Special teams would prove to be the biggest difference last night, as the Melfort Mustangs scored five power play goals en route to a 5-2 win over the Richardson Pioneer Weyburn Red Wings.
“Melfort took it to us early in the game, and they kind of established a physical presence out there and we didn’t really have a response to it,” said assistant coach Casey O’Brien after the game.
The Red Wings would find themselves down five minutes into the game, as Logan Belton scored with the man advantage. Then, in the second period, a power play goal from Zac Somers at the 5:30 mark put the Mustangs up 2-0. The lead would be extended when Ashton Hutchinson scored on the power play for Melfort at 9:51, making it 3-0.
Weyburn responded with a power play goal of their own with 1:56 left in the second period. Matthew Edwards scored his first goal as a Red Wings, unassisted, to make it a 3-1 game.
In the third period, the Mustangs restored the three-goal lead when Zayden Sadlemyer scored on the power play with 7:38 remaining.
Liam Fitzgerald replied for the Red Wings with 4:10 left. His 13th of the season, on the power play, was assisted by Josh Sale and Simon Martin. It would be as close as the Red Wings would get to rallying back, though, as Sadlemyer scored his second of the game with 1:35 remaining.
The loss marks the first time since the team was playing out of Assiniboia that the Red Wings have dropped back-to-back games. They will aim to be back in the win column tomorrow night as they head to La Ronge to take on the Ice Wolves, a team they defeated twice at Crescent Point Place in January.
You can listen to all the action tomorrow on Great Plains Ford Red Wing Radio Country 106.7. Dylan Fiessel will have the call starting with the pregame show at 7:15 p.m.