A furious third period comeback by the Red Wings capped off a fantastic night of hockey to kick off the 2018-19 season. The hometown Red Wings knocked off the visting Yorkton Terriers by a score of 6–4.

Ben Hiltz scored the game-winner with just over two minutes reamaining for his second of the game. Jordan Kazymyra had a hat-trick and Cade Kowalski scored a thing of beauty to help give the Red Wings their first two points of the year. In goal Riley Lamb saw more rubber than the Trans-Canada Highway on a long weekend, making 44 saves in the win.

Early on it seemed the Terriers would run away with it. The Red Wings might have been overcome by some nerves and were caught on their heels for much of the first period. 

Just past the midway point of the opening period Yorkton would get on the board first. Greg Mulhall ripped a shot past Lamb for his first of the season. With 3:40 to go in the first, Jordan Kazymyra would even things up at one apiece after a goal mouth scramble. He eventually poked it in for the first WIngs goal of the year. 

Before the end of the opening frame, the big guns for Yorkton would strike as Colby Brandt slid a puck past Lamb with Jared Legien and Cole Keenleyside drawing the assists. The Terriers outshot Weyburn 20–8 in the first 20 minutes and carried a 2–1 lead into the intermission.

It was more of the same in middle frame, with Yorkon jumping on the Wings again early in the period. A powerplay redirection in front by Branden Klatt restored the two goal lead, with Legien again picking up a helper.

Late in the second the Red Wings would finally wake up. A great shift by the Khale Skinner, Quade Froese and Bryce Krauter line hemmed the Terriers in deep and eventually led to a Ben Hiltz goal. His second point of the night came with 1:11 to go in the period and cut the lead to 3–2 after two periods of play.

Things would get wild in the third period as the teams combined for five goals and 26 shots.  Kazymyra potted his second of the night on a perfect shot after the set up by Sean Olson. That would be a powerplay goal with 11:29 to go in the hockey game.

Cody Bruchkowski would grab the lead back for the Terriers with seven minutes reamining, with Legien picking up his third assist of the game. However, just 33 seconds after that Kowalski scored a ridiculous back-handed goal from a near impossibe angle. He ripped it short side over the shoulder of Ben Laidlaw and sent his water bottle flying three feet in the air. Rightfully so, sending the crowd of 902 into a frenzy. 

Then with just 2:16 to go Hiltz would put the Wings ahead for good when he found a way to sneak an in tight shot past Laidlaw. His fourth point of the night would earn him 1st Star of the Game honours. Then it was Kazymyra completing the hat-trick just 49 seconds later after some great work and an even better pass by Olson. Kazymyra finished off the two-on-one and put the game out of reach. 

If the first game is any indication, it's going to be one heck of a season this year. The Red WIngs will hit the ice next on Wednesday night when the Melville Millionaires are in town.