Luke Hogan stayed red-hot with another pair of goals, and Kaelen Whittingham added a goal and an assist in his 100th career SJHL game, to lead the Bruins to a 5-3 win over Melville Friday night at Affinity Place.
Whittingham opened the scoring late in the first, cashing in for the first of three power play goals by the Bruins, to make it 1-0. Hogan’s first of the night then followed to make it 2-0 on another man-advantage strike, giving the team an insurance marker heading into the first intermission.
Hogan’s second of the game (and ninth in his last nine) came midway through the second to stretch the advantage to 3-0, a lead the B’s would take to the final two minutes of the middle frame.
However, Melville would make things interesting late, answering back with a pair of goals in the final two minutes of the second. First, SJHL scoring leader Caden Drury wired home a power play goal, followed by a strike from Simon Parini with just 4.8 seconds to go in the frame to make it a 3-2 game heading into the third.
Millionaire’s blue liner, Liam Rodman continued the visitor’s push, actually tying the game 3-3 early in the third period on another Melville power play strike, though Estevan proved persistent to overcome adversity.
Bruins’ rookie Reed Gramlich turned the tide of momentum back in the home side’s favour notching his second of the season on a blazing rush up-ice to fire home the eventual game winner.
Captain, Cade Kennedy then iced the contest with an empty netter to make it 5-3, which would serve as the final on the night.
Between the pipes, Kyle Kelsey stopped 16/19 to backstop the team to the win, headlined by a tremendous glove save on a shorthanded breakaway by Mill’s speedster Gaborik Carlson in the first period.
With the win, the Bruins improve to 5-6-2 through 13 games. The team will return to play Saturday night when they reignite their Highway 39 Rivalry with the Weyburn Red Wings for the first time this season, in Weyburn.
Saturday’s game will be available on FloHockey and for free on the Official Bruins’ YouTube Livestream. The Room By Room Pregame Show will begin at 6:45 p.m. with puck drop to follow at 7 p.m.
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Marty Martinson/Estevan Bruins PxP & Marketing Director
On X: @MartyMartyPxP1
