The Power Dodge Estevan Bruins avoided a case of the déjà vus and placed an empty net dagger into the Nipawin Hawks to seal Game 4 with a 5-3 win at Affinity Place Wednesday night.
In front of a packed house of 2,662, the Bruins evened their Canalta Cup final series between themselves and the Hawks, with Game 5 Friday going at the Centennial Arena in Nipawin.
The Bruins went up 4-0 in the middle of the second period on a goal by Michael McChesney that chased Nipawin starting netminder Declan Hobbs.
“I think tonight we were playing a little more desperate,” said Bruins forward Hayden Guiderson., who had a pair of assists Wednesday and two goals Tuesday in the overtime loss. “I think going down 3-1 back to their barn would be a tough setback. We knew we had to come out and play our game. I think it’s a great example is Arthur Miller’s first shift.”
Miller came out and within a few seconds, stapled Nipawin captain Carter Doerksen into the end boards with a solid, clean hip check.
“I think that set the tone for the entire game,” Guilderson said.
The Bruins scored early in the first period on a pair of power plays, with Kaelan Holt scoring at 1:50 and Jake Fletcher scoring at 4:27. They continued to pour pressure on early in the second with Tyler Hengen’s first goal since Oct. 15, 2016 in regular season or playoff action, followed by McChesney’s marker.
“It’s huge, especially in this game in the finals,” said Hengen. “I’m not a guy who worries too much about goals and stats but that was kind of a relief getting my first one. Huge one for the guys and it was a great shift.”
Bruins head coach and general manager Chris Lewgood said Tuesday’s game had been decided by mistakes by his club, and that Wednesday they did better at managing the puck.
That puck management led to Hobbs, the co-winner of the goaltender of the year for the SJHL with Kindersley’s Justen Close.
“We knew their goaltender has been their best player in this series so far, or at least amongst their best players,” said Lewgood. “As soon as you see him get pulled you know you’re going to get a little bit more out of everybody else. The guilt sets in and they’re going to want to work hard. That’s a character team on the Hawks’ side and… they’re not going to sit by and take that lightly.”
The teams are nearly as even as could be, with the Bruins scoring 14 goals in four games and the Hawks tallying 13.
Season ticket holders will be able to buy their Game 6 tickets for Sunday night Friday and the Bruins office will open Saturday at 9 a.m. for the remaining tickets left.
If Game 7 is necessary, it will go Tuesday in Nipawin.
