TUESDAY TICKER

The Humboldt Broncos are now winners of eight straight games thanks to a 3-2 win over the visiting Flin Flon Bombers on Tuesday night.

Rayce Ramsay stopped 25 of the 27 shots he faced, while Brayden Camrud had a goal and an assist for the Broncos (32-16-2-1).  Mitch Zambon and Logan Foster also scored as Humboldt battled back from down 2-1 until late in the second period.

Camrud opened the scoring before Donavan Houle-Villeneuve and Brandson Hein put the Bombers (30-17-1-2) ahead before the first period was done.  Jacob Delorme made 28/31 saves for Flin Flon.  The Bombers are in Weyburn on Wednesday, Estevan Friday and Notre Dame Saturday.

When the road trip is over, Flin Flon will have just five games left, and right now they’re in 7th spot, a point back of a top six position.

******

The top two teams in the standings, and arguably the top two goalies in the league went head to head in Nipawin, where the second place overall Kindersley Klippers edged the league-leading Hawks 2-1 in overtime.

Justen Close stopped 23/24 shots, and he’s now 21-9 on the season with a 2.06 GAA, .931% on the season.  Ty Enns scored for the Klippers (32-12-3-2) and also added an assist on Nate Keeley’s overtime winner, just 51 seconds into the extra frame.

Declan Hobbs made 35/37 saves in goal for the Hawks (35-13-2-2) while Jaxsen Wiebe got them on the board early in the third period.

This means the Klippers remain two points up on Humboldt for the Global Ag Risk Solutions Division, and they’re now one point closer to the Hawks for top spot overall, now five back with three games in hand.  The Hawks now have a 10 point spread over Melfort in the Sherwood.

Nipawin’s off until next Friday, February 22nd when they’ll once again host the Klippers, which, by then, could have top spot on the line as Kindersley plays those three games in hand between now and then, all tough ones, at Melfort (Wednesday), home to Battlefords and in Humboldt.

******

While the Global Ag Risk Solutions Division is still very much up in the air, the Estevan Bruins took another step towards locking down the Viterra Tuesday, going into Notre Dame and beating the Hounds 3-1.

The win lifts the Bruins (28-21-2-1) eight points clear of Yorkton for that division lead.  Yorkton now holds two games in hand and the tie breaker.

TJ Irey and Bryce Platt each had a goal and an assist while Will Koop got them on the board.  Kadin Kilpatrick made 20/21 saves in the win.

The Hounds (21-20-5-4) opened the scoring on Marshall Wilton’s 20th of the year in the first period.  Riley Kohonick made 36/39 saves.

The Yorkton Terriers had Tuesday off but were paying close attention as they’re battling with both teams.  Estevan, for the Viterra pennant, and if that doesn’t work out, they’re likely up against Notre Dame in an 8th vs 9th Best-of-Three Wild Card series, and with the Hounds’ loss, Yorkton and Notre Dame are deadlocked for 8th with 51 points and both now have 50 games played, eight remaining, and no more head to head.  Notre Dame has that tie-breaker having gone 2-1-0-1 in four head to head meetings with Yorkton, picking up five points while Yorkton had four (2-2-0-0).