YORKTON, SK: The Estevan Bruins used a five-goal second period to help defeat the Yorkton Terriers 7-4 on home ice.
The Terriers started the game on time and were the recipient of some good scoring chances. First, it was Colton Koran finding some space in the slot, but Bruins goaltender Jackson Miller denied him. Brett Butz had the next best opportunity for the Terriers as he took a feed from David OVerbeeke but was robbed by Miller with the glove, keeping the game scoreless. The Bruins got a powerplay opportunity when Terriers forward Aiden Knutson was called for tripping. Despite throwing five shots at Ethan Farrow, the game stayed deadlocked 0-0.
The Terriers found the scoresheet with seven minutes left in the first period, thanks to some hard work by rookie forward Jye Zawatsky. Dustin Renas capitalized on a loose puck in the blue paint for his second of the season and now has goals in back-to-back nights against the Bruins; he scored last night in Estevan.
The Terriers outshot the Bruins 13-11 in the opening twenty minutes; the Bruins have the lone man advantage.
The middle frame was busy, seeing a slew of penalties and a flurry of goals. Just after the Terrier’s penalty expired, Felix Allard snapped a pass across to Ilia Chmelevski, and he wasted no time, snapping it past a screened Farrow, tying it at one. The Bruins would add another on the powerplay after a mad scramble in front of Farrow. The puck squirted loose to Allard, and he ripped it blocker side to extend the lead to 2-1. Just 46 seconds later, on another man advantage, Chmelevski added his second of the night with a bullet past Farrow, doubling the lead. 1:02 after that, Keagon Little took a feed from Burns and roofed it on Farrow for a 4-1 lead.
The Terriers, however, would respond. After a solo dash by defenceman Anthony McIntosh, the puck came to Renas, who tapped home his second of the evening, cutting the lead to two. Renas wasn’t done there; two minutes later, he completed the hat trick with a patient forehand to backhand deke, pulling the Terriers within one. Little thought he had his second of the game as his wrister beat Farrow’s blocker side, but the ref immediately waived it off due to goaltender interference.
Shortly after the disallowed goal, Little struck again. This time, it counted as Heward put it on a tee for the captain, doubling the Bruins’s lead again. Then, at the end of the middle frame, Terriers rookie Tylan Henrikson was a major penalty for a hit to the head, putting the dangerous Bruins powerplay on a five-minute advantage. The Bruins outshot the Terriers 22-13 in the second period.
In the third period, the Terriers killed the five-minute powerplay off thanks to superb goaltending by Farrow stoning the Bruins six times on the powerplay. That gave the Terriers some life. But it was a familiar foe spoiling any comeback the Terriers had as Cade Kennedy dashed down the left side and beat Farrow under the arm to give the Bruins a 6-3 lead. That goal chased Farrow as Adam Kelly replaced him. Four minutes later, Chmelevski completed his hat trick on the powerplay. Jye Zawatsky scored a late goal for the Terriers as they dropped a 7-4 decision to the Bruins.
With the loss, the Terriers fall to 15-23-3 on the season and will be back in action Tuesday on the road in North Battleford.