With only four games left to play before playoffs, the Estevan Bruins welcomed the Notre Dame Hounds to Affinity Place Tuesday night for their fourth meeting in the last month and a half and for the final time of their season. In the season series, the Bruins lost the first three outings with typically shorthanded squads in those contests. In the two leading up to this game, the Bruins got the win, once on the road and once in front of their home crowd. Both teams had a loss in overtime in the season series, meaning the Bruins could tie it up with a win at home.

The Bruins also needed the win when it comes to the standings. They come into the game 8 points ahead of the Yorkton Terriers in the Viterra Division, and the Terriers have two extra games to play. A win Tuesday night would mean only one more win of the final three games would clinch, but they'd need to beat Notre Dame before they worried about that and they'd have to battle against adversity before the puck even dropped.

Both Grant Boldt and Kadin Kilpatrick were out of the game thanks to an illness, meaning two goaltenders would be called up for the game. On the bench, Estevan AA Apex Bruins Morgan Wanner was an emergency call-up when Kilpatrick left game day practice early, and between the pipes, Tyler Szturm would get the knod from the Pilot Butte Storm in the Prairie Junior Hockey League.

In the first period, the Bruins would be gifted two chances on the powerplay almost immediately after the other in the first five minutes. The first, a tripping call to Notre Dame's Charles Martin, would be killed off with a few shots making their way through to former Bruin Matt Lukacs, but he'd stand tall for the first call. Then, in the second powerplay, Turner Ripplinger would smack in a one-timer thanks to a pass across the ice from Bryce Platt, with the secondary assist going to Aigne McGeady-Bruce.

That score would stay locked up through the rest of the period, the Bruins would protect their own zone and only allow seven shots to make it through to Szturm, all of which he stopped. Part of what helped the Bruins lock down the zone was the three power plays, the last being a late too many men call in the final three minutes of the period.

The 1-0 score would hold out through the majority of the second period as well, until the Hounds tied it up with just under six minutes left in the frame thanks to Kyle Robinson's fifth goal of the season.

Then, again on the powerplay, the Bruins would retake their lead just 2:11 later and thirty one seconds into the powerplay by setting up the cycle and capping it off when Devan Harrison sent a pass behind the net for Michael McChesney, who peak out to the right side of Lukacs and before he could react, put home his 30th of the season. 

Another thirteen seconds later, the Bruins would go on the penalty kill when McChesney made his way down the ice and collided with his former goaltender Lukacs. Just before McChesney's goaltender interference call ended, Notre Dame would take an interference call that started a bit of chirping and chipping at the end of the play, resulting in an offsetting minor being added to the scoresheet and sending Platt to the box for the Bruins. Shots in the second were even at eleven.

The third period would only start worse for the Bruins when only a minute-thirty-eight in, the Hounds would get another one on the board thanks to Marshall Wilton on a two on one pass from Jarrett Penner.

Seconds after the tying goal, the Trystyn DeRoose would earn a game misconduct for an unfortunate hit. At the blue line of his own defensive zone, Hounds' Tim Gould would skate towards the puck along the boards and cut away from the incoming DeRoose, trying to avoid the hit but toe picking his skate in the process. Gould was already falling as DeRoose's should collided with him and sent his head into the boards. DeRoose was given a five minute major and a game misconduct for the hit, while Gould layed on the ice for a minute but returned to the game.

On the five minute powerplay, the Hounds would take advantage of the rookie goaltender in net. Only 4:29 into the third, Marshall Winton would hack a shot from in close towards the net and hit the pads of Szturm, and his rebound would find the stick of Jakob Breault and the back of the net.

The Bruins would kill off the end of the five minute penalty fairly handily and get ready to jump back on the offense as Isaiah Thomas, the man serving the penalty, joined the play. The Bruins would get three more powerplays to work with in the final half of the third period, including in the final minute with Szturm at the bench, but their efforts would fall short.

FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame 3 - 2 Estevan

GAME NOTES:

The Bruins poured thirty one shots at their former goaltender Matt Lukacs, but he played with a chip on his shoulder and kept good positioning to hold down the crease.

The Bruins lose their first game at home since November 22nd against the Humboldt Broncos, breaking an undefeated home streak of ten straight games. They've only lost two of their last 15 games.

In his first start in the SJHL, Szturm stopped 19 of 22 shots he faced in the emergency replacement of both the Bruins goaltenders. 

Trystyn DeRoose is likely to get a two game suspension for the hit on Gould, despite not actually making contact with the head of his opponent in the hit in question.