Story Coming In:
The magic number for the Yorkton Terriers is 9. Nine points between losses and Weyburn wins, and Yorkton will officially be eliminated from the playoff race. Meaning the Terriers need a miracle. However, to achieve a miracle, Yorkton needs to help themselves starting with tonight’s game against Weyburn. The Terriers must win in regulation. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the offence must find a way to score more than two goals in a game. Yorkton is getting solid goaltending and their defence has been playing some of its best hockey of the season, but they need goals to compliment their strong defensive play. Part of that problem is the power-play which has been atrocious as of late, having gone 0 for their last 41. In 2023, the power-play has only scored once, and that was in their first game against Melville on January 6th.
View From Weyburn:
The Red Wings saw their lengthy point streak snapped at the hands of the Nipawin Hawks on Saturday. In the last 1:25 of the game, the Hawks scored twice to end Weyburn’s nine game point streak. For Weyburn, that run could not have come at a better time as they look to solidify the eighth and final playoff spot. However, they are anything but safe, despite having a six point lead on Notre Dame. With two games against the Hounds, the playoff race still remains in the balance. If Weyburn wants to lock down their first playoff appearance since 2019, they need to win the games against the teams below them like Yorkton and Melville. With two final games against the Terriers this week, Weyburn could separate themselves from the pretender category.
Rebuild:
It’s a word fans hate and teams don’t want to admit. Rebuilding. But that is the best way to describe this season for the Yorkton Terriers. Having lost 15 players from a team that finished sixth last season and upset a contender in the first round of the playoffs, all signs were pointing to a potentially difficult season in east central Saskatchewan. The team has dressed between 11 and 15 rookies throughout the season, which has led to a lot of speed bumps as the youth learns to adjust to Junior A hockey. Bright spots on the team includes Dylan Ruptash (who leads all SJHL rookies in scoring), Pavel McKenzie (the youngest player on the team who at times looks like the best player), Cade Kennedy (getting stronger each day after off-season knee surgery), and Caleb Allen (routinely the best player for Yorkton). With the Terriers able to bring back 17 players next season, Yorkton could contend for a title in 2024 or 2025.
Stats Leaders For Yorkton:
Goals: Ruptash (18)
Assists: Hall (16)
Points: Ruptash (31)
PIM: Mayes (167)
Goalie: Allen 13-21-1, 3.81, 0.898% 1SO 1G
