Source: Jamie Harkins, Estevan Mercury, March 2, 2016
A string of undisciplined penalties during the third period almost let the Kindersley Klippers back into the game with the CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins at Affinity Place on Friday, but two posts and a late goal by Darcy DeRoose helped the club walk away with the 7-4 win.
“We’ve always had a thing against Kindersley,” said DeRoose, who scored two goals and assisted on another in the game. “There is a lot of hate there. We took a couple frustrating penalties that we shouldn’t have taken. All in all we still came out with the win.”
The Bruins controlled the play in the opening frame continually cycling the puck down low and not allowing Kindersley (24-27-1-2) any opportunities to clear the zone. After the first 20 minutes, Estevan held a 2-0 lead on goals by Kaelen Holt and Tyson Predinchuk and a 17-4 advantage in shots.
After Klippers left-winger Dexter Bricker brought them within one 48 seconds into the second, the Bruins got back to work in the Kindersley zone peppering netminder Nathan Hargrave. Estevan’s Owen LaClare and Zach Goberis made the score 4-1 six-and-a-half minutes in, before Hargrave gave way to backup Branden Bilodeau. DeRoose was the first Bruin to beat Bilodeau with 3:24 remaining and that was quickly followed by a Braden Oleksyn marker 44 seconds later.
The Klippers made it 6-2 five minutes into the third on a goal by Austin Calladine, which was followed a little over two minutes later on the powerplay by Cole Young. The Bruins took two more penalties with the whistle blown and the puck laying in Daniel Wapple’s net, setting up a five-on-three goal by Kindersley’s Bricker 20 seconds later to make the score 6-4.
In the ensuing four minutes, the Klippers beat Wapple twice only to be stymied by the crossbar and post. DeRoose scored his second of the night shortly after the second post, when he blasted a shot low blocker side on Bilodeau from the bottom of the circle with 8:47 remaining.
“We were up 6-1 after two (and) we lost our mental toughness,” said DeRoose. “We have to be better with that and just keep on them the whole game.”
The Bruins’ victory locks the team into a top six seed on a 31-20-0-3 record with four games left before the SJHL playoffs begin. As such, they’ve earned the privilege of skipping the playoff opening survivor series.
“I don’t think it’s a big surprise,” said Bruins head coach and general manager Chris Lewgood. “We’re not a wildcard team this year. We dug ourselves in a bit of a hole. I think we’re better than a sixth place team and unfortunately we’re not going to finish much better than sixth place. Maybe we could. It’s nice not to be in a wildcard series and I think it’ll be a well deserved break and we’re excited to see how things play out.”