The Weyburn Red Wings finished the month off with a needed win Sunday night at Crescent Point Place, with a 5-2 victory over the Battleford North Stars.
The Weyburn Red Wings finished the month off with a needed win Sunday night at Crescent Point Place, with a 5-2 victory over the Battleford North Stars.
The win came following a three-game losing streak, including a loss on Friday night against Melfort, and finished off an October that the Red Wings would like to forget where they only won two games the entire month.
The Friday 2-1 home loss to the Melfort Mustangs was a low-scoring affair with both squads giving up few odd-man rushes.
The Mustangs got on the board when Mission, B.C. native, Brandon Formosa, lit the lamp with a power play marker to put the Mustangs ahead 1-0 after the first frame.
In the second period the Red Wings star duo of Miguel Pereira and Ryan Ostertag combined on a nice passing play for Ostertag's ninth goal of the season, knotting the score at 1-1 heading into the final frame.
In the third the Mustangs again capitalized on a Wings penalty, when Jay Aasen burried the game-winning power play goal. After that the Mustangs went on lockdown and the Wings weren't able to get any great scoring chances.
Having a solid game in net for the Wings was Nate Ferris, who stopped 29 of 31 shots in the loss. Patrick Johnson started for the Mustangs, turning away 26 of 27 shots.
A big difference in the tight matchup was on special teams. The Wings failed to score on their three power-play opportunities, while they allowed two power play goals against.
On Sunday night the Wings rebounded from their Friday night loss, defeating the Battleford North Stars 5-2.
The game was the first start for new Red Wing goaltender Jean-Philippe Boucher, from St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., and it was a strong outing. He has been brought in to replace Brett Teskey, who has left the team for personal reasons for the forseeable future.
In the first the Wings got off to a slow start allowing a powerplay goal by Jake McMillen at the 7:42 mark of the first. The Stars followed it up with Captain Robbie Newton's first goal of the season, putting them ahead 2-0 after one frame.
Getting off to a slow start has been a problem for the Wings all season. This was the 12th time out of 15 outings this season that the Wings have allowed the first goal. However, on Sunday the Wings didn't give up.
In the second the Wings came back and knotted the game up with goals from defencemen Brandon Ganz and Carter Struthers. The score was tied 2-2 after two periods.
In the third the Wings took the lead and never let go of it with goals from Pereira, Austin Roesslein and Ostertag.
In the win, Boucher stopped 29 of 31 shots. Stars goaltender, Casey Parker, allowed 26 goals on 31 shots.
After the month of October the Wings record sits at 4-12, putting them at the basement of the SJHL, but only two points behind Estevan in the Sherwood Conference.
On Friday the Wings will put October behind them and will try to make it two wins in a row against Nipawin. The game starts at 7:30 at CP Place.
