The Eagle Sky Estevan Bruins return to action at Affinity Place Friday, as the team hosts the Humboldt Broncos for the first of back-to-back games this weekend, ahead of the Christmas break.
A Look at the Numbers
The Bruins enter play fourth in the Viterra Division and 10th overall in the SJHL standings with a 10-12-4 record through 26 games. Coming off a weekend split versus Melville, the B’s sit just four-points back of La Ronge, Kindersley and Humboldt who occupy seventh-through-ninth in the league standings tied with 29 points apiece, while holding four games in-hand on the former two and two games in-hand on the Broncos.
Humboldt enters the weekend third in the Nutrien Division and ninth overall with a 14-14-1 record through 29 games. Hungry to snap a three-game skid and bounce back from a 7-3 loss in Weyburn a night ago, the Broncos still hold a single game in-hand on seventh-place La Ronge and eighth-place Kindersley, with whom they’re tied in points.
Players to WatchÂ
The Broncos’ offense is led by the duo of Jacob Strizzi and Boris Kofman, who sit 1-2 in team scoring. Strizzi, who plays a power game at 6’2, 195 pounds, sits top-five in league scoring with 33 points (15 goals, 18 assists) in 25 games. Kofman is among the league’s premier set-up men and cerebral offensive talents, and has 29 points (seven goals, 22 assists) in 29 games.
Estevan counters with a dynamic duo of their own, in Kent Moors and Ewan Rennie. Moors, a savvy puck-handler and two-way force often plays head-to-head against the opponent’s best, while leading the Bruins in goals (10) and points per-game (0.95) with 21 points in 22 games. Rennie, a shifty and creative playmaker, leads the team with 16 assists and 22 points in 26 games, while having scored three goals of his own in his last three games.
Special Teams
Power Play: EST 18.6% (8th) | HUM: 19.5% (5th)
Penalty Kill: EST 77.8% (11th) | HUM: 82.2% (3rd)
Goaltending
Recently-acquired 19-year-old goaltender, Zach Shaughnessy will make his Bruins’ debut Friday, after being acquired by the team last weekend. At 6’2, 174 pounds, Shaughnessy is a tall, athletic goaltender who came over from the Delta Ice Hawks of BC’s Pacific Junior Hockey League, where he backstopped the team to a PIJHL championship in 2023.
Read more about Shaughnessy here.
“With Zach, we just wanted to make sure he gets comfortable with his surroundings and let him see a lot of pucks in practice and adjust to the speed a little bit,” Bruins’ head coach and general manager, Jason Tatarnic said Friday. “He’ll get the start tonight.”
Humboldt is likely to give the nod to Edouard Gauthier between the pipes, who has started each of the Broncos’ last four games. In 18 starts this season, Gauthier is 9-7-0 with a 3.11 goals against average and .911 save percentage.
Broadcast information
Friday’s game will be available on FloHockey and for free online at the Bruins’ Official YouTube Livestream. The Room By Room Furniture Pregame Show will begin at 6:45 p.m. with puck drop to follow at 7 p.m.
For tickets to Friday night’s game, click here.
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Marty Martinson, Bruins’ PxP & Marketing Director
On X: @MartyMartyPxP1
