Every game is now a must-win for the Power Dodge Estevan Bruins as they are on the ropes in their Best-of-7 semi-final series with the Battlefords North Stars.
Battlefords won 5-2 inside Affinity Place on Monday night, taking a commanding (3-0) series lead and remaining undefeated in all seven postseason contests.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Battlefords has held the lead for the vast majority of the series and that trend continued in Game 3.
Just 34 seconds into action, Layne Young banked a shot off of Nathan Alalouf's skates and into the Bruins' net to open the scoring.
Young would get his second goal of the game less than eight minutes in. While shorthanded, Coby Downs forced a turnover and set up Young for an easy deflection to make it 2-0 for the road team.
Troy Gerein would bury a rebound with 90 seconds left in the period as Battlefords held a 3-0 lead after 20 minutes.
To start the 2nd period, Estevan would make a change in goal as Alalouf would be replaced by Curtis Meger for the remainder of the game as the Bruins' searched for something to give them a boost.
Meger provided just that as the rookie goaltender stopped all 12 shots he faced in the middle frame, holding the fort which allowed the Bruins' to get back in the game.
With 4:21 remaining in the 2nd period, Jason Miller backhanded his playoff-leading 7th goal past Battlefords' netminder Taryn Kotchorek to get Estevan on the board heading into the final period.
The Bruins' would inch closer to start the 3rd period as Matt McNeil picked off a clearing attempt and deked out Kotchorek to make the score 3-2 with McNeil's first goal of the series coming 3:13 into the frame.
Estevan would look for the equalizer throughout the period as the hard-and-fast play would go a little too far with 13 minutes remaining.
Jayden Davis finished a check in the corner, hitting Jared Blacquire from behind. That prompted the North Stars' Reed Delainey to drop his gloves against Davis, but Davis quickly dropped his mitts and fired close to a dozen punches on Delainey in a matter of seconds.
Both players were issued a 5-minute fighting major, with Delainey getting the instigator. However, Davis would also be issued a 5-minute major fpr checking-from-behind.
After two minutes of 4-on-4 play, Battlefords' would head to the powerplay and after Meger did his part to try and keep it a one-goal game, the North Stars would finally get the next goal of the game.
Downs used great vision to fire a backdoor pass onto the tape of Keaton Holinaty who let the puck hit his stick and sneak into the back of the net. The first shot to beat Meger gave the North Stars a 4-2 lead with 8 minutes remaining.
The Bruins' would need to find two goals late to try and force overtime, but instead would give up an empty-net marker to make the final score 5-2.
Battlefords' can advance to the Canalta Cup Finals with a win in Game 4 on Tuesday night in Estevan, while the Bruins' will need to win the four remaining games of the series to do the same.
POSTGAME with CHRIS LEWGOOD:
GAME NOTES
- Nathan Alalouf made 8 saves on 11 shots in the 1st period. Curtis Meger made 23 saves on 24 shots in the 2nd and 3rd period.
- Battlefords' continues to win the special teams' battle, with two powerplay goals and one shorthanded marker in Game 3. The North Stars are 5/20 on the powerplay with 3 shorthanded goals in the series. Estevan is 1/16 on the powerplay.
- Just over 1,000 fans were in attendance for Game 3 at Affinity Place.
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Game 4 is set for Tuesday night at Affinity Place as the Bruins' must win to force Game 5 back in Battlefords.
Puck drop is 7:30 in Estevan.
Thu, Apr 18, 10:00 AM
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