With a win and a loss to end the regular season, the Richardson Pioneer Weyburn Red Wings are now preparing to open the playoffs against the North Battleford Stars this weekend.
The Red Wings claimed a 6-4 win over the Notre Dame Hounds on Thursday, then dropped a 4-2 decision to Estevan on Monday night, as they played a game rescheduled from Saturday night due to the blizzard.
The playoff race will begin with two games in North Battleford, on Friday and Saturday, March 17 and 18, then the games will switch back to Weyburn on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 21 and 22, at Crescent Point Place. The puck will drop at 7 p.m. both nights.
In the win in Wilcox, goals came from Jakob Kalin in the first period, from Nolan Henderson and Mi-Kwan Tallman, then Tallman scored 27 seconds into the second period, from Kalin and Max Monette.
Matteo Turrin scored a minute later to put the Wings up 3-0, assisted by Simon Pollock and Rhett Vedress.
The Hounds scored twice to get back into the game, then Monette scored, assisted by Kalin and Tallman late in the second, and Kalin scored his second goal of the game 17 seconds into the third period, assisted by Tallman and Blake Norris.
Ty Mason got on the board, assisted by Jordan Edwards and Jackson Hassman. Notre Dame scored twice more, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Wings.
Eric Kahl was in net for two periods, saving 19 of 21 shots, and Matt Schoephoerster took the third period and saved 12 of 14 shots.
In the Highway 39 Cup game vs Estevan, the Bruins were first on the scoreboard 1:24 into the game, then Ryley Morgan tied the game up with a goal three minutes later, assisted by Hassman and Mason.
After a scoreless second period, the Bruins scored twice in the third, both times on the power play, then Mason scored on the power play, assisted by Edwards and Morgan.
As the Wings pressed to tie the game, with a number of very close calls, the Bruins scored an empty netter to clinch the win with 16 seconds left in the game.
Weyburn’s police chief Jamie Blunden and Wings president Jean Hobbs presented the Highway 39 Cup to the Bruins in their dressing room. Chief Blunden also exchanged his jersey for a Bruins jersey, as part of a handshake deal with Estevan's police chief.
