Bruins Finish Year with 4-1 Loss to Weyburn

The Estevan Bruins 2012 ended on a sour note as they were defeated by the Yorkton Terriers 4-1 last night at Spectra Place.

The Red Wings opened the scoring in the first period with Miguel Pereria opening the scoring with a power play goal to give the Red Wings the early edge.

The Bruins would respond later in the first period with Tyler Paslawski putting a loose rebound past the Red Wings Jean Phillipe Boucher to even up the score at 1-1 after the first period.

In the second, the Red Wings would take the lead as they capitalize a pair of odd man rushes. First Robert Wilkinson scored on a 3 on 2 rush to give the Red Wings the lead and that was followed by Josh Lees scoring for Weyburn.

The Bruins couldn't find the equalizer in the third period as Adam Pulliam finished off the scoring with a power play goal late in the game as the Red Wings held off the Bruins for a 4-1 win.

Curtis Martinu made 28 saves in the loss for the Bruins while Boucher had 24 saves for the Red Wings.

The Bruins power play was 0 for 3 while Weyburn was 2 for 4.

The Bruins will head to Weyburn to kick off 2013 and you can catch the game on CJ1280 and Discoverestevan.com beginning at 2:50.

Bruins End First Half With Win

The Estevan Bruins ended the first half of the season as they defeated the Melville Millionaires 4-3 in Carlyle. The game got off to a fast paced start as there was no stoppage of play in the opening 5:30 of the game.

The Bruins would open the scoring at the 10:37 as Tyler Poskus' shot from the blue line was deflected by Darcy DeRoose and then again by Hudson Morrison to give the Bruins the early lead. The Bruins would add to their lead less than two minutes later as Nick Weiss found Taylor Reich alone in front of the net. The Bruins had a comfortable 2-0 lead after the first period.

There was once again plenty of flow in the second period as there was no whistles for about 4:00 into the period. Eventually Melville opened up the second period scoring when Alex Elliot scored for the Mils. The Bruins would respond 10 seconds later as Alex Cote scored his first goal as a Bruin to make it 3-1.

In the third the Millionaires attempted a comeback as Ian McNulty scored to cut the score to 3-2 but at the 7:36 mark, Tyler Kauk's shot from the blue line went off the post and in and gave the Bruins a 4-2 lead. Nathan Boyer made it a one goal game as he beat Curtis Martinu with a lazer of a shot. But the Bruins would go on to win it 4-3. Curtis Martinu was outstanding for the Bruins as he made 44 saves including 17 in the third period. Nick Weiss added a pair of assists for the Bruins.

After the game the Bruins took part in an autograph session for the fans in Carlyle as they wrapped up two days of events in the community.

Today the Bruins will begin their Christmas holidays and will return to Estevan next week. The Bruins next game is Sunday, December 30 when they host the Weyburn Red Wings at Spectra Place the game can be heard on CJ1280 and Discoverestevan.com beginning at 5:50.

After the game Cassidy, Martinu and Kauk comment on the win.

Cassidy

                                                                            Kauk

Martinu

                                                                           

Bruins and Red Wings Alumni Game Set For Jan 1

The Estevan Bruins Alumni will meet the Weyburn Red Wings  Alumni for the 4th Annual Alumni Game on  the Annual New Year's Day game between the Bruins and the Red Wings.

I had the chance to speak with the Bruins Alumni President Brad Pierson as we talked about the history of the Bruins alumni game and some of the players that will be taking part in this year's game.

Bruins Shutout in Yorkton

The  Estevan Bruins were shut out in Yorkton as they were defeated by the Terriers 6-0.

Yorkton opened up with a pair of goals in the first period and proceeded to add a pair in the second and another pair in the third.

The Terriers had six different goal scorers in the victory. Dawson MacAuley made 24 saves to earn the shutout win.

The Bruins Steven Glass made 23 saves as he took the loss.

The Bruins have one more game before the Christmas holidays as they will host the Melville Millionaires in Carlyle. Opening faceoff is 7:30 at the Carlyle Sports Arena.

Bruins vs Terriers Preview

Tonight will mark the 5th meeting between the Bruins and the Yorkton Terriers. The Bruins and Terriers 2-2 with each team winning a home game and an away game. The Bruins win in Yorkton back on Oct.30 was the only time this season that Yorkton has lost at the Farrell Agencies Arena this season.

Last Meeting

The last time these two teams faced off was Tuesday when the Bruins won 4-2. Steven Glass made his return to the Bruins lineup after missing the first half of the season recovering from a pair of knee surgeries and made 44 saves to pick up the win.

Latest News

Bruins- The Bruins have started turning things around. The Bruins have won three of their last four games and the big reason is because of goaltending and defence. Glass and Curtis Martinu have the potential to be among elite goaltending tandems in the league. The blue line has been playing great this month especially newcomers Leighton McLachlan and Brett Blatz.

Terriers- Yorkton has been on fire. The Terrrier had a nine game winning streak before the Bruins snapped it on Tuesday. Yorkton responded with a win last night against Melfort. The Terriers have a strong blue line and a excellent goaltending tandem and have been able to score this season.

Keep an Eye For

Bruins- Tyler Kauk. Over the last two games against Yorkton, Kauk has been a one man hit machine. In Yorkton on Nov.27 had one shift where he knocked down three Terriers which lead to a Bruins 5 on 3 powerplay. Tuesday night Kauk was hitting anything black and orange and it definetly got under Yorkton's skin.

Terriers- Patrick Martens. So far this season Martens has been the most successful Terrier against the Bruins has he has managed four goals in four games. Martens is coming off a two goal game last night against Melfort.

Special Stats

Bruins
PP 11.0 (12th)
PK 86.3% (2nd)

Terriers
PP 21.2 (4th)
PK 82 (7th)


Tonight's game can be heard on CJ1280 and Discoverestevan.com beginning at 7:20. Tonight's guest in the 2nd intermission will be Brad Pierson the President of the Bruins Alumni Association as we talk about the Alumni Game on Jan.1 in Weyburn 

 

Glass Shines in His Return as Bruins Snap Yorkton's Winning Streak

Last time Steven Glass was in net for the Estevan Bruins he was leading the Bruins a playoff push at the end of the 2011-12 season. After recovering from offseason knee injury, Glass made his return to the lineup last night and made 44 saves as the Bruins beat the Yorkton Terriers 4-2. The win snapped the Terriers nine game winning streak.

Glass was very busy in the first period as held the Terriers scoreless after he made 18 saves. Glass said it was good to see plenty of action in the first period to help him get comfortable. He added the Bruins defenceman did a great job of clearing lanes in front of him which allowed him to see the puck. Bruins Head Coach Keith Cassidy was happy to see his goalie return to the lineup in impressive fashion.

Heading into the game Glass said that he had some nerves and that he was running on adrenaline throughout the game but once he made some big saves he felt more comfortable.

There was plenty of adrenaline in the first period thanks to the Bruins Tyler Kauk. Kauk was hitting everything that was Black and Orange in the first period. The first hit happened early in the period when he rocked Brendan Poncelet, shortly after the hit on Poncelet his teammate Nathan Murray tried to drop the mitts with Kauk. But Kauk elected to stay in the game rather than serve the five minute penalty. The Terrier bench was upset with the hit from Kauk. Kauk said after that it seemed to get under the Terriers skin which brought the best out of him.

The Bruins opened the scoring when Taylor Reich scored his third goal of the year. There was no scoring in the second period. After Yorkton tied the game in the third period, the Bruins regained the lead when Nick Weiss added his 9th of the season. Darcy DeRoose provided the much needed insurance goal to make it 3-1. The Terriers cut the lead to 3-2 when Derek Falloon scored a goal when it seemed like Glass had the puck covered. But with three seconds Hudson Morrison added an empty netter.

The Bruins have now won three out of their last four games. The Bruins will now hit the road one more time before the Christmas Holidays as they head to Yorkton for a rematch against the Terriers, you can catch the game on CJ1280 and discoverestevan.com beginning at 7:20.

Here are the post game comments from Glass, Cassidy and Kauk.



                                                                                Glass

                                                                             
                                                                            Cassidy

Kauk

Bruins Look To End Yorkton Winning Streak Q and A With Cole Olson

The CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins will be looking to play spoilers tonight as they host the Yorkton Terriers at Spectra Place.

The Terriers are the hottest team in the SJHL right now as they have won their last nine games. One of those wins against the Bruins back on November 27 when the Terriers won 4-1. The Bruins had plenty of opportunities to win that night and that's something forward Cole Olson points out he noted the power play was 0 for 10 along with several odd man rushes that they weren't able to capitalize, Olson says if the Bruins are able to beat Yorkton they must taken advantage of every opportunity that comes their way.

One of the reasons the Terriers are so successful is because of their hard work. Yorkton is a difficult to come from behind to beat. Olson says in order for the Bruins to pick up the two points they have to win the individual battles and outwork Yorkton.

The Bruins will also play in Yorkton on Saturday. The Bruins would like to pick up a couple of wins against Yorkton to make up some ground in the standings. The Bruins only play Yorkton one more time this season after this weekend's matchup and that game will come on February 5th at Spectra Place.

Tonight's game begins at 7:30. The Bruins final game before the Christmas Holidays will be next Tuesday when they meet the Melville Millionaires in Carlyle in a neutral site game. The game begins at 7:30.

Olson talks about tonight's game against Yorkton.

Martinu Named SJHL Goalie of the Week

The Estevan Bruins Curtis Martinu was recognized by the SJHL as he was named the SJHL Goalie of the Week.

It was a stellar week for Martinu as he went 2-1 with a 1.67 GAA and a 951 SV% as the Bruins went 2-1. Martinu had a shutout streak of over 166 minutes as the 20 year old goalie picked up shutouts against the Notre Dame Hounds and the Humboldt Broncos.

On the season Martinu has played in 25 games with a 8-16-2 record with a 3.16 GAA and a 900 SV%. Martinu joins Tyler Kauk and Darcy DeRoose as other Bruins who have won Player of the Week Awards this season. Kauk was named Defenceman of the Week and DeRoose was named Rookie of the Week.

The Kindersley Klippers Giovanni Bombini was named the Player of the Week, The Klippers Shaun McPherson was named the Rookie of the Week and Brody Norrish was named Defenceman of the Week.

The Bruins are back in action tonight as they host the Yorkton Terriers at 7:30.

Bruin Weekly Winners

Now that I have pretty much recovered from my illness over the last couple of weeks I can post my picks for the weekly winners for the Bruins. Next week after the Bruins wrap up their first half of the season I'll give my first half award winners.

This past week the Bruins went 2-1 as they defeated the Notre Dame Hounds 2-0 on Tuesday and Humboldt Broncos 3-0 on Friday. The Bruins had a tough loss to the La Ronge Ice Wolves 6-3 on Saturday.

Player of the Week
Curtis Martinu
(2-1 1.67 GAA 951 SV%)

Martinu took his game to a new level this past week as he shutout the Hounds and Broncos in back to back games. Martinu ended up with a shutout streak over 166 minutes before the La Ronge Ice Wolves snapped the streak in the second period on Saturday. With the Bruins struggling to score goals Martinu will be expected to provide solid goaltending for the Bruins into the second half of the season.

Defenceman of the Week
Connor Milligan

The entire blueline had a solid week for the Bruins as they were a big reason for Martinu's shutout streak. The two most consistent d-men for the Bruins this year have been Tyler Kauk and Connor Milligan. While Kauk has made an impact at both ends of the ice, Milligan has been a rock inside of the Bruins and that was on display this week. 

Rookie of the Week
Hudson Morrison.

There wasn't many points but by the Bruins youngsters this past week but Morrison definietly leas the Bruins in chances in their losses on Saturday. Morrison had at least five chances but was denied by Ice Wolves Goalie Dasan Sydora, Morrison thought he scored the tying goal in the third period but it was later disallowed. Morrison missed Friday's game because of a questionable call against Notre Dame on Tuesday.

Unsung Hero of the Week

Bruins Blue Line

While I mentioned Milligan as defenceman of the week, the entire blue line had a solid week. The d-men did a great job of giving the rebounds in front of Martinu as well with providing him a lane for the Bruins goalie to see the puck. Whether it was the newcomer Brett Blatz, David Robertson, Zach Douglas, Tyler Poskus and Leighton McLachlan every d-men had a solid week when they were inside of the lineup and will be expected to continue the strong play into the second half of the season.

The Bruins have three more games before the Christmas holidays, The Bruins host Yorkton on Tuesday and then visit the Terriers on Saturday. The Bruins will host Melville next Tuesday in a neutral site game in Carlyle.

Plenty of Controversy in Bruins Loss to La Ronge

It was an afternoon filled with controversy at Spectra Place as the Estevan Bruins were defeated by the La Ronge Ice Wolves 6-3.

The Bruins got off to a strong start when Matt Brykaliuk scored for straight the second game to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead early in the first period. By the late stages of the first period the Bruins became frustrated by a lack of penalty calls with the most evident when Darcy DeRoose getting a hook when in front of the Ice Wolves just when it seemed like he was going to extend the Bruins lead. But when the dust settled the Bruins had a 1-0 lead after the first period.

In the second the Bruins were able to extend the lead when the Ice Wolves Dasan Sydora was unable to handle a Tyler Kauk shot which allowed Tanner Froese to pick up the loose rebound to give the Bruins a 2-0. But the goal from Froese seem to wake up the Ice Wolves as they came storming back.21 seconds after Froese's goal, the Ice Wolves Graham Smerek was able to end Curtis Martinu's shutout streak of over 166 minutes as he scored for La Ronge. 1:14 late Brett Hope's point shot got past Martinu and the Ice Wolves tied the game at 2-2. La Ronge grabbed the lead for the first time of the game four minutes when former Bruin Brandon Halbgewachs scored against his old team on a goal that appeared to go off his skate (non kicking motion). After the 40 minutes the Ice Wolves lead 3-2. Bruins Head Coach Keith Cassidy said the Bruins had to be mentally tougher in the second period after scoring the second goal, he noted the Bruins shouldn't have dropped their guard after they extended their lead.

The Bruins thought they tied the game early in the third period when Hudson Morrison's backhand went past Sydora. While the Bruins were celebrating Referee Graig Whitehead didn't see the puck fully cross the line. He confirmed with the goal judge who said the puck didn't go across so it was ruled a no goal. The Bruins would tie the game at the 10:50 mark when Froese scored his second of the night. The score remained tied until a scramble took place in front of Martinu with 4:25. Three Ice Wolves were in on the scramble and it seemed like Martinu was pushed into the net as the Ice Wolves scored with Sebastien Beauregard getting credit. Despite the Bruins protest it was ruled a good goal and the Bruins fell behind late in the game. Brett McNevin would put the game in away with a lazer of shot that went off the post and in as the Ice Wolves lead 5-3. Smerek would add his empty netter to make the final 6-3.

No penalties were called in the game which definitely drew the ire of the Bruins.

Froese ended with a pair of goals and an assist with Cole Olson picking up three assists.

The Bruins will head into pair of games next week with the Yorkton Terriers with the first game on Tuesday night at Spectra Place. The second game will go in Yorkton on Saturday a game that can be heard on CJ1280 and discoverestevan.com beginning at 7:20.

Bruins Head Coach Keith Cassidy and Tanner Froese comment after the game.


Cassidy

 

Froese

Bruins Blank Broncos 3-0

Curtis Martinu extended his shutout streak to 134 minutes as the Estevan Bruins blanked out the Humboldt Broncos 3-0.

The Bruins opened up the scoring for in the first period when the Bruins took advantage of a Broncos turnover and Matt Brykaliuk took Cole Olson's pass and buried a shot top shelf to give the Bruins the early lead. The Broncos would get a 1:54 5 on 3 powerplay late in the first period but were unable to capitalize on the opportunity. Bruins Head Coach Keith Cassidy said after the game that the Bruins did a good job of getting in front of shots during the powerplay along with clearing off the rebounds.

Neither team was able to score in the second period with the best chance going to the Bronco's Logan Sproule. Sproule had a shorthanded breakaway but put his backhand shot of the crossbar. The Broncos had about five or six shots go off the post in the first two periods.

In the third period the Bruins ended their playoff struggles as Cole Olson scored on a loose rebound to extend the Bruins lead to 2-0. The Bruins shut down the Broncos defensively afterwards as they continued to deny the Broncos any rebound opportunities. With 2:43 remaining in the game the Broncos elected to pull their goalie for an extra attacker. But with 23 seconds remaining Waytt Garagan scored on the empty net to make the final 3-0.

Martinu said his teammates played a solid game in front of him especially helping out with the rebounds. He also noted that he got a lot of help from the post.

Cassidy said it's nice to see the Bruins get rewarded for their efforts after the Bruins were unable to capitalize on some solid efforts last weekend up north.

It's a quick turnaround for the Bruins as they host the La Ronge Ice Wolves at 2:00.

Here's Cassidy and Martinu comments after the game.

                                                                 Keith Cassidy

Curtis Martinu

Bruins Take Part in Street Hockey Game

Last night as apart of the Kickoff to the Christmas celebration and Moonlight Madness in Estevan, the Bruins took part in a street hockey game with the kids in Estevan.

The game took part on 4th Street and all of the Bruins were involved with the action. Couldn't tell you what the final score was but it sure sounded like the leading scorers were Tanner Froese and Curtis Martinu.

Bruins are back on the ice at Spectra Place tonight when they host the Humboldt Broncos at 7:30 at Spectra Place.

Daku and Baldwin Victorious in the Virgin Islands

It was a successful trip to the Virgin Islands this weekend for Estevan's Derek Daku and Wade Baldwin as they competed Paradise Fighting Championship's MMA in Paradise 2 card on Sat. Dec.1

Daku won the promotion's Heavyweight title defeating Saul Solivan after he forfeited with an  injury and Baldwin defeated Ken McSweeney by TKO.

I had a chance to speak with both fighters yesterday about their wins and their plans.


Daku

Baldwin

Bruins and Hounds Dec. 4 Highlights

I got to call my first win for the Bruins on the radio airwaves last night when they defeated the Notre Dame Hounds 2-0.

Here's a quick one minute recap featuring Nick Weiss and Taylor Reich goals, a couple of saves by Curtis Martinu and the end of the game.

Martinu Makes 42 Saves as Bruins Blank Hounds 2-0

The Estevan Bruins picked snapped their five game losing streak in impressive fashion as they shut out the Notre Dame Hounds 2-0 in Wilcox.

The Bruins and Hounds played to a scoreless first period before the Bruins opened up the scoring in the second period when Nick Weiss took advantage of the turnover and beat the Hounds Ty Reichenbach on the low blocker side to give the Bruins the lead. The Bruins extended their lead to two later in the second period when Taylor Reich scored on a back hand a couple of seconds after a power play expired to give the Bruins a 2-0 lead after 40 minutes of play.

Curtis Martinu would take control of the game in the third period as he made several highlight reel saves to keep the Hounds out of the net. With 9 minutes remaining in the period, Hudson Morrison was called for a major checking from behind penalty. The Hounds weren't able to capitalize as Martinu and the Bruins blueline shut the door down on the Hounds. Notre Dame was unable to solve Martinu as he was able to hang on for a 42 save shutout.

Calder Neufeld returned to the Bruins lineup after missing nearly the last two months with an ankle injury. While Neufeld didn't figure into the scoring, Neufeld helped the powerplay but creating several quality opportunities.

Bruins next game is Friday when they host the Humboldt Broncos at Spectra Place with an opening faceoff at 7:30.

I had a chance to speak with Martinu after the win

Bruins vs Hounds Preview

Last Meeting

The Bruins were defeated  by the Hounds 4-3 in Wilcox. Nick Weiss opened the scoring for the Bruins in the first. The Hounds responded by scoring a pair of goals in the 2nd period before Cole Olson tied the game. In the third period the Hounds scored a pair of goals to gain the lead. Tyler Paslawski's late goal in the third wasn't enough as the Hounds picked up the win.

Latest News

Bruins- With the team losing their last five games, the Bruins decided to shake things by dealing defenceman Austin Yano for Brett Blatz and acquired 20 year old Alex Cote from the Summerside Capitals of the MHL. The Bruins also released forward Dustin Jesseau.

Hounds- It was a November to remember for the Hounds. They went 11-1-1 in the month of November with their only regulation loss coming on Friday against Weyburn. The Hounds also picked up three wins in overtime in regulation.

Keep An Eye For

Bruins- DeRoose-Morrison-Paslawski. This line had plenty of chances on the weekend for the Bruins and Morrison was the only Bruin to score in La Ronge. This line also provided a strong start for the Bruins and almost scored in the opening minute for the Bruins. The Bruins are looking for a spark after a weekend where they only scored 6 goals in three games.

Hounds- Sam Aulie. Heading into the season the Hounds weren't expected to score a lot of goals but Aulie has been one of the reasons the Hounds have been so successful. Right now Aulie has averaged a point per game with 25 points in 25 games this season.

Special Stats

Bruins

Powerplay 11.4%(10th)
Penalty Kill 84.5% (5th)

Hounds

Powerplay 19.5% (5th)
Penalty Kill 83% (6th)

Bruins Trade Yano To Klippers for Blatz/ Acquire Cote/ Quick Weekend Recap

Since Saturday night I've been either broadcasting a game, riding the bus or catching up on sleep. It's been a busy couple of days for the Bruins, here's a quick recap.

Saturday vs Flin Flon

The Bruins jumped out to a 1-0 when Leighton McLachlan scored to give the Bruins there only lead on the road trip in the first period. That lead would last just over two minutes before the Bombers tied the game at the end of the 1-1. The Bombers would control the third period scoring three times including a pair from Josh Roach to give the Bombers a 4-1 lead. The Bruins came back with Wyatt Garagan and Tanner Froese scoring to cut the game to 4-3 but the Bruins were unable to tie it and the Bombers came back to score a pair of late goals to win it 6-3.

Sunday vs La Ronge

The Bruins playing three games in three days had another strong effort but were defeated by the Ice Wolves. La Ronge scored early to take a 1-0 lead in the first period. In the second period, a bounce off the linesman lead to a 2 on 1 for La Ronge which they took advantage of to make it 2-0, the Ice Wolves scored again in the second to make it 3-0. With 9 seconds remaining, the Bruins got on the scoreboard as Hudson Morrison scored for the Bruins to make the final 4-1.

Trades

Estevan and Kindersley hooked up to provide the biggest deal of the Dec.1 deadline. The Bruins and Klippers exchanged defencemen as the Bruins have sent Austin Yano to Kindersley for Brett Blatz.

In the 2011-2012 season Blatz played 53 games and registered 2 goals, 7 assists and 131 PIM. This season he has played 26 games with the Klippers and has put up 10 points and 36 PIM. He's expected to add a physical presence on the Bruins blue line.

Yano had 1 goal and 3 assists with the Bruins while last season he had 9 goals and 18 assists in his rookie season.

The Bruins also acquired Alex Cote from the Summerside Capitals of the MHL. The 20 year old spent last season with the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL picking up 8 goals and 6 assists in 43 games. This season he had 5 goals and 7 assists in 16 games with the Capitals.

The Bruins also announced that they have released 20 year old forward Dustin Jesseau.

Bruins Open Trip With 3-2 Loss in Melfort

Another solid outing from the CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins goes unrewarded as the Bruins were defeated by the Melfort Mustangs 3-2.

The Bruins had plenty of opportunities to score in the first period as they created several opportunities off of Mustang turnovers but were unable to score on Melfort's Jesse Wilkins. With 11 seconds remaining in the period Brady Goebel snuck one past Curtis Martinu to give the Mustangs a 1-0 lead after one.

Estevan would tie the game in the second period shorthanded as Nick Weiss pass was picked up by Brett Dumaine and he buried it top shelf to tie the game.

Both teams had chances to gain the lead in the third period including the Bruins who hit a pair of posts. The Mustangs would gain the lead as a puck would deflect off of Bruins stick past Martinu. A couple of minutes later after Weiss took a questionable penalty the Mustangs would score on the power play to extend the lead to 3-1. The Bruins would the deficit to 3-2 when Cole Olson scored with 45 seconds left but the Bruins couldn't get the equalizer as Melfort hung on for the 3-2 win.

The Bruins went 0 for 2 on the power play, Martinu made 31 saves in the loss. The Bruins will be back in action tonight when they meet the Flin Flon Bombers, you can catch the game on CJ1280 beginning at 7:20.