HIGHLIGHTS:

A battle between two division leaders provided plenty of drama on Saturday night as the Power Dodge Estevan Bruins dropped a tight battle at "The Cage" against the Nipawin Hawks.

The Bruins came into the game with points in their last four games (3-0-1) and an outside shot at finishing second overall was still in play.

However, the injury bug hit the Bruins hard over the past few games and hit a new level over the weekend. Lynnden Pastachak missed his third straight game with an upper-body injury and Jake Fletcher was a last minute scratch for Saturday night's game after blocking a shot during the Bruins 6-2 win over La Ronge on Friday.

READ MORE: Bruins Beat La Ronge 6-2

The first period would be evenly played between the two clubs, with the Bruins using the powerplay to their advantage.

The puck would find it's way to Evan Scott at the blueline as the defenceman blasted a shot through a screened Kristan Stead to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead 6:53 into the game.

Nipawin would respond at the 11:47 mark as Eric Bolden picked the corner on Nathan Alalouf to even the score 1-1.

Shortly thereafter, the Bruins would earn another powerplay and regain the lead. The puck would come to Scott at the point once again. This time, Isaac Embree would deflect the puck on it's way to the net. It squeaked through Stead's legs and Embree poked the loose puck home to put the Bruins up 2-1 after the first period.

However, the Bruins would go down another forward after starting the game with only 11. Kaelan Holt went hard into the boards halfway through the period and did not return for the rest of the game.

The Hawks took a 16-8 shot advantage into the second period and built on it in a big way. Bolden scored his second of the game to tie the score halfway through the period. Then Nipawin would go on a 5-on-3 powerplay for 1:50. Despite constant pressure, the Hawks were unable to beat Alalouf and the Bruins' penalty kill. The score remained tied 2-2 after 40 minutes, with the Hawks now leading 33-14 in shots.

INTERVIEW: Jason Miller & Matt McNeil

The third period would see the teams trade chances looking for the go-ahead goal. The short-benched Bruins would continue to put forth a valiant effort, but were unable to beat Stead.

Then, with only a few minutes remaining, Nipawin earned another powerplay and would finally find the back of the net. Grant Baetsen picked the corner on a shot from the slot to put the Hawks ahead 3-2 with only 3:34 left to play.

Estevan looked for the equalizer late and earned a powerplay in the final minute. The Bruins pulled the goalie for the 6-on-4 powerplay, however the Hawks picked off a pass and shot the puck down the ice into the open net to give Nipawin a 4-2 victory.

Nipawin earned wins in three of four games against the Bruins this season. With the loss, Estevan are now guaranteed to finish 3rd overall in the SJHL standings.

GAME NOTES

- Evan Scott (1G, 1A) and Isaac Embree (1G, 1A) led the offence with two points, Johnny Witzke and Jason Miller each added an assist.

- Nathan Alalouf was outstanding, making 47 saves despite getting tagged with the loss.

- Lynnden Pastachak (upper-body), Jake Fletcher (lower-body) and Kaelan Holt (upper-body) are all day-to-day. None of the injuries are anticipated to keep the players out long-term.

The Bruins (34-17-2-1) have four games remaining in the regular season. They take on the Yorkton Terriers on Tuesday, February 28th at 7:30 on Rock106 and DiscoverEstevan.com.