The Power Dodge Estevan Bruins have evened up their Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League series with the Melfort Mustangs.
The Bruins beat Melfort 3-2 in Game 3 of the best-of-seven series Tuesday night, and 4-2 in Game 4 the following night. Both games were played at Affinity Place.
The series is now tied at 2-2.
Turner Ripplinger opened the scoring with a short-handed goal 7:20 into the first period. But just 27 seconds later, Zach Anderson notched a power play goal for Melfort to tie the game.
“The first goal was a big goal. It got us on the board early. After that, it was about keeping the momentum and going forward,” said Ripplinger.
He was concerned after Melfort scored so quickly, repeating a scenario from three nights earlier in Game 2, but Ripplinger said they knew they had to respond.
Tanner Manz restored the Bruins lead when he scored with 3:42 to play in the stanza after he threw the puck on net from a bad angle.
Tristyn DeRoose’s goal 11:40 into the middle frame added to the advantage, but Colin Schmidt scored with 2:56 to play in the period to pull Melfort back to within one.
“I thought our execution offensively was way better,” said Ripplinger. “We dominated in zone. We carried the play most of the way in the offensive zone.”
Estevan scored four times in a 10-minute span of the first period in Game 4. Cody Davis scored 3:44 into the first period to give Estevan a 1-0 lead, and added his second of the game just over five minutes later.
TJ Irey extended the lead with a goal 38 seconds after Davis’ second goal, and then Irey scored again at the 13:12 mark for the four-goal advantage.
“I thought our first period was tremendous,” said Bruins head coach-general manager Chris Lewgood. “I thought we pressured pucks a lot, and kept the puck in the offensive zone, and created turnovers and good efficient passes and shots.”
Zach Anderson put Melfort on the board with 1:57 to play in the period.
Only one goal was scored the rest of the game. Alex Rondeau tallied midway through the second to leave Estevan up by two, moments after a controversial hit on Bruin forward Will Koop that fans thought should have been a penalty.
Neither team scored in the third period, even though both teams had a prolonged two-man advantage.
Davis also had a two-goal game against Melfort during the regular season in his first game in the league. He still has one year of midget eligibility remaining.
After the game, he couldn’t explain his success against the Mustangs.
“It’s a playoff game, the stakes are high, and it’s just awesome to get the boys going,” he said.
Grant Boldt was in goal for both games. He stopped 16 shots in Game 3, and 19 in Game 4.
“I think one of the reasons he didn’t have a lot of work is because his rebound control was so solid,” Lewgood said after Game 3. “I thought he did a good job of putting pucks to the corners where our defnencemen could get at least a 50-50 battle going. And we did a good job on the back-check to help alleviate some second chances.”
In Game 4, Boldt made a big save just moments before Irey’s second of the game.
Noah Giesbrecht and Shawn Parkinson shared the goaltending duties for Melfort in Game 3, and Parkinson was in goal for Game 4.
Lewgood also praised the work of defenceman Aigne McGready-Bruce in both games, especially when playing against Melfort’s top line with Carson Albrecht and Justin Ball.
“He’s a defensive beast,” said Lewgood. “Those guys didn’t have a sniff around him, and those are pretty good players.”
Game 4 was sponsored by Estevan Mercury Publications. Fans were given Go Bruins Go posters before the game.
Game 5 will be played Friday night in Melfort. Game 6 will be back in Estevan on Sunday night at 7:30 p.m.
