The SJHL finals make their way to Estevan tonight for games 3 & 4 of the best-of-seven series. The Bruins and Nipawin Hawks are tied at a game apiece, after two thrilling contests in Nipawin, which were charged with the emotion of being the first games played in the SJHL since the Broncos tragedy on April 6th.

For the Bruins, they came out flying in game 1, picking up a 5-2 win on the strength of two empty-net goals. The Hawks returned the favour in game 2, with a 4-1 victory.

This series is a match-up between the most potent offence in the league against the strongest defence. The Hawks held their opponents to just 131 goals against throughout the regular season, or an average of 2.25. Meanwhile, Estevan scored 239 goals, an average of 4.12 per game. The Hawks, though, are able to score pretty handily as well, with the second most goals scored on the season at 232.

The crowd in Estevan will be another factor in this game. With all of the tickets sold for the match-up, the nearly 2700 in attendance will make up the largest crowd in SJHL history. It will be an atmosphere not many will have experienced. The Hawks are also a little shaky on the road, as they have lost two games when travelling, while the Bruins have lost just one game in the friendly confines of Affinity Place.

The atmosphere will definitely be intense tonight in Estevan for game 3 of this Canalta Cup final, as both teams look for the edge in a series many are predicting could go the distance.