The Richardson Pioneer Weyburn Red Wings scored early, and often, as they routed the La Ronge Ice Wolves 8-2 at Crescent Point Place Saturday night. Max Chakrabarti scored a pair of goals, and Jerome Maharaj entered the record books en route to the victory, which came the day after Weyburn's five-game winning streak was halted by the Melville Millionaires.
"We talked last night, and this morning, about being a team that if the Weyburn Red Wings are going to lose a game, you don't want to be the next team to play them," head coach Cody Mapes said after the game.
The Red Wings would take the lead at the 9:04 mark of the first period when Lucas Schmid netted his seventh goal of the season, with Luke Dekay and Josh Karman credited with the assists. Then, Drew Molde notched his fifth of the year just 29 seconds later. Captain Blake Betson and Ryder Rommelaere had the assists on the goal.
The scoring would be rounded out for the Red Wings in the first period when Cyprus Smith-Davis scored his 10th of the year, assisted by Jaxson Ruthven and Jonah Bierd, at 10:12 of the frame, finishing off a flurry of three goals in 52 seconds.
"It was good to see the guys kind of answer after last night when maybe we deserved better, but at the end of the day, we didn't finish on our chances," Mapes added.
La Ronge would manage to get one puck past Angelo Zol in the first period, when Rylan Silzer scored on the power play with 2:34 on the clock to make it 3-1.
Weyburn would pull away in the second period, with Dallen Oxelgren scoring his second of the game with a cannonading shot from just inside the blueline 1:33 into the period. His goal was assisted by Smith-Davis and Ruthven.
Max Chakrabarti would make it a 5-1 game at 10:12 of the second with his seventh of the campaign. Josh Sale assisted the goal.
The Red Wings would then find themselves down a defenseman after a series of events with 6:17 to play in the second period. While killing a penalty, Chad Lebeau would catch La Ronge forward Hudson Cameron with an awkward hit along the boards. The referee's arm went up for the penalty, which was called a major for checking from behind, but before Lebeau could be escorted to the penalty box La Ronge defenseman Tyson Matthews would drop the gloves, and grab Lebeau, who had no interest in engaging in a fight.
As a result of the situation, the Ice Wolves would find themselves getting just a two-minute power play, with Matthews given a major and game misconduct for the one sided fight that offset Lebeau's major. He will also likely face supplementary disciple as well.
Before the second period could end, the Red Wings would find themselves with yet another scoring opportunity, and this one was on the stick of Maharaj. He would beat Ice Wolves goalie Logan Falk with 1:37 to play in the period on an unassisted goal to make it 6-1. The goal also cemented Maharaj's place in Red Wings history, as it was his 100th point with the Red Wings. Maharaj is just the 87th player, of the more than 1600 to wear the Winged Wheel in Weyburn, to accomplish the feat.
"He's come in and he's worked hard since day one," Mapes said of Maharaj. "If you've been lucky enough to meet Jerome, he's a big personality that really draws people to him. People like being around him, and so you couldn't think of a better teammate for that to happen to."
"Definitely an honour," Maharaj said of the achievement. "I didn't really know it until it was announced, but definitely an honour, especially in a Wings jersey."
The scoring wasn't over for the Red Wings, though.
In the third period, Chakrabarti scored his second of the night at the 6:41 mark, with Dekay and Betson assisting the goal.
"We obviously lean on him for that stuff, and he delivers more nights than not, and it's definitely been good for his success," Mapes commented on Chakrabarti's performance on the season.
The Ice Wolves would add one more goal late in the third period when Dylan Nazareth scored on the power play with 4:14 remaining in the game.
Turner McIntyre rounded out the scoring for the Red Wings with 2:22 left to play as he potted his seventh of the season. Rommelaere and Oxelgren had the assists on the goal.
The Red Wings now have a three point cushion on the Yorkton Terriers for first place in the Viterra Division, and are five points back of the Flin Flon Bombers for second overall. Weyburn will look to close that gap Tuesday night, as they take on the Notre Dame Hounds at Crescent Point Place.