The Estevan Prairie Mud peewee A Bruins enjoyed a good first and third period in their 6-2 opening round provincial playoff loss to the Swift Current Broncos at the Civic Auditorium on Saturday, but a tough second sealed their fate.
After the Bruins took a penalty 23 seconds into the game, the Broncos quickly capitalized on a Dawson Girard marker only 58 seconds in. The rest of the opening frame saw the Bruins control the play peppering Broncos netminder Rylan Hildebrand with shots, including a hard wrister from the slot by Blayze Siebert with five minutes to go that Hildebrand swallowed up, but failed to convert on their opportunities.
Jim Dekowny, coach of the Broncos, said the Civic Auditorium is a hard rink to play in with its huge neutral zone and tiny end zones and their defence was having trouble adjusting to the dimensions at first. He said getting out of that first 20 minutes unscathed was thanks to the outstanding play of Hildebrand who kept them in it early.
“We can score in bunches,” said Dekowny. “We just had to get our game going. When Hildebrand made those three or four key saves it really helped us.”
The Broncos found their game in the second with Kai Haubrich bulging the twine twice before Cade Reich and Davis Hunter also lit the lamp. The Bruins’ Clay McKersie replied late for the home side when he picked up a loose puck at the blue line, drove to the net and fired it blocker side.
The third period resembled the first with both teams battling, but neither really able to make a dent. Swift Current got the score to 6-1 with 4:45 left on Hunter’s second of the game, but that was negated by Kaden Chrest who potted one while shorthanded with 52 seconds remaining.
Shawn Saxon, head coach of the Bruins, said the plan heading into the second game of their two-game total-point series Feb. 28 at Swift Current will be to play more consistent positionally in their own end while also trying to generate more offensively. He said to do that they need to work hard, dig deeper and skate.
“We had a lot of chances this game and we just need to double those chances in Swift Current,” said Saxon. “We have the kids who can do it. It’s just now that they know the calibre of play, what it’s going to take to get to that level, they have to just pick up their game a little bit more.”
