The Richardson Pioneer Weyburn Red Wings were quick to make a statement in the Highway 39 Rivalry's first edition of the year. The Wings scored quickly, often, and in a number of ways against the Bruins to take a 9-2 win.
Just two minutes into the game and the Red Wings were on the board with a goal from Kirk Mullen, generated by a forced turnover on the wall from Mathieu Gautier and a rebound from Mi-Kwan Tallman. On their next shift two minutes later, and Mullen would score his second of the night and fourth of the season again with assists from Gautier and Tallman.
Bruins' goaltender Jackson Miller was making his first SJHL start after starter Cam Hrdlicka went down with an injury, and his debut got worse at the seven minute mark when Blake Norris sent a breakout pass to Ethan Whillans who blew a wrist shot by into the top corner for his second of the year.
The Red Wings would run into a bit of a penalty problem in the middle portion of the third period, but after some four on four and killing off two straight penalties they would get a chance on the man advantage when Tim Tychonick went to the box for hooking.
On the their first powerplay opportunity, Gautier would get his first goal as a Red Wing and fifth point in three games, and Ian Maier and Mullen also picked up assists.
After 1: Red Wings 4 - 0 Estevan, shots 13-8 Red Wings.
The Red Wings started the second period down 5-on-3 after two penalties near the end of the first, but Nolan Henderson and Matt Reidy both returned to the ice before any damage was done.
Still, the early penalty kill did take the wind out of the Red Wings sales a bit as Estevan started to press on. Another couple penalties would through the middle of the period slowed the momentum down, and at one point the Red Wings were scrambling on a penalty kill until a big save from Dazza Mitchell extending the blocker and putting the puck out of play seemed to generate some momentum.
With four minutes left Jackson Hassman put home his second of the year on a wrist shot and made it 5-0.
13 seconds later, and the Bruins managed to show some fight when Brady Wilson managed to slip one by Mitchell on a partial breakaway and Logan Ziegler would pick up the assist.
Momentum went right back to the Red Wings when they went 2/2 on the powerplay off of a shot from Sam Boldt that went through traffic cleanly, although although the game sheet says Mullen tipped it and was credited with the hat trick.
After 2: Red Wings 6-2 Bruins, shots 11-9 Bruins in the period, 22-19 Red Wings overall.
Seven minutes into the period, the Bruins powerplay would finally get their first goal on their seventh attempt when traffic in front of the net would slip a well placed shot by Owen Mitchell passed Mitchell before he could see the puck, but that would be the game was all Weyburn from there.
Mi-Kwan Tallman would pick up his first goal and third point of the night with an assist from Ethan Whillans halfway through the period, but the newest Red Wing would make something special happen next.
Making his debut with the Red Wings, Elijah Anderson went 1-on-1 with a Bruins defender, and he put the puck between the defenders legs, stickhandling to keep it there until the defender had to commit one direction, Anderson went the other, and slipped in front of the net alone before putting a back hand past Miller would finally chase him from the net.
With Ty Fehrenbach now in net making his SJHL debut, Jakob Kalin would fire a wrist shot in for his first of the season created from a turnover feed from Simon Pollock to lock in the final score with five minutes left.
The Red Wings would get a huge exclamation mark shortly afterward when Ty Mason and Sam McPeak dropped the gloves off the faceoff in a fantastically violent fight. Both guys threw haymakers with reckless abandon for the shots they were eating until Mason tagged McPeak with a few in a row and Mason got the takedown all before leaving the ice with his arms raised to the crowd.
FINAL: Red Wings 9 - 2 Bruins, shots 37-10 Red Wings in the period, 59-29 Red Wings overall.
Kirk Mullen finished the game with two goals and an assist, although his hat trick goal will likely be changed to credit Sam Boldt. Through the first three games of the season, Mullen has 4G-2A to start the season.
Goaltender Dazza Mitchell is off to a hot start as well with a 93.4 save percentage through his three starts Mathieu Gautier popped off for four points off the night including his first goal as a Red Wing and three assists.
The Red Wings next action is against the Flin Flon Bombers at the SJHL Showcase on Monday at 7:30pm.
With files from Nick Nielsen