The Weyburn Red Wings took the monkey off their back Wednesday night, as they skated to a 5-4 win over the Bruins in Estevan. They finished the game in dramatic fashion, with the game-winner scored with less than 90 seconds left on the clock in the third period.

With the win, the Red Wings are now five points back of the Bruins for first in the Viterra Division, with five games left to play. The Red Wings are also one point back of the Notre Dame Hounds for sixth in the league standings and three points up on Kindersley.

The Bruins were the first to get on the board when they scored at the 4:44 mark. The goal by T.J. Irey came despite a flurry of momentum from the Red Wings, who dominated the early part of the game. Weyburn was quick to respond though.

Kaelan Holt from the Bruins took a minor for tripping at the halfway mark of the period, and one of the best power play units in the SJHL made them play. Ben Hiltz notched his 25th of the season with the man advantage, with Mike Eskra and Tyran Brown earning the assists.

The assist was one of four for Eskra, who was playing his last regular season game in Estevan. A four-year veteran, he was happy his squad picked up the win at Affinity Place.

“Anytime we play against Estevan and come away with two points, it's a good feeling,” Eskra said after the game. “It’s the first time this year, and we’re looking forward to a couple more.”

The Bruins would restore their lead just four minutes later. Bruins forward Hayden Guilderson let a shot go from the point, which got past Wings netminder Arik Weersink, putting the home team up 2-1.

Exactly 60 seconds later, the Wings tied the game up, as they took over the play of the rest of the period. Jordan Kazymyra took a feed from Jessie Young, and pulled Bo Didur out of position with a dangle on the goalie’s stick side, then lifted a backhand into the net. Jevon Schwean had the other assist.

With just 10.7 seconds remaining in the period, Weyburn took their first lead of the game. Again on the power play, Ty Brown beat Didur up close, with Eskra picking up his second assist of the game.

In the second period, there was just one goal, and it came from the Red Wings. Dryden Wust tipped in a point shot from Eskra past Didur. Young drew the second assist of the match-up.

Red Wings forward Ben Hiltz dropped the gloves with Estevan defenseman Jake Heerspink. (photo courtesy Kristin Grassing)In the second period, though, the Red Wings lost the services of Ben Hiltz for the remainder of the game. After a tie-up along the boards, Hiltz dropped the gloves with Bruins defenseman Jake Heerspink. The spirited tilt saw Heerspink record the takedown, but he left the ice needing to have a cut by his left eye looked at after he was rocked with a series of hard right hands from Hiltz. Both received a five minute major and a game misconduct, with Heerspink getting an additional two minutes for roughing.

The Bruins would pull within one early in the third period. Holt made up for being the man in the box for the Red Wings first goal, with one of his own just 1:42 into the period. Guilderson would then score just past the halfway mark, tying the game up at 4.

Weyburn pressured, and it paid off in the dying moments. With 1:28 showing on the clock, Sean Olson had a rebound end up on his stick with a wide-open goal after a point shot from Kazymyra. Olson made no mistake, and rifled it in, giving the Wings a 5-4 lead. Eskra recorded the assist on the goal as well.

“It was a good effort tonight,” said Red Wings head coach Wes Rudy after the game. “Glad to see the boys put in mostly a sixty-minute effort.”

With a number of changes in the lineup due to some injuries, the Red Wings are hoping they can have some players returning for Friday’s rematch at Crescent Point Place. To help fill the holes, the Wings called up defenseman Carson Robertson from the Midget AAA Battlefords Stars for the game.

Friday’s game starts at 7:30 p.m. at Crescent Point Place. You can catch all the action on Red Wing Radio, K106, starting with the pregame show at 7:20 p.m.