Bruins Gut Out Game One Victory Over Battlefords

 

 

Arthur Miller scored twice at even strength and the Bruins added three more on the power play, while Bo Didur made 32 saves to give Estevan the win. Estevan takes a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

 

 Zach Goberis began the goal scoring parade for Estevan just under five minutes into the first period and less than five seconds into a man advantage. Goberis won the faceoff back to Johnny Witzke, who slipped it to Michael McChesney to get set up. McChesney then waited for Goberis to park himself at the top of the right circle and slipped it over to him, where Goberis wired it past Joel Grzybowski for the early lead.

 

 The North Stars were unfazed, however, and quickly restored the tie game. With two Bruins in the box and a 5-on-3 advantage, Layne Young took the puck at the side of the net and waited as Levi Kleiboer crept in from the point, hitting him with a backdoor feed on which Kleiboer made no mistake.

 

The second period began much the way the first did, with Kaelan Holt shooting through the screen of Jake Fletcher on the power play. Fletcher got credit and the Bruins lead was 2-1.

 

 The first even strength goal of the series came off Miller’s tape, as Goberis hustled after a loose puck off a clearing attempt. While Goberis didn’t get the breakaway, he did get the loose puck and flipped it out to Miller, who banged it in from in tight to give Estevan a two-goal lead.

 

 Young helped the North Stars cut into the lead once again, shooting off the rush to create a rebound for MacGregor Sinclair, who pushed it through a dog-pile of players in front of Didur to make it 3-2.

 

Fletcher added another power play tally early in the third to restore the two-goal lead. Tanner Manz tied up his man off the faceoff, and Fletcher swooped in and picked up the puck. Finding himself suddenly alone in front, Fletcher tucked a backhand in five-hole.

 

 Miller appeared to put the game away with 10:32 gone in the third. Breaking in 2-on-1 with McChesney, Miller kept and rifled it short side to put the Bruins up 5-2. But Battlefords refused to go quietly as Brad Girard scored off the cycle, going bar-down from in tight to get the home side back within two. The North Stars pressed and peppered Didur from all angles in the back half of the third, but couldn’t solve him again and the Bruins hung on for the win.

 

 Estevan and Battlefords will play a rematch on March 31 in Battlefords at 7:30. That game goes on Rock 106 with the pre-game show ten minutes beforehand.

 

 GAME NOTES:

 

 Zach Goberis and Arthur Miller now share the team lead with two other players in playoff goals with three. Michael McChesney has the co-lead, as does Jake Fletcher.

  

The last time the Battlefords North Stars lost a playoff game was a double-OT loss to Flin Flon on April 9 of 2016. They swept their way to a championship in 2017, including a second round sweep of Estevan.

 

The Bruins are now the last unbeaten team in the SJHL playoffs. Both Estevan and Battlefords swept their first round series against Weyburn and Kindersley respectively.

 

 Jake Fletcher’s two goals were his fourth and fifth in his last two games in Battlefords.