Connor Burk was the hero in overtime, as the Weyburn Red WIngs beat the Estevan Bruins 4-3 at Affinity Place Saturday night. The win keeps the Red Wings at the .500 mark in their season series with the Bruins, while keeping one point above the Terriers for second in the Viterra Division, and sixth overall in the SJHL.

Prior to the game, it was announced Estevan forward Jake Fletcher will be suspended for one game, after a stick incident in Friday’s game between the two clubs injured Red Wings rookie Cody Chasse. Red Wings head coach Wes Rudy said the safety of players is paramount, and in today’s game, it is up to the governing body of a league to ensure player safety is always of the utmost importance when handing out discipline.

The two teams played a little tentatively in the first period. While there were a number of scoring chances in both directions, the intensity was missing from Friday night’s game. The goaltenders were also strong, Red Wings netminder Carter Phair stopped all 11 of the shots he faced in the first, while Nathan Alalouf stopped the 12 sent in his direction in the period.

A minute and a half into the second period, the Bruins got on the board when Hayden Guilderson got the puck past Phair. The Bruins defended the lead for most of the period, and Alalouf was stellar, despite facing 13 shots. With just 3.5 seconds left in the period, the Red Wings finally got on the board. Jacob Wozney got the puck to Blake Dempsey, whose point shot was on it’s way in past Alalouf, when it tipped in off the stick of Cole Woodliffe.

The third period began with the Bruins taking the lead again, when Kaelan Holt scored in the opening minute. The Wings continued to push for the game tying goal, while at the other end, the Bruins tried to get an insurance marker. Weyburn pushed forward, and with less than five minutes remaining, Jacob Wozney evened things out, with Carson Rose and Cole Woodliffe getting credit for the assists. The Wings would then take the lead just under two minutes later, when Carson Rose let loose a cannonading wrist shot that went in off the post, putting Weyburn out front for the first time in the game.

The lead was short lived, when Matt McNeil scored the equalizer with just under 90 seconds left in the game. Neither team was able to get a go-ahead goal in the dying seconds, forcing the game to go to overtime.
In the three-on-three overtime, the two teams exchanged chances in a high-paced period. Phair and Alalouf made key saves, but Estevan had a great chance with under two minutes left before the end of the period. Ian Parker knocked the puck free, though, and carried it through the neutral zone. He crossed the blue line on the right wing, and put the puck on net, The rebound was kicked out, right onto the stick of Connor Burk, the trailing man, and he was able to throw it in for the win.

Rose’s two points in the night extended his point streak to six games. He has 11 points in the span. Another streak was ended by a Red Wing, as Braden Mellon was a scratch. It is the first time since February 7th, 2015, a span of two years, and 116 regular season games, Mellon has missed a game.

The Wings will now get ready to host the La Ronge Ice Wolves. They will be in Weyburn Saturday evening.