Terriers Take Game 1

The first period was not close. Shots on goal were 17-3, and the Terriers led 3-0.

Joel Danyluk, to my surprise, did not start Game 1 for the Estevan Bruins. Shea Cooper did, and made 2 saves on Jeremy Boyer when the score was 0-0 that were nothing short of spectacular.

The first came on a breakaway, when Boyer had most of the top half of the net, and out came the glove to snatch away a sure goal. The second was on a cross-ice feed, which Boyer hammered, going into what looked to be an open net, and this time the pad stack... Cooper came across to take away another.

Bruins' Coach Chad Leslie talked about a "hunch" he had when going back with Joel Danyluk for Games 4 and 5 of the Melville series, and his hunch paid off again in Game 1 against the Terriers against Cooper.

Finally though, third time was a charm, and Boyer opened the series up with a short-handed tap-in, on a nice feed from Brent Struble.

Next, the line of Nathan Murray, Riley Paterson and Brenden Poncelet cycled the puck in the offensive zone for what had to be 30 seconds plus, before Murray came out of the corner, dangled two Bruins in the high slot, drew a delayed hooking penalty, before getting a shot off and watching Paterson poke the rebound between Cooper's legs.

Then off a face-off, Boyer went straight across to Craig Eisenhut, a right-handed shot on the left wall, and Eisenhut put a world class wrister top drawer, blowing up Cooper's water bottle, and it was 3-0 after 1.

Looked like the route might be on, but like the Survivor Series, I had a funny feeling in my gut that this one was still far from over.

Then late in the second, still 3-0, Yorkton took a penalty, and Coach Trent Cassan felt referees Sheldon Dean and Jason Mercer missed a hit-from-behind on Brent Struble earlier in the shift, was furious, and Mercer gave Trent an extra 2:00, and the Bruins a full 2-minute 5-on-3, which Calder Neufeld scored on, and it was 3-1 after two periods.

Early third, almost a carbon copy of his goal to tie up Game 5 of the Survivor Series, Jonathan Ceci came down the right wing, and wristed one over the glove of Warren Shymko to cut the lead to one, with about 14 minutes left.

The Bruins carried most of the play in the final 20, but the Terriers held them off, and Eisenhut set up Zak Majkowsi for an empty netter in the final minute, as all three members of the Boyer-Eisenhut-Majkowski trio found the net in Game 1.

Some notable absences for the Terriers in Game 1. Devin Peters dressed, but backed up Warren Shymko. Word is his injury is healed, but he just hasn't played a game since January. Shymko got hot and carried the mail down the stretch and earned the Game 1 start. Do we see all 4 goalies in this series? Also, no Justin Buzzeo, Blaine Tendler, or Kelly Leismeister for Yorkton.

All in all, after 15 days off, the Terriers gotta be happy with Game 1. It's a natural tendency to sit back with a multi-goal lead, but it got a little too close for comfort. I also don't expect many, if any 3 goal leads the rest of the way.

Game 2 Monday in Estevan, and on GX94.

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While the Terriers ALMOST let an early 3-0 lead slip away.... the Wayway Wolverines did, and lost 5-4 in double overtime to the Winkler Flyers.

That series is now even at 1-1.

Joe Carney, Josh Daley, Paul Vandevelde and Dave Williams scored for the Wolverines, who out-shot the Flyers 49-43.

Matt Loopkey tied it for Winkler with 11 seconds left, and defenseman Brad Haber scored the winner, finishing with three points (1g-2a).

Game 3 of that series is Sunday, and will be on GX94. It'll be my first trip to Winkler, and I've heard a lot of good things about the rink. 7:15 Pre Game Show, puck drops at 7:30.