REGINA, SK – A busy Friday night in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League saw plenty of movement in the thrilling race to the post-season.
The Yorkton Terriers cashed a fourth-straight game in which they scored a power-play goal to keep their playoff hopes alive, and dealt a crippling blow to Nipawin’s hopes, with a 4-1 victory in the home of the Hawks.
Melville tightened its grip on fifth place in the standings behind reigning SJHL Goaltender of the Month Will Dyke’s league-leading fourth shutout. A three-point night from Caden Drury also helped the Mils secure the two points and sit three points up on the Estevan Bruins in the table with a 4-0 home win over the Kindersley Klippers.
For their part, the Bruins jumped ahead of those Klippers with an upset 4-3 shootout win at the Whitney Forum over the Flin Flon Bombers. It was just Flin Flon’s fourth loss of any kind in the campaign. Backstopped by a brilliant 50-save performance from Jackson Miller in net, and a goal and an assist by defenceman Felix Allard, Estevan moved back above .500.
The Melfort Mustangs won their fourth straight, and jumped into second place in the standings behind a 32-stop effort from James Venne, as they down the Battlefords North Stars 4-3 in North Battleford. The reeling defending champs have now lost four in a row but will get a chance at redemption Saturday night at the Access Communications Centre.
Finally, the Weyburn Red Wings held serve four points up in eighth over the Yorkton Terriers with a solid 3-1 win in La Ronge’s Mel Hegland Uniplex. Colin Doherty and Blake Betson scored 45 seconds apart in the first period, and Betson’s marker held up as the game-winner behind a rock-solid Angelo Zol in the Wings’ net.
Highlights from all the games can be found below.
Yorkton Terriers 4 Nipawin Hawks 1
Melville Millionaires 4 Kindersley Klippers 0
Estevan Bruins 4 Flin Flon Bombers 3 (SO)
Melfort Mustangs 4 Battlefords North Stars 3
Weyburn Red Wings 3 La Ronge Ice Wolves 1
Four more games with playoff implications are on tap for Saturday.
Saturday, March 2, 2024
- Kindersley @ Yorkton, 7:00 PM
- Melfort @ Battlefords, 7:30 PM
- Estevan @ Flin Flon, 7:30 PM (CST)
- Weyburn @ La Ronge, 7:30 PM