The classic Highway 39 rivalry was reignited over the weekend, as the Power Dodge Estevan Bruins and Weyburn Red Wings faced off for a home and home to finish off the pre-season.

Friday night saw a return to hockey action in Affinity Place, as Weyburn attempted but failed to bring down the Black and Gold squad, consisting of a mix between rookies and star performers from previous years.

The Red Wings drew first blood in the first few minutes of the opening period, as Derek Smith squeezed the puck in past home goaltender Matt Lenz. However, that was quickly answered by Jonny Witzke, then Jerzy Martin, bringing the Bruins into a 2-1 lead.

Weyburn stuck to the same trend to start the second period, as Smith once again dumped one in early. However, the Black and Gold would have none of it, and veteran Kaelen Holt took a break-away and buried the puck past Red Wing netminder Carter Phair. Jake Heerspink followed suit, providing a 4-2 lead that they would not relinquish for the rest of the game.

Holt then made his presence felt some more in the final period, as he split the defense once again to notch the 5-2 winning score for the Bruins.

Head Coach and General Manager Chris Lewgood was pleased with how his team performed.

"I thought our guys played hard and well with what we've given them to work with. X's and O's wise, they did a very good job of staying organized and following the plan."

He added that it also gave the staff a chance to further evaluate the players for positions.

"They're going to make it tough on us, which is exactly what you want. Tough decisions, and tough for all the right reasons."

The Bruins were back on the ice the following night in Weyburn, where they once again solidified their hometown pride with another win.

This time it was Estevan who opened the scoring, with Tanner McKechnie slamming one in the back of the net past Arik Weersink. Weyburn soon responded with a goal from Cole Woodliffe, and the period closed with a 1-1 tie.

Two goals in the second, notched by Michael McChesney and Matthew Chekay resulted in a 3-1 lead before being narrowed to 3-2. Both McChesney and Chekay made their mark once again on the Red Wings in the third period with another netted puck each, bringing the final score to 5-4 after two more Weyburn goals squeezed past Estevan goaltender Matt Lukacs.

The Bruins will open their regular season at Affinity Place on September 15th, when they welcome the Melville Millionaires to town.

Highlights from game 1 with Rob Mahon: