Everything looked to be on target for the TS&M bantam AA Bruins after the first period of their home opener. Then the bottom fell out.
The North East Wolfpack scored six straight goals to begin the second period, coming in a span of 11:17, en route to an 8-5 victory over the Bruins at Spectra Place on Sunday.
"We just never got back that momentum we had throughout the first. I couldn't have been happier with what we did in the first," said Bruins assistant coach Brad Pierson. "As a team, we had a habit earlier in the season of not coming out good. I thought the kids came out good and they worked hard and had a lead. Maybe they lost a bit of focus in between periods."
The home side did score two power play goals near the end of the middle frame, along with another goal in the third, to get within two goals. But the Wolfpack would ice it with 25 seconds left.
The game was robbed of its flow by a parade to the penalty box for both teams, and three of the six North East goals in the second period were on the power play.
"Other than being shorthanded, we weren't ready and before you knew it, it was 5-2. I went to call a timeout after (it was) 4-2, I held off and then the puck was in our net," Pierson said. "I'm all about protecting the head, but I'm not about taking the flow out of the game that's been around for 100 years and that's unfortunately where I see it going," he said of all the penalties called in the game.
Bailey Lonsberry, Marc Shaw and Kyle Salaway, the latter with his second of the game, scored to get the Bruins back in the game, but Pierson didn't feel his team was back on equal footing, particularly with two of the goals coming on the man-advantage.
"I didn't feel we ever regained sustained pressure. We clawed back sort of by default because we were given opportunities to."
Tanner Jeannot had the other Estevan goal early in the first period. Talys Halabuza added two assists.
Wolfpack scoring came from Chad Grambo (2), Lane Regnier, Thomas Rowlett, Kalem Zary, Zac Paziuk, Caleb Seaman and Tristen Elder.
The loss dropped the Bruins to 1-2, while the Wolfpack remained unbeaten at 6-0.
The bantams are on the road this weekend, facing Prairie Storm on Saturday and the Regina Canucks on Sunday.
