Entering the final week of the SJHL regular season, every game is pivotal and every point is huge for the Eagle Sky Estevan Bruins, as the team looks to punch their ticket to the post-season, currently occupying the eighth and final playoff spot, heading into their Wednesday night matchup in Melfort.
The Bruins enter Wednesday’s game with a 25-23-5 record through 53 games. With 55 points, the B’s hold a two-point lead on ninth-place Kindersley and three-point edge on 10th-place Humboldt, both desperately trying to claw their way into the playoff picture over the next four days.
The Bruins will be looking to snap a two-game skid and get back on the winning track, after picking up a valuable single point in their 3-2 OT loss in Melville Saturday.
The Mustangs enter play 29-21-4 through 54 games, and sit sixth overall in the league standings heading into their final two. It wasn’t long ago Melfort was on the outside looking in, before rattling off 13 of their last 14 games (13-1-0) dating back to Feb. 6.
Players to Watch
Bruins’ winger, Rylan Williams enters the night red-hot, on a four-game multi-point streak with eight points total (2G, 6A) over his last four games. Currently tied for fourth in league scoring with 66 points (25G, 41A) in 51 games, Williams sits just three back of Yorton’s Jye Zawatsky for third (69 points) heading into the final three games.
Ewan Rennie, who leads the Bruins with 75 points (35G, 40A) leads the SJHL in goals and sits just two points back of Yorkton’s Gabriel Courchesne for the league-lead in points (77) with three games to go. Rennie’s also been red-hot of late with three multi-point games in his last four (7P in last 4GP) and seven goals in his last eight games.
Melfort blue liner and recent Carleton University (U SPORTS) commit, Bo Eisner leads the Mustangs with 43 points (13G, 30A) in 52 games, while being a 6’2, 193-pound tower of strength on the backend. Eisner has been a driving force for Melfort over their recent run especially, having racked up 17 points (5G, 12A) in 14 games since Melfort’s hot streak began, Feb. 6.
Joining Eisner on the Mustangs’ top defensive pairing is Danton Cox, who sits second in team scoring with 41 points (9G, 32A) on the year. A swift skater and versatile asset who has played both forward and defence, his shift to the top-pairing with Eisner happened Feb 6, and has played a massive role in the team’s turnaround. Since that time, Cox has 19 points (2G, 17A) over his last 14 games (nearly half of his total point production this season).
Special Teams
PP: EST 20.9% (4th) | MLF: 15.7% (9th)
PK: EST: 80.9% (9th) | MLF: 81.5 (8th)
Goaltending
Perhaps the best matchup of the night will come in an elite rookie showdown between the pipes, as the Bruins’ Nathan Kam and Mustangs’ Kason Kobelka are expected to get the start for their respective teams.
Kam is 12-6-1 in 20 games this season, with a 3.07 goals against average and .918 save percentage (5th in SJHL). Kobelka is 18-9-3 in 31 games, with a 2.37 goals against average (2nd) and .914 save percentage (8th). Both are 6-foot-2 athletic goaltenders in their 18-year-old seasons.
Broadcast Info
Wednesday’s game will be available on FloHockey and for free on the Estevan Bruins 2.0 YouTube Livestream. Pregame will begin at 7:15 p.m. with puck drop to follow at 7:30 p.m.
CLICK HERE TO TUNE IN TO THE BRUINS 2.0 YOUTUBE LIVESTREAM
—
Marty Martinson/Bruins PxP & Marketing Director
On X: @MartyMartyPxP1
