the amount of penalties they’re taking after going down a man five times against Humboldt and seven times at the North Battleford Civic Centre against the North Stars (5-3) two days earlier.
“You like to shut them out on those situations, but it’s tough,” said Lewgood, noting goaltender Matt Lukacs has been released to make way for Chapman. “If you give them too many chances they’re bound to tap one in, so the key is to try and be more disciplined and the next step would be just keep working, blocking shots, filling lanes and battling.”
The Bruins began their four games in five days road trip on Friday at Kindersley’s West Central Events Centre with a 6-3 loss to the Klippers (1-2). The team followed that up with a hard-fought 4-3 win over the North Stars that saw its netminder Nathan Alalouf stop 36 shots to earn his third win of the year.
In between the two road games and their start at the SJHL Showcase on Monday, the Bruins went together as a team to see the interment of Gordie and Colleen Howe’s ashes outside Saskatoon’s SaskTel Centre before the hometown Blades took on the Swift Current Broncos.
“Three points out of six is a little disappointing,” said Lewgood. “We’d like to get six and feel that we probably should have had four at least, but as a whole the weekend’s been successful. We know that off the ice the team building and just the togetherness is an important element long term and we’ve got such a good group of guys there.”
