A rivalry that has waited 14 years to be contested in the post-season will take centre stage on Friday in Weyburn.
That's when the Red Wings and Estevan Bruins will face off for the first time in a playoff series since 1998.
The Bruins set the stage for the series by sweeping the Notre Dame Hounds on Monday night, earning the right to advance and face the first-place Wings in the Sherwood Conference semifinal.
In 1998, the two teams met in the first round, with Weyburn winning the series in five games.
Game 2 of the series is Sunday at Spectra Place at 6 p.m., followed by Game 3 on Tuesday in Weyburn, Game 4 on Wednesday in Estevan, Game 5 on March 9 in Weyburn, Game 6 on March 11 in Estevan and Game 7 on March 13 in Weyburn.
Bruins head coach Keith Cassidy recognizes that tensions will be high between the two fan bases, but said his team has to prepare for it like any other series.
"We've got to be focused on what we gotta do. We gotta blend the emotion of playoffs with discipline and focus in order to be successful," said Cassidy.
"The nice thing about being pushed like we were (against the Hounds) is the emotions of the game were pretty high. Getting the guys that kind of mileage is pretty good. Now, we might have to get them to harness that energy in a positive way going into Weyburn."
The other Sherwood series also features a heated rivalry, with the second-place Yorkton Terriers taking on the third-place Melville Millionaires.
Meanwhile, the La Ronge Ice Wolves swept the Flin Flon Bombers in the Bauer Conference survivor series on Monday.
The fourth-place Wolves will now go up against the first-place Humboldt Broncos. In the other Bauer series, second-place Battlefords faces third-place Nipawin.
