The Estevan Bruins took both games at home against the Kindersley Klippers in their series, then showed they could do it on the road as well on March 20. The Bruins rolled through the third period, scoring three times en route to a 5-0 win and a 3-0 lead in the series.

HIGHLIGHTS

Hayden Guilderson scored twice and Kaelan Holt added three assists as the line of Holt, Guilderson and Jake Fletcher came alive, combining for eight points in the win. Tanner Manz and Arthur Miller also scored, with Jake Heerspink adding three assists. Bo Didur made 28 saves for the shutout.

Fletcher struck on the power play in the first period, taking a perfect pass from Holt, who moved the puck from below the goal line on the left side of the zone, to the right circle, where Fletcher hammered a one-timer past Justen Close to open the scoring.

Holt added his second power play assist of the period at 12:19. With the puck again below the goal line to Close’s right, Holt threw it out front, trying to bounce it off someone in the sea of bodies. As it happened, it was Guilderson’s body he hit, giving him his first goal of the postseason.

The game started chippy and stayed that way, but no more power play goals, or indeed any goals, came in the second period as the two goalies stood tall. Finally, at the tail end of another power play in the third, Tanner Manz redirected a point shot from Jake Heerspink past Close.

The Bruins got just one even-strength goal on the night, and it was a blistering wrister from Miller. As two Klippers collided trying to escape a fore-checking Michael McChesney, Miller walked in on a 2-on-0 with him. Using McChesney as a decoy, Miller ripped a shot bar-down to give the Bruins some insurance and end Close’s evening.

Zach Johnson came in to replace Close, but hadn’t much luck of his own as Holt bounced another puck in off Guilderson at 13:08 of the third period to round out the scoring and put the Bruins in the driver’s seat in the series.

Estevan and Kindersley will do battle in a possibly decisive game four on March 21 in Kindersley. That starts at 7:30 with the broadcast on Rock 106.

GAME NOTES

Michael McChesney added an assist to continue his playoff point streak. He now shares the team lead in points in the playoffs with Zach Goberis at five points in three games.

Bo Didur pitched his first shutout since December 8 against Yorkton. He was recently named the runner-up for SJHL goalie of the week and has put up a 1.00 GAA and a .961 save percentage in three playoff games.

The two teams combined for 48 minutes worth of minor penalties in the contest. Estevan went 3-8 on the power play while killing off all four Klippers power plays.

Estevan and Battlefords are now the only two unbeaten teams in the SJHL playoffs. Battlefords has a stranglehold on their series against Weyburn, while Nipawin lost 3-2 to Flin Flon to leave their series at 2-1.