Both teams battled for position in the standings with a home-and-home weekend for the Richardson Pioneer Weyburn Red Wings and the Melville Millionaires.
In Friday's game, the first score waited until 16 minutes into the game, when Ian Maier went to the penalty box. Shorthanded, Mi-Kwan Tallman worked the puck out to centre after blocking a shot, and he would burn around the outside while the defender fell down. Tallman walked in alone and scored unassisted.
While it looked like the Red Wings had the momentum, 22 seconds in and the Millionaires would score their first goal on a long run in the second period from Colby Ball. The Wings would get two powerplays during the period but would get nothing going while the Millionaires would score five goals in the period, only one of which came on the man advantage.
In the third period, the Red Wings would start to press while taking advantage of a few powerplays, even pulling their goaltender with 15 minutes left in the period to make it a 6-on-3, but still nothing would get going. In the final seconds of the game, former Red Wing Cooper Chisholm would score his first goal of the season, and the Millionaires would take a commanding 6-1 win.
On Saturday, the rematch at Crescent Point Place was a much more entertaining game. Early on, the Red Wings powerplay figured out their demons on their first opportunity of the game as Jakob Kalin tipped home his fifth of the season on a shot from Ty Mason, and an assist from Simon Pollock just over four minutes on the clock.
Just 39 seconds later, Braigh LeGrandeur would send a pass ahead to Ethan Whillans to spring him on the breakaway, and Whillans start off a big night for him on the scoresheet with a goal.
Then the Red Wings powerplay went back to work after Rylan Bruns ran Lucas Jeffreys into the boards hard, and just one second after that penalty ended, Sam Boldt would score his first of the season on a shot from the point that found its way through, Blake Norris and Ethan Whillans both picking up assists.
After 1: Red Wings 3 – 0 Millionaires, shots 13-9 Red Wings
In the second period, the Red Wings faltered similarly to last game. Two powerplay goals from the Millionaires in the first 3:34 of the period to make it a one goal game, but then still shorthanded Simon Pollock would block a shot out to centre, chase it down, and fire home his third of the season while shorthanded.
After that, the Millionaires would score three more goals in the period including one more on the powerplay, and the Millionaires would take the lead into the third period.
After 2: Red Wings 4 – 5 Millionaires, shots 14-12 Millionaires in the period, 25-23 Red Wings overall
The third period was a fun one. A single penalty in the period would see the Red Wings get some chances on the man advantage, but still they couldn’t tie it.
It took 14 minutes, but finally the Red Wings were able to tie it when Ethan Whillans would put a shot on goal, and Simon Pollock would clean up the rebound to tie the game with his second of the night and fourth of the season.
Now tied at five, the ice would open up and chances would start to fly at either end. Dazza Mitchell would shut the door in the defensive end, and at the other end Ty Mason would enter the zone, then pass the puck back to Ethan Whillans, and he’d thread the needle with a pass across the ice for Lucas Jeffreys. He fired the puck home for his first as a Red Wing and the electric game-winner.
To cap things off, Jakob Kalin would score his second of the season on the empty netter by making a good move to carry the puck in around the defender and hit the empty net on a chip shot.
FINAL: Red Wings 7 – 5 Millionaires, shots 11-11 in the period, 36-34 Red Wings overall
-submitted by Nick Nielsen