The Richardson Pioneer Weyburn Red Wings will be looking to bounce back after a rough couple of weeks when they host the Nipawin Hawks at Crescent Point Place on Friday night. The Wings have been winless in their past five games, picking up just two points over that stretch in a pair of shootout losses.  

The Wings, however, still hold on to first place in the Viterra Division with a record of 4-3-0-3 and eleven points, one point ahead of the Melville Millionaires, and tied with Nipawin for 4th overall in the league.  

The Hawks have also proven to be strong opponents away from the Centennial Arena in Nipawin, going 2-0-0-1 in their three road games so far this season. Weyburn, meanwhile, has picked up points in all their home games this year except one, a 4-2 loss to the Notre Dame Hounds Wednesday night.  

Offensively the Red Wings are led by a pair of returning players – Elijah Anderson and Max Monette. Anderson has picked up 10 points so far this season, including seven assists, while Monette has eight points. Leading the way in goal has been Jerome Maharaj, who has four so far in the campaign. 

The Red Wings will also be welcoming a familiar face back into the lineup when they take the ice. Lucas Jeffreys, who was one of the league’s leaders in +/- last season, will be suiting up after being re-acquired in a deal with the Amarillo Wranglers of the NAHL.  

In goal, the Red Wings are expected to turn to veteran Dazza Mitchell, who, with the exception of a game against Humboldt earlier this month, has been outstanding. He is coming into the game with a GAA of 2.16 and a save percentage of .938, both of which are among the best in the league. His numbers are also the best for goaltenders with seven or more games played this season.  

Success in hockey often comes down to special teams, and that is one place the Red Wings have had both success and struggles so far this season. They have allowed just two power-play goals at home this year, killing off 92.3 percent of their penalties. On the power play, they have managed to score five power-play goals in 28 opportunities at home, but overall are just 16 percent on the season.  

The puck drops for this key matchup between the two teams vying for 4th overall in the league at 7:00 p.m. at Crescent Point Place.  

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