Five different players found the back of the net, and Dazza Mitchell stopped 36 shots as the Richardson Pioneer Weyburn Red Wings picked up a decisive win over the Melville Millionaires Monday. In the Family Day matinee game, the Red Wings came away with a 5-0 win over their Viterra Division rivals.
Weyburn now trails Estevan by four points for second in the division, and seventh overall, and are just five points back of Melville for first in the division with 10 games left to play this season.
The Red Wings wasted little time bringing the 802 fans in attendance to their feet, as Blake Betson scored his ninth of the year just 74 seconds into the game. Jacob Visentini had the assist on the goal.
Jaxson Ruthven then expanded the lead just past the halfway mark of the first period. His goal, with 9:29 left on the clock, was assisted by Cade Meiklejohn and Jerome Maharaj. Maharaj, the team's leading scorer, then added a goal of his own with 3:31 to go in the first.
Maharaj's goal, scored on the power play, was assisted by Matthew Hodson and Max Monette.
In the second period, Dallen Oxelgren was in a hurry to bulge the twine, scoring his third of the season just 19 seconds into the frame. Monette and Braigh LeGrandeur had the assists on the goal.
Carter Briltz then capped off the scoring for the Red Wings with a howitzer from the top of the circles for his eighth of the year. Tyler Teasdale had the assist on the goal.
The two teams did combine for over 100 minutes in penalties, in part due to 10-minute misconducts that were handed out at the beginning of the game to Maharaj and former Red Wing Bradley Bannach.
In the third period, things started to get chippy, with a total of 80 minutes handed out. This included five-minute majors for fighting and a game misconduct for Red Wings defenseman Lucas Jeffreys and Melville blueliner Joel Mabin.
The Red Wings will now get ready to host the Nipawin Hawks on Saturday at Crescent Point Place. Nipawin is four points back of the Red Wings for the eighth and final playoff spot in the SJHL.