The Estevan Power Dodge Bruins 4-2 loss to the Weyburn Red Wings at Affinity Place on Saturday was a classic example of one team wanting the two points more than their opposition.
“Coming off last night’s victory, (we were) coming in a little bit confident and coming in a little bit cocky,” said Bruins centre Kaelan Holt, referring to the club’s 5-4 shootout win over the Wings at Crescent Point Place on Friday. We thought “we were just going to come in and roll over these guys and we forgot to put the work in.”
The Bruins caught the Red Wings (14-11-0-3) standing still early in the game and forced the club into two straight two-man disadvantages that the homeside was able to capitalize on. Holt notched the first Bruins goal at the 4:47 mark by wiring a Lynnden Pastachak pass low stick side on Wings goaltender Shaun Fleming. Josh Rieger added to the score a little over a minute-and-a-half later tapping in a Pastachak rebound that lay open in the crease.
“We got ourselves behind the eight ball early taking two five-on-threes back to back and then having Estevan score both times, but the guys bounced back,” said Wings assistant coach Brock Appleyard. We “shut it down five on five after that and really responded well.”
The Wings took the body once they got back to even strength and continually applied pressure at the Bruins end of the rink with Donavon Lumb, Noah Wozney, Carson Rose and Ian Parker all gaining glorious opportunities to put their team on the board only to have Bruins netminder Curtis Meger deny them.
Wings defenceman Erik Olson finally lit the lamp 30 seconds into the middle frame on a shot from the point that seemed to handcuff Meger. Jacob Wozney, with his seventh goal in the past six games, tied the affair at two 5:05 into the second period on a drive to the front of the net before depositing the puck into the low corner.
With the momentum on their side, the Wings’ Cole Woodliffe notched the go-ahead marker 14:26 into the third period by one-timing a Braden Mellon pass top corner glove side from the slot. Mike Eskra potted the insurance goal with 35 seconds remaining into an empty net.
“They’re the top dogs in our division right now, but we want to prove that we belong there too,” said Appleyard. “We played a really good game last night in the shootout loss. I thought we deserved a better fate there, but that’s the way it goes sometimes. I think we came out and showed ourselves that we’re capable of beating those guys in regulation.”
Chris Lewgood, head coach and general manager of the Bruins, said the entire game on Saturday resembled the first period of the Bruins win the night before. He said they didn’t have the necessary jump to beat a Viterra Division rival like Weyburn and were a little bit slower to the puck and to their positions.
The loss was the Bruins (20-8-0-1) first in five games with all four of those wins coming on the road. The Black and Gold have a second home date on Wednesday against the Kindersley Klippers (11-17-1), which is also the club’s annual Estevan Mercury Teddy Bear Toss night, before heading onto the road for another long five-game trip and the team wants to go out with a win.
“It’s obviously huge,” said Holt. “It’s big to win a home game and generate more fans. It makes the game more exciting and I think the Teddy Bear Toss brings people together. It’s a good cause and it’s fun to throw a bear on the ice.”
Bruins notes…
The Bruins reacquired defenceman Jake Heerspink from the British Columbia Hockey League’s Salmon Arm Silverbacks last Tuesday for future considerations. Heerspink competed in three regular season games, three playoff contests and four Crescent Point Energy Western Canada Cup games with the Bruins last season before signing with Salmon Arm during the summer.
Heerspink suited up in both Bruins games against the Red Wings logging regular minutes alongside defence partner Nolan Ferguson. Defenceman Davin Padgham was released as a result of the Heerspink trade.
Holt has been invited to the selection camp for the Team Canada West squad that will compete at the 2016 World Junior A Challenge in Bonnyville, Alberta, from Dec. 11 to 17. The Bruins leading goal scorer is among 60 invitees who will vie for a spot on the team during a try-out camp at Leduc, Alberta, from Dec. 5 to 8.
