The Estevan Bruins scored 20 goals in three games at the start of the SJHL season. Suddenly, however, offense is tough to come by for the black and gold despite chances aplenty.

The latest example of that came on Friday, October 26 in La Ronge when the Bruins took on the Ice Wolves. Estevan leveled over forty shots at the opposing net for the second straight game, but for the second game in a row got only two goals. 

Zach Bannister scored twice for La Ronge with Mitch Zambon adding another and Daniel Davidson made 42 saves in his Ice Wolves debut as the Bruins lost a tight one 3-2. Jake Heerspink and TJ Irey replied for Estevan while Jake Anthony made 29 saves in a losing effort.

The Bruins began the scoring in the first period off the rush. Tristyn DeRoose showed good patience in his own end, waiting for Tanner Manz to get open and sending him away 2-on-1 with Irey. Manz waited until the last moment to feather the puck over to his teammate and Irey made no mistake on what was a mostly-open cage.

The Ice Wolves found their offense in the second period, however, starting on the power play as they moved the puck around the outside before Bannister finished over Anthony’s shoulder. 

Bannister struck again minutes later. After taking a massive open ice hit from Austin King-Cunningham, Bannister hauled himself back to his feet and into the play. The Ice Wolves were buzzing around the Bruins net, creating several chances, and Bannister crept in from outside the zone to swat his second of the game past Anthony. 

It was the third goal, the game winner, that was the truly strange one. On a Bruins power play, Anthony left his crease to play the puck and start the Bruins quickly on the breakout. Instead of hitting his intended target with a long bomb, however, Anthony hit Zambon right in the arm, and Zambon suddenly had the entire net to shoot at. He made good his attempt, and the Ice Wolves had what proved to be the last goal they would need.

Bruins captain Jake Heerspink got them back to within one in the second. Heerspink pinched up to take the puck away from Kolby Johnson on the right wing wall, then worked a quick give-and-go with Jerzy Martin, flipping a shot just under the bar over Davidson’s shoulder from a tricky angle. 

For the third straight game, a desperate Bruins squad left nothing in the tank as they pursued the tying goal. For the third straight game, it eluded them. The Ice Wolves hung on for the win, leaving Estevan to trudge back to Nipawin and await their final game of the road trip. The Bruins face the Melfort Mustangs at 7:30 Saturday night. The game will be on Rock 106. 

GAME NOTES

TJ Irey’s first period goal gives him 17 points on the year in just his 15thgame. Irey had 17 points in 48 games in 2017-18.

Estevan has not scored a power play goal on the road trip so far. They are 0-for-14 on their three-game losing streak. All their offense has come at even strength five-on-five.


This is the second three-game losing streak of the season for Estevan. They previously lost four straight games from September 28 to October 10, losing to La Ronge on the final game of that streak at home.