Bruins vs. Weyburn weekend preview

Good morning. We are gearing up for what should be two great games between the Bruins and Red Wings this weekend, first tonight in Weyburn and then tomorrow in Estevan.

There seems to be an extra level of hype around these two games after the Bruins made two deals to add a lot of grit to their roster.

On that note, there should be more Bruins news to pass on later today. I'll also get an injury update later. Stay tuned.

Tyler Paslawski isn't a guy who'll drop the gloves often, but he brings a power forward kind of game and will be counted on to win the physical battles that Keith Cassidy has talked about his team not having the fire to win as of late. I'm really looking forward to seeing him in his first game.

Dylan Schellenberg, meanwhile, is an enforcer who will no doubt be looking to make his mark tonight as he gets an early taste of the Estevan-Weyburn rivalry. According to a comment on dropyourgloves.com, he "throws like a jackhammer" and one of his first questions when he arrived here was how many fights are allowed in a season before suspensions kick in.

But these are more than token rivalry games with some new faces. The Wings and Bruins, along with Melville, are in a tight battle for first place in the Sherwood right now. A pair of wins would vault the Bruins past Weyburn and possibly Melville, depending on how their series with Yorkton goes.

Estevan Bruins (16-10, 3rd in Sherwood)

The Bruins have been getting a good deal of secondary scoring lately. The Hengen-Johnstone-Ostertag line has been very good and will be expected to keep chipping in this weekend. And the Reich-Whitehill-Dochylo checking unit has been terrific considering the absence of Josh Jelinski. I can't say how impressed I've been with Reich - he truly is playing like a veteran and he's been easily the best rookie forward this year, not to take anything away from the other guys. Keith's description of him earlier this year as a "utility infielder" was on the money - not so much in terms of talent, but the fact that he's reliable in any role you put him in.

On the back end, Connor Milligan was hoping to return to the lineup this weekend and if he does, that will be a MASSIVE shot in the arm. He's been tremendous since being acquired from Camrose and you can see the Bruins have clearly missed his veteran presence. There's also a new face in Tyler Poskus. Not sure if he'll be in the lineup tonight.

Weyburn Red Wings (17-9-0-1, 1st in Sherwood)

The Wings, I don't have to tell you, are on fire. I'll be the first to admit that I didn't see them contending for first place at any point this season. But between the dominant top line of Jesse Ross, Coltyn Sanderson and Keegan Bruce, and the stalwart goaltending of Mitch Kilgore, they have put together a remarkable stretch of play over the last few weeks. They've also got the likes of Dylan Coupal and reigning SJHL D-man of the week Jens Johnson on the back end, along with the duo of Carter Struthers and Tyler Borstmayer.

Although Weyburn has gotten production out of newcomers Miguel Pereira, Jack Kennelly and Trent Hermary, they do need more secondary scoring if you ask me. They were in on the Paslawski sweepstakes and I wouldn't be surprised if they add a top six forward before Dec. 1.

I'm planning on heading up for the game tonight, so check back for a post-game recap.