With the first game beginning at 7:00pm Friday night and the last game starting at 4:00pm Sunday, the Richardson Pioneer Weyburn Red Wings played a full three games in less than 48 hours. On Friday they lost 3-2 in Estevan, then won 2-1 over Melville Saturday, and finally on Sunday they'd drop a 4-2 decision to the Bruins on the road once again.
Friday: Red Wings @ Estevan
For Friday's game, the Red Wings were coming in on two straight losses at the SJHL Showcase, while the Bruins were on a four game losing skid of their own. With the Red Wings on their first penalty kill of the game, the Bruins struck first on the man advantage thanks to Matthew Ronn just over five minutes in, and Ronn would score again at even strength just over a minute later.
On a powerplay of their own though, the Red Wings would see a point shot from Blake Norris be tipped by Jackson Hassman into the net for his third of the season. Before the period was over, captain Matthew Reidy would hustle after the puck in the offensive zone, steal the puck behind the net, and then pot it into the net on the wrap around to tie the game before the end of the first.
In the second, the Red Wings would give up a full two minute 5-on-3 and would kill off most of it, but the Bruins Jag Phangura would score with eight seconds left before both men returned to the ice. The Red Wings wouldn't get too much going in the second period until they had two late powerplays, but the Bruins would take the lead into the third.
In that final period, the Red Wings got four powerplays and were able to hammer the pressure on the Bruins by outshooting them 14-4 in the period, but even with a late man advantage the Red Wings would be forced to take the loss. Cam Hrdlicka made a number of sprawling saves in the third to keep his team alive for the first game of the weekend.
FINAL: Red Wings 2 - 3 Bruins, shots 38-28 Red Wings
Saturday: Red Wings vs Melville
In just their second game at home of the season (although technically third home game because of the SJHL Showcase), the Red Wings would welcome the Melville Millionaires to town for a rematch of the season opener. Riley See would start the scoring off with his second of the season as he drove down the left side of the ice, got around his defender, and then cut in front of the net to tuck the puck past the Millionaires goaltender seven minutes in.
At the 15 minute mark, the Millionaires tied it up on a goal from Noah Wills, but the Red Wings took their lead back 32 seconds later thanks to Simon Pollock's first goal of the season on a great wrist shot. Braigh LeGrandeur also picked up his first point as a Red Wing.
The second period would remain mostly uneventful save for a few penalties that both teams were able to kill as well as the post being hit on either side of the ice, and in the third period the Red Wings would continue to wear down the Millionaires until they took two penalties in the final two minutes that made pulling the goaltender impossible.
FINAL: Red Wings 2 - 1 Millionaires, shots 28-25 Millionaires
Sunday: Red Wings @ Estevan
Highway 39 Rivalry round three was Sunday night to finish off the busy weekend for the Red Wings, and despite not getting the full day's rest the Bruins had, the Red Wings came out as the quicker team in the first. Through the middle of the period however, the Red Wings would lose their momentum and the Bruins would score 17 minutes in when Tyler Guy tipped a pass from the goal line past Boston Gelowitz in net.
Just two minutes into the second period however and the Red Wings tied it. Ty Mason would fire a shot off the pad of Hrdlicka in net, and Jackson Hassman was back to tap in the rebound for his fourth of the year. Still, the Bruins would take back their lead before the halfway mark of the period and Logan Ziegler would score with less than 10 minutes played.
Into the third period, Ty Mason finally got the monkey off his back and fired in a onetimer shot from Kirk Mullen behind the net, and the game was tied with just over a minute played in the third. The period would go by with just one penalty between the two teams, but neither team would score. With just under two minutes left, the Bruins would get the go ahead goal from Evan Forrest in the slot, and Cody Davis would whack in the empty netter with two seconds left.
FINAL: Red Wings 2 - 4 Bruins, shots 41-31 Bruins
The Red Wings will get three days rest before welcoming Nipawin on Thursday to start off another three games in three night's stretch.
With files from Nick Nielsen