The Richardson Pioneer Weyburn Red Wings came into Friday night's game against the Kindersley Klippers looking to make it two wins in a row, and to end the two-game winning streak of the Klippers. A pair of goals each from Matthew Hodson and Carter Briltz lifted the Red Wings to the win, as they skated to a 5-2 victory.
The game started on the chippy side, with the two teams combining for 57 penalty minutes. Forty-seven of those minutes came 7:48 into the game when Kindersley's John Vanden Elzen was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct for boarding on a hit on Hodson in the Weyburn zone. Dallen Oxelgren would drop the gloves with Vanden Elzen after the hit, and both players received five and a game for fighting, with Oxelgren also getting a two-minute minor for instigating.
The scoring would open with 2:06 left on the clock in the opening frame when Carter Briltz scored his third of the campaign. He was assisted by Lucas Jeffreys and Jaxson Ruthven on the goal. The momentum from the goal carried over into the second period, as Cade Meiklejohn notched his 13th of the year 57 seconds into the period. He was assisted by Max Monette on the goal.
Hodson would then make it 3-0 for the Red Wings when he added his second goal in as many games 3:34 into the second. Briltz and Maharaj assisted on the goal. With the assist, Marahak also extended his point streak to 10 games, going back to December 9th.
The Klippers would get on the board when the Red Wings ran into penalty trouble late in the second period. Lucas Schmid would get a five-minute major for a blow to the head after a hit on Cash Arntsen with just under three minutes to play in the period. Then, Maharaj received a two-minute minor for boarding just over a minute later, giving the Klippers a 5-on-3 power play.
Kindersley would capitalize on the power play as Tylin Hilbig got the puck past Dazza Mitchell to make it 3-1 with 1:08 remaining in the second. Then, Hilbig scored again just 26 seconds later, and it was 3-2 for the Red Wings.
Weyburn, though, would kill off the power play that remained in the third period and also killed off another 5-on-3 in the middle of the third to preserve the one-goal edge. Then, Briltz scored his second of the night with 2:26 remaining to make it 4-2. Braigh LeGrandeur and Ruthven assisted on the tally.
Hodson would then add an empty-netter as Maharaj selflessly set him up for the goal, with Jacob Visentini also getting credit for an assist.
With the win, the Red Wings are now two points back of the Melville Millionaires for first in the Viterra Division, and one point up on the Estevan Bruins for second. The win also moved the Red Wings into a tie with the Klippers for 7th overall, giving Weyburn a chance to vault as high as 5th, depending on the results of Saturday night's games.
The Red Wings will be back in action Saturday with another match-up against the Klippers. The game will also see the team honour the parents and billets of each player and will have the annual Calcutta Shootout at the end of the game. The puck drops on all the action at 7:00 p.m.