Kinnunen's 2G Lifts Mils Over Terriers

Infront of 1730 (One Thousand, Seven Hundred and Thirty) fans (not bad for being on the radio), the Melville Millionaires stole a 3-2 road victory in Yorkton Friday night.

Matt Kinnunen (pictured) scored twice, including the game-winner, short-handed early in the third period.

Rylan McDonnell scored for Yorkton, his second in as many games to make it 1-0 Terriers after one. Cody Hanson tied it in the second, and Kinnunen gave the Mils the lead 1:03 later to make it 2-1 after two. He added his second just :30 into the final frame on a short-handed 2-on-1, before Yorkton captain Cody Zubko rounded out the scoring at 8:49.

Yorkton out-shot Melville 33-24, but Deszi Wiens made 31 saves, earning his, and the teams 5th straight win.

Melville (23-24-2-1) is now a point up on Yorkton (22-26-3-1), and have two games in hand as they get set to meet up again tonight (SAT) at Melville Stadium.

And I've seen enough of these home-and-homes the last couple years to know when one team wins on the road, the other team can just as easily do the same the next night.

"You tend to relax," explained Millionaires' Coach/GM Jamie Fiesel on our Post Game Show. "You think, well we won in their rink, we've got the sweep and you break out the brooms, but it's just not that easy, especially against this Yorkton team. They were the better team against us in the first period, and we were lucky to just be down 1-0."

It's a 7:30 face-off tonight (SAT) in Melville.

I started this post with a sarcastic line about the big crowd, because someone always gives me heck for doing a Yorkton/Melville game because "nobody will come to the rink," and it happened again tonight, once. I don't think I've ever seen a crowd much more than 1200 in Yorkton in my time here, and there were 1730 fans there, GREAT to see! Hopefully Melville gets the same or at least a similar turnout. These two teams provide great hockey... with the last SIX meetings decided by just one goal, and the two before that by 2 goals. Meeting 9 of 9 is tonight, and both teams clinched the playoffs after Friday as well. Melville clinched with their win, and Yorkton did with Estevan's loss. Both teams could still mathematically catch Kindersley, but it would mean running the table and the Klippers losing out, so let's face it... it's a Yorkton/Melville Survivor Series.

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The Wayway Wolverines lost 3-2 in a shootout to the Winnipeg Saints on Friday as they continue to be a scrappy opponent down the stretch.

They even led 2-0 just three minutes in on goals by Ryan Regel and Ashley Howie.

Brett Gagnon made 32/34 saves against his old team, and stopped 3/4 in the shootout, but Justin Leclerc stopped all 4 Wolverines he faced. Wayway still took 15 of a possible 20 points in their last 10 games (7-2-0-1), and host Swan Valley tonight (SAT).

Portage and Neepawa both won on Friday, which puts Portage only three points back of the Stamps for 2nd, and Neepawa 8 points back. All three teams have played 55 games (7 left).