Almost 1,500 people packed Spectra Place tonight to see one of the SJHL's best rivalries renewed.
And they got a terrific hockey game.
And then it got ruined.
Let's just say Sheldon Dean is not a popular man in Estevan right now.
After an excellent first two periods that was full of big hits and intensity, Dean became the story in the third period, calling six penalties on the Bruins compared to one for the Wings.
But it wasn't the margin that had people upset. It was some of the calls themselves.
Most notably, with the Wings already on the power play thanks to what looked like a phantom kneeing call on Tyler Kauk, Thomas Carleton delivered a hit to the head of new Bruins defenceman Tyler Poskus. When Dominic Perrault came over to exchange pleasantries, he was called for roughing and the hit itself was not called.
Poskus has a concussion and, according to Keith Cassidy, didn't remember he'd been traded to the Bruins after the game.
There was also the roughing call on Steven Glass after he got bowled over and the phantom cross-checking call on Calder Neufeld that led to the Wings' second goal.
It's too bad because it really was a great game. Both teams brought everything they had and the Bruins responded well to the loss last night.
Weyburn was probably the slightly better team for most of the first period, but the Bruins rattled off two goals 44 seconds apart late in the period to take a 2-0 lead after one.
At 18:49, Cole Olson hit Dylan Smith with a perfect pass for a backdoor goal. On the next shift, Michael Hengen's attempted saucer pass from deep on the left wall deflected off Ben Johnstone's stick and past Brett Teskey.
The Wings got back in it with five minutes left in the second on a goal by Sam Williams. Carleton - who did actually have a heck of a game for the second straight night - was in on the goal.
Weyburn tied it 11 minutes into the third when Coltyn Sanderson fired the puck out front from the corner and it hit something - apparently Keegan Bruce, since he was credited with the goal - and went in the net.
Three and a half minutes later, with the Bruins killing a lengthy 5-on-3 (their second of the period) thanks to the Perrault retaliation call, Sanderson deflected a point shot past Glass for the eventual game-winner.
The loss is a costly one for the Bruins, who now sit seven points behind the Wings (and one behind Melville, who lost back-to-back to Yorkton). And don't look now, but the Terriers are one point back with a game in hand.
Here are post-game interviews with Keith Cassidy and Steven Glass. In his short time here, I have never seen Keith lose his cool and tonight it looked like his head was about to explode. He walked the tightrope but came out with some strong words.
Keith Cassidy Nov. 26 by lewis94
Here's Glass - the "Sheldon Dean first star" comment is Dylan Smith
Steven Glass Nov. 26 by lewis94
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Friday, November 25, 2011
Wings take first leg of home-and-home
The Weyburn Red Wings came to play tonight and it just wasn't the Bruins' night.
Although the effort was there, and the Bruins did a good job of finishing their checks, they struggled in a lot of aspects of the game and an entertaining third-period comeback wasn't enough to avoid a 4-2 loss.
It was a night where the Bruins had an awful time trying to move the puck in all areas of the ice, whether it was breaking out of their zone or on the power play. They just seemed to be out of sync. There were a lot of mistakes made.
Give them credit for coming out strong in the third period though. A crisp pass by Ryan Ostertag to Michael Hengen (one of the only ones all night) resulted in Hengen's shot being bobbled by Mitch Kilgore, popping out of his glove and being knocked in by Ostertag.
But the Wings replied on a Thomas Carleton goal just 39 seconds later to retain their three-goal lead. But that didn't faze the Bruins, and they got another goal from Dylan Smith on a feed from Taylor Reich in the goalmouth.
Speaking of which, Reich spent a good chunk of the game with Smith and Olson, with Neufeld alongside Paslawski and Johnstone/Froese. Keith said that's the way it will stay for at least a while as they try to get two consistent scoring lines going.
Paslawski was a physical presence out there and had some chances, although like Keith said in the interview below, he could have used his shot more.
Dylan Schellenberg did all the little things right in his debut. There were no scraps, but he made his presence felt and was effective.
One of the highlights of the game was a big hip check by Austin Yano in the second period. I had to look twice to make sure it wasn't Kauk. Looks like he's picked something up from his D partner.
Here's the game summary:
http://www.estevanmercury.ca/article/20111126/ESTMERCURY0204/111129846/-1/estmercury/bruins-fall-4-2-in-weyburn
Both teams will meet at Spectra Place tomorrow to do it all over again.
Post-game with Keith:
Keith Cassidy Nov. 25 by lewis94
Although the effort was there, and the Bruins did a good job of finishing their checks, they struggled in a lot of aspects of the game and an entertaining third-period comeback wasn't enough to avoid a 4-2 loss.
It was a night where the Bruins had an awful time trying to move the puck in all areas of the ice, whether it was breaking out of their zone or on the power play. They just seemed to be out of sync. There were a lot of mistakes made.
Give them credit for coming out strong in the third period though. A crisp pass by Ryan Ostertag to Michael Hengen (one of the only ones all night) resulted in Hengen's shot being bobbled by Mitch Kilgore, popping out of his glove and being knocked in by Ostertag.
But the Wings replied on a Thomas Carleton goal just 39 seconds later to retain their three-goal lead. But that didn't faze the Bruins, and they got another goal from Dylan Smith on a feed from Taylor Reich in the goalmouth.
Speaking of which, Reich spent a good chunk of the game with Smith and Olson, with Neufeld alongside Paslawski and Johnstone/Froese. Keith said that's the way it will stay for at least a while as they try to get two consistent scoring lines going.
Paslawski was a physical presence out there and had some chances, although like Keith said in the interview below, he could have used his shot more.
Dylan Schellenberg did all the little things right in his debut. There were no scraps, but he made his presence felt and was effective.
One of the highlights of the game was a big hip check by Austin Yano in the second period. I had to look twice to make sure it wasn't Kauk. Looks like he's picked something up from his D partner.
Here's the game summary:
http://www.estevanmercury.ca/article/20111126/ESTMERCURY0204/111129846/-1/estmercury/bruins-fall-4-2-in-weyburn
Both teams will meet at Spectra Place tomorrow to do it all over again.
Post-game with Keith:
Keith Cassidy Nov. 25 by lewis94
Stone traded to Klippers
The Bruins are once again down to two goalies after dealing Brandon Stone to the Kindersley Klippers today.
The 18-year-old got into six games with the Bruins after being re-assigned from Moose Jaw in October. He had a 4-1 record with a 3.46 GAA and .892 save percentage.
On the injury front, no players will return to the lineup tonight but Keith Cassidy did confirm that Tyler Paslawski and Dylan Schellenberg will both make their Bruin debuts.
The 18-year-old got into six games with the Bruins after being re-assigned from Moose Jaw in October. He had a 4-1 record with a 3.46 GAA and .892 save percentage.
On the injury front, no players will return to the lineup tonight but Keith Cassidy did confirm that Tyler Paslawski and Dylan Schellenberg will both make their Bruin debuts.
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.
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.
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.
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) |
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) |
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.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Bruins make deal with Drumheller
Schellenberg is in his third season with the Dragons already and should add some grit up front.
The move gives the Bruins 13 healthy forwards, 15 when Jelinski and Baldwin return.
Stats:
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Another trade coming
The Bruins have another trade coming down the pipe involving a forward from out of province.
Should be done either tonight or tomorrow, so check back for the details.
Should be done either tonight or tomorrow, so check back for the details.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Tyler Paslawski on joining Bruins
I caught up with new Bruin Tyler Paslawski this afternoon. Here's what he had to say about coming to Estevan.
Reaction to the trade?
I was pretty surprised. I didn’t quite know where I was going to go, but it worked out pretty good. Estevan is a good place and their coach sounds like a good guy. I played with a couple of them in midget (Calder Neufeld and Ryan Ostertag).
On why he requested a trade from the Hawks:
I wasn’t happy with (Doug Johnson's) coaching. I wasn’t getting as much ice time as I’d like to have. I felt like I was being underplayed.
Happy that it's Estevan?
(Spectra Place) is a great facility. I’m pretty excited. (Also has family in Weyburn.)
On what he can bring to the Bruins:
I’m a physical guy, pretty good shot, looking to create a lot of offence, create room for my players. I expect to get a lot done, put up some numbers and hopefully win a championship. That’s the goal.
On Tyler Poskus:
He’s a really smart guy. Once he gets a little older and gets more experience in the league ... (going from) midget AA to the SJ is a pretty big step. He moves the puck really well, hard passer, so he’s a good guy.
Reaction to the trade?
I was pretty surprised. I didn’t quite know where I was going to go, but it worked out pretty good. Estevan is a good place and their coach sounds like a good guy. I played with a couple of them in midget (Calder Neufeld and Ryan Ostertag).
On why he requested a trade from the Hawks:
I wasn’t happy with (Doug Johnson's) coaching. I wasn’t getting as much ice time as I’d like to have. I felt like I was being underplayed.
Happy that it's Estevan?
(Spectra Place) is a great facility. I’m pretty excited. (Also has family in Weyburn.)
On what he can bring to the Bruins:
I’m a physical guy, pretty good shot, looking to create a lot of offence, create room for my players. I expect to get a lot done, put up some numbers and hopefully win a championship. That’s the goal.
On Tyler Poskus:
He’s a really smart guy. Once he gets a little older and gets more experience in the league ... (going from) midget AA to the SJ is a pretty big step. He moves the puck really well, hard passer, so he’s a good guy.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Bruins acquire Tyler Paslawski (UPDATED with Cassidy audio)
The Bruins have shaken things up a little with a five-player trade with the Nipawin Hawks today.
Joining the Bruins are 19-year-old right winger Tyler Paslawski and 18-year-old defenceman Tyler Poskus.
Heading to Nipawin are 18-year-old centre Jesse Bernard as well as prospect forwards Garrett Lockeridge and Brendan Hopkins, both '94 players.
Paslawski's size appeals to the Bruins and they hope he can fill a power forward role. He will start on a line with Derek Whitehill and Taylor Reich.
If you read the SJHL Preview released by the Mercury this year, I pegged Paslawski as one of 10 breakout players in the SJHL and I still believe he'll have a big year.
Paslawski's stats:
I don't know as much about Poskus, but he's a rookie defenceman who's gotten into 12 games with the Hawks. Keith Cassidy said he's heard him described as a guy who would run through a wall to make a play.
The main player going the other way is Jesse Bernard. There was a lot of hype when he signed with the Bruins because he led the Manitoba AAA league in scoring last year. However, he's struggled in the early going with the Bruins, with no points through 20 games. I've seen some improvement in his game (in fact, Keith and I discussed him in our post-game interview which you can listen to in the post below this) but he has a long way to go.
Lockeridge is a '94 forward playing for the Regina Pat Canadians. His stats:
Hopkins is a '94 forward with the Saskatoon Blazers. He was at a WHL camp this year and really looked good in the Bruins' camp. Probably could have played here this year. His stats:
At the end of the day, the Bruins felt they could make this deal because of a very strong group of '93 forwards that has represented itself well, and several other '94 players who could easily come in next year and contribute.
UPDATE: Here's what Keith Cassidy had to say about the trade.
Keith Cassidy re: Tyler Paslawski trade by lewis94
Joining the Bruins are 19-year-old right winger Tyler Paslawski and 18-year-old defenceman Tyler Poskus.
Heading to Nipawin are 18-year-old centre Jesse Bernard as well as prospect forwards Garrett Lockeridge and Brendan Hopkins, both '94 players.
Paslawski's size appeals to the Bruins and they hope he can fill a power forward role. He will start on a line with Derek Whitehill and Taylor Reich.
If you read the SJHL Preview released by the Mercury this year, I pegged Paslawski as one of 10 breakout players in the SJHL and I still believe he'll have a big year.
Paslawski's stats:
I don't know as much about Poskus, but he's a rookie defenceman who's gotten into 12 games with the Hawks. Keith Cassidy said he's heard him described as a guy who would run through a wall to make a play.
The main player going the other way is Jesse Bernard. There was a lot of hype when he signed with the Bruins because he led the Manitoba AAA league in scoring last year. However, he's struggled in the early going with the Bruins, with no points through 20 games. I've seen some improvement in his game (in fact, Keith and I discussed him in our post-game interview which you can listen to in the post below this) but he has a long way to go.
Lockeridge is a '94 forward playing for the Regina Pat Canadians. His stats:
Hopkins is a '94 forward with the Saskatoon Blazers. He was at a WHL camp this year and really looked good in the Bruins' camp. Probably could have played here this year. His stats:
At the end of the day, the Bruins felt they could make this deal because of a very strong group of '93 forwards that has represented itself well, and several other '94 players who could easily come in next year and contribute.
UPDATE: Here's what Keith Cassidy had to say about the trade.
Keith Cassidy re: Tyler Paslawski trade by lewis94
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