The Weyburn Red Wings lost possession of first place in the Viterra Division Thursday night, as they fell 3-2 to the Kindersley Klippers. They may have lost more than just the game, though, as Carter Phair left the game halfway through the second period after being run by Kindersley forward Nicolas Malenica.

The Klippers came out hard in the opening of the game, at one point, outshooting Weyburn 8-0 in the first period. The pressure to start the game paid off for the home team, as the Klippers would score first. During a power play, Will Van Der Sloot shoveled forward a rebound from Carter Phair, putting the puck into the twine of the Weyburn goal.

Kindersley would extend the lead just 1:56 into the second period, when Malenica would score a power-play goal, the second of the night for Kindersley. The Klippers would finish the game going 2-for-5 with the man advantage.

Just three minutes after scoring, Malenica would run Phair. Referee Adam Bloski didn’t hesitate to raise the arm, and Malenica was given a five minute major for goaltender interference, and a game misconduct.

Arik Weersink came in to replace Phair but was peppered with shots throughout the frame. He was tall to the task, with the exception of one, when Eddie May scored before the halfway mark of the period.

The Red Wings then began to swing the momentum to their favor. They outshot the Klippers in the second and third period, and Jordan Kazymyra began to show why he was the rookie of the week last week.

Kazymyra took a feed from Cade Kowalski before the third period was three minutes old, and slipped it past Kindersley goalie Justen Close to put the Red Wings on the board. Five minutes later, he scored his second of the game, when he picked up the puck off the boards from Landon Walters, skated out front, and scored on Close.

Weyburn then pulled the goaltender for the final moments of the third period but was unable to get a third puck past Close to make it a tie game.

The Red Wings will be back on the ice at the West Central Events Centre in Kindersley Friday night. The game can be heard live on Red Wing Radio, K106. The puck drops at 7:30 p.m.