Warman opened October slowly, with three losses from four, but appear to have righted the ship by the end. A recent four-game homestand yielded four wins, including last Tuesday vs. Battlefords and a hard-fought, come-from-behind victory Saturday in La Ronge, par for the course for this Wolverines team that often refuses to lose. Youngsters Jaggar John and Braden Hordichuk have jumped in from the Western Hockey League and made an impact, while Luke Brunen keeps coming up clutch in net.

It has been a bit ‘one step forward, one step back’ for Melfort these days, alternating big wins and tough losses the last couple of weeks. The ‘glass half-full’ crowd say the Mustangs have taken five of their last six available points; the other half might say they’re 2-2 over their last four. They didn’t quit and tied it late in Estevan Friday before a bad break in overtime led to the Bruins’ win, then bounced back with a typically tight Melfort performance in a 3-2 win over Weyburn the next night.

The Mils have won five in a row, all of the ‘one-goal variety’, if you include a game with an empty-netter at home to Yorkton to start the streak. Outstanding performances from veterans Louis Nadeau and Keil Schmalz have compensated for back-end injuries. While the offence has struggled at times, it has put in just enough pucks to keep Melville among the league’s hottest teams. Noah Kraus and Kaleb Page might very well be the best one-two punch in net in the league right now.

Only one other team has a better home win percentage, but nobody has come close to the whopping 7.2 goals-for-per-game the Hawks have pulled off at home so far this year. Nipawin has scored an incredible 27 goals in the last three contests, including two thunderous victories at the ‘Cage’ this past week against Kindersley and La Ronge, and Tad Kozun’s men are flying in a 6-1-1 October at the time of writing. Five of the last six have been at the friendly confines of Centennial Arena, but you can only beat who’s in front of you…and Nipawin has been bludgeoning the teams in front of them lately.

The high-flying Broncos came down to earth Saturday when they couldn’t beat Estevan’s Dylan Adams more than twice despite putting 43 shots on him; even though their four-game win streak was snapped, this group has to be feeling good about itself. That loss followed a rock-solid win in Weyburn and Estevan, and while health is an issue, the depth of talent is starting to show in force and cohesion. The Broncos have Nipawin and Weyburn twice coming up, so the measuring stick is out now.

Sure, two losses in the last four at the Whitney Forum are uncharacteristic for Flin Flon this decade. However, with an enormous injury bill and a young roster still finding its footing, there’s no reason to panic in Bomber nation. Saturday’s win over Kindersley at home felt a bit like a must-win, if only for the mood among a fan base used to winning every night, but this group had plenty of ups and downs early last year before figuring it out en route to a championship. They’re in the midst of four in a row against Kindersley, with the series at 1-1 as of this writing.

A drop from 1 to 7 seems pretty punitive, but three losses in four at Whitecap Resources Centre left many raising eyebrows. The absences of veteran forwards Callas Pierce and Trennen Redlick, who were suspended this past weekend, were clearly felt against Humboldt and Melfort. However, the scoreline, especially in the Broncos’ loss, didn’t reflect the game’s flow. Everyone has bumps along the road, and this is really Weyburn’s first of the year. A big reinforcement is just on the horizon, so stay tuned! Ryan Gibbs is probably the early Rookie of the Year favourite.

For all the question marks around the Terriers so far this year, one is that they haven’t been their best at home: they are 4-0 at the SoakZone Auto Spa Arena with a +14 goal difference. They’ve played only four of their 12 games at home so far, including Saturday’s authoritative win over Battlefords, and they take a recent two-game win streak into a fascinating home-and-home with Estevan over the Halloween Weekend. Tyson Medernach, though only 17, is already one of the league’s most dangerous power-play weapons.

Coach Kyle Schneider was thrilled with his team’s weekend split on the road in Flin Flon, and the Klips could have won both. Rookie Charlie Kay has been a monster since mid-October, with seven points in his last four games. The arrivals up front, some with experience, Adam Perron and Marco Depedrina, look to have paid off immediately, and the rugged, underrated defence corps keeps growing, so brighter days might be around the corner for the Kindersley.

It’s no understatement to say the Bruins needed a big two-win weekend this past week, and facing big dogs like Humboldt and Melfort was the cherry on top of a very sweet sundae. Steven Steranka’s explosion came at the perfect time, and perhaps this team, as young as any in the league, is finally starting to find the cohesion and understanding to match their already considerable talent. Drew Beasley’s role as a leadership support to terrific captain Aiden Laing cannot be overstated.

Friday’s loss to Nipawin was the kind you throw out and move on from, but this young group pushed the high-flying Warman Wolverines as hard the next day, which speaks volumes about the progress the Wolves are making under Taylor Harnett. The schedule to date has been brutal, but it could calm down a bit in November. The addition of Tyce Penrod has already paid dividends, as his energy and pace have been key to an offence that has scored 13 goals over the last three games.

Almost nothing has gone right for the Stars in October, aside from outstanding play by Nathan Claydon in net. The good news is it’s only October, and Connor Logan and crew have plenty of talent to turn the page. This team lost a lot from last year’s run to Round 2, so like many other teams in that boat, they are still hunting for cohesion. Could a roster shake-up be on the horizon?