Bruins bounce back after tough loss in SJHL final
REGINA Like the Swift Current Broncos, the Estevan Bruins have demonstrated they can shake off a difficult defeat.
Swift Current established a template in a WHL Eastern Conference semifinal, registering a series-ending 6-0 victory over the host Moose Jaw Warriors on Monday — two days after the Warriors rallied to force a seventh game.
On Saturday, Swift Current carried a 2-0 lead into the third period, only to lose in triple overtime. Undaunted, the Broncos proceeded to register a huge win.
Comparably, the Estevan Bruins responded to Tuesday’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Nipawin Hawks by winning 5-3 at home Wednesday to knot the SJHL’s best-of-seven championship series at 2-2.
Estevan appeared to be on the verge of assuming a 2-1 series lead Tuesday at Affinity Place. The Bruins led 3-1 in the third period before Nipawin scored three consecutive goals, including Kenzie Arnold’s game-winner at 18:58 of overtime.
Nipawin’s Logan Casavant had scored back-to-back goals, the second of which came with four seconds left in regulation time, to force overtime. Arnold took it from there.
The Bruins answered with a home-ice win Wednesday, evoking a comparison to Swift Current.
“There’s a mature group that is very well-coached on that end,” Bruins head coach and general manager Chris Lewgood said of the Swift Current squad. “The maturity and experience and character of that team is a lot like ours. You get guys who are focused every day. It’s a reset. Whether you win or lose, you’ve got to come in the next day ready to play.”
An ability to disregard external noise helped the Bruins turn the page in Game 4.
“We had a lot of people on the outside telling us that (Wednesday’s game) was a must-win,” Lewgood said. “Well, we don’t see it that way, because every night we expect we can win.”
Again, though, the Hawks proved to be a resilient foe.
The Bruins jumped out to a 4-0 lead before the Hawks scored three consecutive goals — the last of which was Josh McDougall’s tally at 15:40 of the third period.
Estevan sealed the deal when Zach Goberis scored an emptynet goal with 1:09 left before 2,662 spectators at Affinity Place.
There is little to choose between the teams in this league final. The series is even after four games, over which Estevan has outscored Nipawin 14-13. Excluding emptynet goals, however, Nipawin is ahead 12-11.
“When you get the two best teams in the league going after it, it’s got to be close,” Lewgood said. “That’s the parity of the SJHL. There’s probably two or three other teams in our league that could be playing in this series.”
When you get the two best teams in the league … it’s got to be close.
Nipawin finished first in the regular-season overall standings with a 43-8-3-4 record, followed by the Battlefords North Stars (42-14-20) and Estevan (34-19-3-2).
“We have a lot of confidence as a team, because the guys have earned it throughout the course of the season,” Lewgood said. “It’s not cockiness, it’s confidence.
“The guys know they’re capable of winning every single night. It’s just a matter of re-setting and doing a good job of understanding what it’s going to take to find a way.”
Game 5 of the SJHL final is slated for Friday at Centennial Arena in Nipawin. The series returns to Estevan for Game 6 on Sunday. If a seventh game is required, it will be played Tuesday in Nipawin. All games start at 7:30 p.m.