The Estevan TS&M bantam AA Bruins showed a bit of rust in their 6-1 opening playoff win over the Prairie Storm at Affinity Place on Monday, but a strong defensive game using quick transitions to offense proved the difference.
“Four of the six goals were in transition tonight, so we scored with our opportunities,” said Bruins head coach Tom Copeland shortly after the win. “Later in the game we started to figure out the cycle and our zone entry was a little bit better. Other than that we just shut them down defensively. We played from the inside out and (gave up) very few opportunities.”
Storm forward Zack Ulsifer got the Balgonie team off to a good start four-and-a-half minutes into the game when he one-timed a pass from the side boards under Bruins goaltender Morgan Wanner’s pad. The ice then seemed to tilt in the Bruins favour after Estevan defenceman Cole Brooks tied the game up at the 8:54 mark on a dangle past a Storm defenceman before driving across the net and popping the puck over goalie Jordan Muhr’s blocker while he was sliding the other way.
Estevan’s Jake Palmer and Liam Rutten made the score 3-1 after one thanks to a strong cycle game in the offensive zone, which resulted from beating the opposition down low. The Prairie Storm got an opportunity to regain the momentum five minutes into the second on a penalty shot, but it went wide and the Bruins took over once again.
Palmer and Cody Davis made the score 5-1 Bruins before the second was finished. Five minutes into the third, Palmer completed the hat trick and the night’s scoring.
Copeland said the Prairie Storm team is very well coached by Mike Dumelie and they can win on any given night, evidenced by the 2-0 record the club had against Estevan during the Saskatchewan Bantam AA Hockey League regular season. He said the Bruins have to remember this is only the first game of their best-of-three second round series, Estevan earned a bye in the first round, and they now have to move past it and focus on the second game at the Balgonie Stardome on Saturday.
“They’ll be ready for us,” said Copeland. “They’ll have a game plan. I wouldn’t say that that was their best effort tonight and they’ll get a couple practices under their belt and they’ll be quicker. We fully expect to see a better Prairie Storm team for sure.”
