Just when you thought the Estevan Bruins were riding the wave of momentum into the playoffs, they lost maybe their two biggest games of the year on the weekend.
They were if you care about home-ice advantage, anyway.
The Bruins went into their two-game set in Kindersley seeming to have the edge on the Klippers in the race for fourth place in the Sherwood Conference and home ice in the survivor series.
Then they got their rear ends handed to them on Saturday, and weren't able to pull out a win Sunday either.
It took Brett Lewchuk's SJHL debut, which saw the 17-year-old Saskatoon prospect make 38 saves, for the Bruins to snap a four-game losing skid.
(Although that seems a bit misleading - the Bruins played extremely well in losses to Yorkton and Nipawin last week, with Thursday's game easily being one of their best of the year.)
The Bruins' magic number to make the playoffs is now four - four points either gained by them or not gained by Weyburn.
It's clear that Curtis Martinu needs a rest. Although he's provided excellent goaltending all season and I've said many times that he's been the backbone of the team, he has been shaky lately.
Martinu has played more minutes than any puckstopper in the SJHL - only Melville's Alex Wakaluk comes close - and he's overworked. Between Steven Glass's injury and the team's lack of faith in Travis Pelletier, Martinu has been the man and the Bruins are extremely lucky he hasn't spent any time hurt.
He needs some time off. He has had a few bad games in recent weeks and needs to rest and get his confidence back before the whirlwind schedule of the survivor series.
The Bruins need their best man on top of his game for the playoffs.
***
I'm going to regret this later, but darn it, I'm doing this anyway.
My Toronto Maple Leafs are making me proud these days, and I can't say that very often.
After stomping the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday, the Leafs are riding a four-game winning streak and are tied for fourth in the Eastern Conference.
I'm sure the team will self-destruct immediately after this is published, but there are all kinds of things to be encouraged about.
Randy Carlyle has been exactly what the team needed behind the bench so far. He has the Leafs playing a tighter game, with a more defensive system that utilizes his players' skill sets much better than Ron Wilson's run-and-gun style.
I was one of Nazem Kadri's biggest critics, and I was just hoping the Leafs would trade him for something while he still had value. But now he's blossoming in the NHL. At nearly a point-per-game pace through 13 games, Kadri has been one of the team's most dependable producers. Carlyle is giving him a chance to shine.
Matt Frattin is also tearing it up, after not making the team out of camp. He's got eight goals and appears to be in the show to stay.
James van Riemsdyk is flying out there, with eight goals of his own. Although I was the biggest Luke Schenn fan you'll ever find, even I have to happy with the results of that deal. If JVR can stay healthy and continue playing like this, he'll be a steal.
James Reimer has been stellar, but since the Leafs say he won't miss much time, and knowing their medical staff's history of misjudging injuries, he's probably out for the season.
Contact Josh Lewis at 634-2654 or [email protected]. Can anyone explain how wrestling got kicked out of the Olympics or how members of the IOC still have jobs?
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