Thanks to the Power Dodge Estevan Bruins’ janitorial service, the Weyburn Red Wings have been effectively swept away so far this season.
The Bruins beat the Wings twice on the weekend, 6-1 at Affinity Place Friday and 5-3 in Weyburn Saturday to give the Bruins a 4-0 series lead so far in the games between the two teams. Friday, three first period goals by the Bruins in 31 seconds chased Weyburn goaltender Arik Weersink and helped the hometown Bruins cruise to victory.
“When you’re playing Weyburn you just want to jump on them quick and just beat them down with the body,” said Bruins’ forward Michael McChesney, who scored two of those goals in that span. “Those quick three goals just gave us exactly what we needed.”
After that, Bruins forward Hayden Guilderson got a minor penalty and a game misconduct for cheking from behind.
“It was a little bit of adversity that we had to fight through,” McChesney said. “We only dressed 11 forwards and then one forward got kicked out… A few guys had to double shift and we had to spot through, and we just had to do what we needed to do.”
The wins against the Bruins gave the team a six point lead on the Wings in the Viterra Division standings.
“These are huge,” said McChesney. “We’re one and two right now so if we keep winning games against them, we’ve got a pretty good look forward on getting that spot for the playoffs.”
The six goals that were scored Friday was an offensive outburst for a Bruins team that had struggled to score the previous week against Kindersley.
“That was nice to have this time,” said Bruins forward Zach Goberis, who scored a goal and two assists in the game. “We still have confidence in our D zone where we can won 2-1 or 3-2 games, but it was obviously nice to get that six goals tonight.”
The bottom line was the two points, said Bruisn head coach and general manager Chris Lewgood. Still, those three goals in a short span helped.
“I know what it’s like with our young guys every year and I assume it’s like that with every team, when you start to pile on, two or three in a short period of time, that’s hard on young people and hard on their psyche,” Lewgood said. “We were able to take advantage there and I think that gives us a mental advantage going forward in the game.”
The Bruins Friday also got goals from converted defenceman (for the night) Aigne McGeady-Bruce, Arthur Miller and Kaelan Holt. Matt Lukacs was tested often but shunned 34 Weyburn attempts.
Saturday’s Bruin marksmen were Miller, McChesney, Guilderson, Jake Fletcher and Mark Edmands. Bo Didur turned away 16 Weyburn shots.
The game Friday was Bruins fans’ last chance to see the team on home ice until Feb. 14 against the Red Wings again.
“Going into the four games in five nights, those teams have played us tough all year,” Lesgood said. “We just had a hard-fought series with Kindersley last week and Humboldt and Battleford are top quality opponents. We just have to take it one game at a time and if you go expecting you’re going to accomplish a whole bunch in one night, it’s overwhelming. So you have to play it shift by shift, I know it’s a cliché.”
The Bruins’ next games this week are Wednesday in Yorkton, and then not again till Jan 30 in Kindersley and Jan. 31 at the Battlefords.
