*UPDATE* March 10, 9:50 p.m.
The CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins kept their season alive with a 3-2 victory in the fourth game of their best-of-five series against the Battlefords North Stars on Tuesday night.
Charles Manley scored the winner for the Bruins in the third period to force a fifth and final game in North Battleford on Thursday night.
See a recap of the game on www.estevanmercury.ca tomorrow. Continue reading for details on the first three games of the series.
The Bruins dropped a 5-4 decision in Game 3 on Monday.
In Game 3, the North Stars struck first in the opening period and added to their lead later on to go up 2-0.
With just over two minutes remaining in the period the Bruins cut the lead in half when Jason Duret tipped the puck past the North Stars goalie. Nolan Nicholas and Ryan Duret earned the assists.
Forty-five seconds into the second period, Nicholas tied the game for Estevan. Fuhr contributed with the helper.
With four minutes remaining in the period, Lynnden Pastachak lit the lamp and gave his team a 3-2 lead. Keegan Allison had the helper on the play.
In the final minutes of the period, Wyatt Garagan netted one to give the Bruins a 4-2 lead going into the second intermission.
Head coach Chris Lewgood said it was great his team came back from a 2-0 deficit, and that’s the way they should play but it wasn`t enough.
“You got to play that way for the entire game and you proved that you’re capable of it. But when you let it slide late, it’s all for not. You got to play with consistency,” he said.
The game took a turn one minute into the third when Battleford pulled within one on a penalty shot. Six minutes later, the North Stars tied the game at four. Later in the period, Battleford took the lead.
Estevan pulled their goalie with under a minute remaining, and despite a couple of chances, they couldn’t bury the puck to force overtime.
When the Bruins lost their 4-2 lead, Lewgood didn’t notice a change of play or that the team was veering away from the original game plan, but a lack of attention to detail and mental mistakes cost them.
“We were just doing things that were unacceptable. I don’t think it was a thought process thing, it was just a lack of attention to detail,” he said.
Lewgood couldn’t pick out a specific turning pont in the game, saying there were many inconsistencies throughout the matchup.
“There were so many up and downs in the game, it was just an inconsistent game altogether. It’s hard to pin point one thing… just a lack of consistency.”
The Bruins began the playoffs on the road with a 3-2 victory in Game 1 on March 6
It was a scoreless first, with the goaltenders taking over as the Bruins outshot the North Stars 10-8.
Five minutes and fifty seconds into the second period, Battleford scored. They would go onto score again with just under two minutes remaining in the period to take a 2-0 lead.
The Bruins started their comeback shortly into the third when Kurt Sonne scored to make it 2-1. Wyatt Garagan earned the assist.
Allison tied up the game when he lit the lamp on the power play. Charles Manley and Zach Douglas had the assists.
Brad Arabia scored the go-ahead-goal 48 seconds past the midway point of the third. Levi Barnstable and Pastachak contributed with the helpers.
Bruins would hold on to win the game.
Game 2 of the series was the following day and Estevan fell 2-1.
The North Stars got on the board first in the opening period and had a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes of play.
In the second period, Battleford added to their lead and made it 2-0. The North Stars still had a 2-0 lead in the third and with 23 seconds remaining in the game, and the extra man, Allison, with help from Pastachack, pulled Estevan within one.
The Bruins couldn’t tie the game as Battleford tied the series at one.
Lewgood thought his team played really well and consistent in both games
“There’s no question the work ethic in those games and we worked real hard,” he said.
