The Estevan Bruins returned to the ice for the first time in nearly two weeks for a quick road trip in northeast Saskatchewan.
Estevan opened the jaunt Tuesday with a 2-1 shootout victory over the Nipawin Hawks. Zach Burfoot opened the scoring for the Bruins 6:04 into the opening frame.
Mason Svarich tied the game midway through the second period.
Both teams had opportunities to take the lead in regulation, and the Bruins were on a power play for most of overtime, including a two-man advantage.
Estevan outscored Nipawin 2-1 in the shootout, with Eric Pearce and Mikol Sartor capitalizing on their opportunities for Estevan, while Jake Smith had Nipawin’s marker.
Cam Hrdlicka stopped 29 of the 30 shots he faced for Estevan, while Harmon Laser-Hume allowed one goal on 37 shots.
The start of the game was delayed by 30 minutes due to travel challenges the Bruins encountered on Tuesday, thanks to the winter storm that hit Saskatchewan.
The following night, the Bruins edged the Melfort Mustangs 4-3 in a back-and-forth contest. Zachary Burns opened the scoring 3:18 into the first period with his first goal as a Bruin, and Kade Runke added to the lead midway through the frame.
Carter Anderson’s goal late in the period put the Mustangs on the board.
Nolan Doell tied the game for Melfort in the second, and Kevin Minnoch put Melfort ahead with a goal with 19 seconds to play in the stanza.
Jamie Valentino’s goal in the third tied the game for the Bruins, and Eric Pearce put Estevan ahead for good with 3:54 to play in the game.
Boston Bilous (Estevan) and James Venne (Melfort) each made 31 saves for their respective teams.
The Bruins’ next game will be Saturday night at home against the Kindersley Klippers. Game time is 7:30 p.m. It will be the Black and Gold’s first home game since Dec. 15.
