The CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins started 2016 by gaining an important four points in the SJHL standings thanks to back-to-back wins over their Viterra Division rival Weyburn Red Wings, while also setting themselves up for future games knowing they can come out on top against one of the league’s best.
The Bruins (19-16-0-1) began the post-Christmas portion of the season with a 3-2 overtime win Dec. 30 at Weyburn’s Crescent Point Place, before scoring a 3-1 victory over the Red Wings (22-8-3-3) at Affinity Place in a New Year’s Day matinee.
“They were both chippy,” said Bruins’ captain Keegan Allison. “They are always chippy against Weyburn. We came out a whole lot stronger (at home) by giving up less shots and being better defensively, but both games we grinded out a win.”
Bruins right-winger Braden Oleksyn scored the overtime winner in Weyburn after Lynnden Pastachak got Estevan into the extra frame with a power-play goal early in the third period. The Black and Gold got on the board first in the game on a Zach Douglas marker two-and-a-half minutes in, but the Red Wings’ Donavon Lumb relied with two for the home side to make the score 2-1 heading into the third. Bruins goaltender Tyler Fuhr made 37 saves for the win, while Weyburn’s Jack Burgart stopped 25 shots in the loss.
In front of a big and festive New Year’s Day crowd at Affinity Place two days later, Allison sealed the club’s win with under 12 minutes remaining in the third when he fired a shot from the slot under Burgart’s glove and off the post and in to put the home side up 2-1. Pastachak and Jason Duret, with the insurance marker, scored the other Bruins’ goals, while Tucker Neuberger was the only Red Wing able to beat Fuhr. The Estevan netminder stopped 27 shots for his second win in a row, including one huge glove save on Braden Mellon with 5:38 left in the third and the Bruins trying to hold off a surging Weyburn side looking to tie the game on the power play, while Burgart replied with 39 saves of his own.
“Games against them are always so tight checking,” said Allison. “It’s literally play good defence, take it to offence, get pucks deep and just play a hard driving game. Our goalie stood on his head and everyone played good, all 25 of us.”
Bryce Thoma, head coach and general manager of the Red Wings, said the team that plays better is usually the team that wins and that is exactly what happened in the home-and-home. He said they played well in the first two periods of the two-game series and Estevan held the advantage in the next four, but at the end of the day it was two good games between the rivals in front of two good crowds in both cities.
Bruins head coach and general manager Chris Lewgood said his club answered Weyburn’s pressure well in the third period of the first match and worked hard from start to finish to make things happen in the second game. He said they managed to keep the pressure on the Red Wings for most of the afternoon and Fuhr stepped up when called upon.
“We played pretty well throughout the game,” said Lewgood. Weyburn “did a good job. They work hard and they plug up the middle of the ice and they really make you work for things, but our guys found a way.”
