The Richardson Pioneer Weyburn Red Wings had a rocky start to the 2024-25 season. Since those four games, though, the Red Wings have been on a tear, and they continued their winning streak Wednesday night in Nipawin. Thanks in part to a hat trick from Lucas Schmid, Weyburn extended the streak to five games with a 9-1 win over the Hawks.
"We kind of had a feeling going into the game; our energy was pretty good," Red Wings head coach Cody Mapes said after the game. "(The) boys were excited to get back at it here. I thought our habits were pretty good throughout the night."
The outpouring of goals for the Red Wings in the game was the largest on their streak so far, with Weyburn scoring at least six goals in each of their wins. Over the course of the streak, they have potted 34 goals while allowing just 10 in that timeframe.
While a jump in scoring was expected when the team re-acquired forwards Jerome Maharaj and Jaxson Ruthven and picked up forward Ethan Dekay, the scoring hasn't just come from that trio, and that was on display Wednesday with Schmid's hat trick - the fourth Red Wing to score a hat trick on the winning streak.
"What's going to win tight games is your depth scoring, and lots of times you'll see first lines kind of saw off from team to team, and teams with the best depth will win a lot of those games, and so it's good to see right now that we're getting contributions from all over the lineup," added Mapes.
Weyburn opened the scoring with a power play goal in the first period. Ethan Dekay netted his eighth of the season at 8:07, with Ruthven and Max Chakrabarti recording the assists. Then, just over three minutes later, at 11:10, Jonah Bierd scored his first goal of the year. Tyler Dahms recorded his first point as a Red Wing with an assist, and Jase McNichol had the other assist on the goal.
In the second period, Weyburn didn't waste much time to get back to the scoring. Braigh LeGrandeur, drawing back into the lineup, scored his first of the campaign 76 seconds into the frame, assisted by Dallen Oxelgren and Schmid. Then Schmid scored an unassisted goal at the 4:18 mark of the period.
Weyburn would then extend the lead to 5-0 with 4:42 remaining in the second as Jase McNichol bulged the twine with his second of the season, assisted by Simon Martin and Dahms.
In the third period, Maharaj scored his first of the season 2:35 into the period. Bierd and Dekay had the assists on the goal.
The lone blemish on the record for Weyburn starting goalie Dazza Mitchell came at 6:14 of the third period when Finley Radloff scored for Nipawin. Mitchell would finish the game turning aside 25 of the 26 shots that he faced.
It didn't take long for Weyburn to reply, though.
LeGrandeur scored his second of the game at 7:50.
"Once that first one kind of went in for our line, I felt like it was just a huge confidence booster for everyone," LeGrandeur commented after the game.
With 7:34 left to play in the game, Schmid scored his second of the night, with Dahms and Drew Molde getting the assists on the goal. He followed it up with 2:34 remaining with his hat trick goal, with LeGrandeur getting the assist.
"I think it's been a couple of years since I've had a hat trick last, so yeah, it felt good to see that one go in," Schmid answered when asked about the goal.
Now, the Red Wings will be preparing for a visit to the Whitney Forum in Flin Flon, where they will face the Bombers.
"That is one of the toughest places to play, not just in our league, but in any league," Mapes commented on the atmosphere they will face Friday and Saturday night. "They get that ball rolling, and it seems like it's going downhill in a hurry for them, and so it's tough to stop sometimes."
"I think the boys are trending in the right direction," said Schmid of carrying the streak into Flin Flon. "I mean, everyone's been gelling good lately."
"I think speed is our team's biggest asset," noted LeGrandeur. "We got to use that in every situation."
You can catch both games on the weekend on Great Plains Ford Red Wing Radio Country 106.7.