The conversation around the SJHL has often said the race for the top spot in the Viterra Division was going to be between the Weyburn Red Wings and the Melville Millionaires. It’s only fitting that the third meeting of the two teams this season would go to a shootout, in which the Red Wings got the win 2-1.

In the first period, both teams went back and forth a number of times with chances at either end. In one moment that looked much scarier than it turned out to be. The Millionaires were cycling the puck in the offensive zone while on a powerplay when rookie scoring leader Nic Porterfield took a shot. Anthony Chambers went down on one knee to block it and took the shot in the side of the helmet to block the shot. He stayed on the ice and finished the kill and never missed a step.

The Red Wings started to pick up momentum later on in the period and Mathieu Belanger circled the back of the net with the puck towards the left side of goaltender Kaleb McEachern, and he found the stick of Christian Snyder who was wide open in the slot. Instead of using some of the time he had, he tried to hammer home the one timer, but the puck bobbled and fluttered to the net and into the glove of McEachern.

Another chance for the Red Wings saw the Hiltz-Steer-Misskey line streak down the ice on a 3-on-1 where Steer took the puck down the right side and gave it to Hiltz. His wrist shot was caught in the arm of McEachern, and the first ended scoreless.

Each team had a chance on the powerplay in the first, a too many men call on Weyburn and a tripping call on Christian Adlys for Melville, but neither team was able to score.

After 1:

Weyburn 0 – 0 Melville, shots 14-10 Melville.

In the second, things started to open up for the offence more. Anthony Chambers had three hits that were all candidates for the Crunch of the Game in the second, two at centre ice and one in the defensive zone. 

Things started to get chippier, and after both teams were unable to capitalize on their powerplays in the first, Ben Hiltz took a trip in the second 30 seconds in. On the kill, the Wings barely let the Millionaires into the zone, and the penalty was killed easily.

Next, the chippiness started to show when Ryley Little and Jaden Hewes got into each other’s grills a bit and that opened the ice up for 4-on-4 hockey. The Millionaires controlled play for a bit on the play but near the end, Little and Hewes returned, the score unchanged.

Another powerplay would go by for the Wings late in the period, and they had some great looks, but no goals. What is notable about the powerplay is that Jacob Bourchier roughed Liam Rutten, and that made him angry, which becomes important later in the game.

The ice wasn’t broken until the final 3:34 seconds where another 4-on-4 started up after offsetting crosschecks where Daytona Houle and Luke Spadafora sat in the box.

Nolan Steer brought the puck over the blue line, skating to the right of the zone, and sent a drop pass for Ben Hiltz at the line. Hiltz used the space created by Steer to take skate it in tighter and take a shot from the right side of the net. The rebound bounced into the middle for Steer who smacked the rebound at the net and off the pad. It careened to the left of the zone and to Jevon Schwean’s stick. He faked the shot, gave it to Steer in the middle, who hammered it past the blocker for the game’s first goal with 1:51 left in the second.

After 2:

Weyburn 1 – 0 Melville, shots 24-18 Melville

The third period started wild like the second, chances at both ends, but Weyburn started to take control. The angry Liam Rutten got the team going when he held the puck at the red line and sent a pass up ice, but Melville’s Braden Larochelle already had his sights locked in. Instead of avoiding it, Rutten lowered the shoulder and rocked Larochelle to the ice for the biggest hit of the game by far.

The Red Wings did get a powerplay early on, again as Bourchier went to the box for an elbow, and the Wings were ravenous on the powerplay. Shots from every angle, quick on the rebound, but they could not beat Kaleb McEachern again.

The Millionaires were backpedalling, and hard, late in the third period so it was a surprise to everyone in the rink when Nik Sombrowski got his elbow too high and went to the box with just over four minutes left.

Again, the Red Wings penalty kill was perfect. The Millionaires barely got the puck passed the blue line whenever they tried to enter the zone, and when they did, the Red Wings were able to clear it out quickly. That’s why the goal that came was even more surprising.

Nic Porterfield picked the puck up at the blue line and circled from the right towards centre and lobbed one at the net through traffic. Aaron de Kok, who had highlight real save after save in this game and one post to help him out, did not see the puck the entire way and it went passed his shoulder before he even saw it with 49.9 showing on the clock.

After 3:

Weyburn 1 – 1 Melville, shots 35-35

To 3-on-3  overtime we go, and immediately the Red Wings were on the pressure. The man that scored for the Millionaires, Nic Porterfield, decided it would be a good idea to run Liam Rutten into the board behind the play just a minute into the period, and the arm went up.

With that arm still in the air, the Red Wings set up the 4-on-3 powerplay, Connor Karo at the top of the umbrella with Hiltz to the right, Steer to the left, and Jake Misskey parked in front. They took shots from every angle, but couldn’t beat McEachern. Finally the Millionaires touched the puck two minutes after the infraction, and the powerplay officially began.

The Red Wings had two more full minutes of 4-on-3, as well 2:39 left in the overtime, and again they were sensational. Pillar switched out with Steer and put on a show, and at one point Karo slammed on the shot at the net that squeaked through to the goal line. Every one hacked at it, but Bourchier managed to put his stick on the line to sweep it into the glove of McEachern for the tag-team save of the year.

Overtime finished.

After OT:

Weyburn 1 – 1 Melville, shots 45-36 Weyburn

First shootout of the year, round of three. McEachern stood on his head in the five minute overtime, de Kok made a single save. Would McEachern be hot and de Kok cold, or McEachern be tired and de Kok fresh? That question was answered with our first shooter.

Shayde Peterson got the first attempt in the shootout, and the left hander came out wide on the left side. He outwaited McEachern, who followed the puck and gave just a little space on the short side, right where Peterson put it.

First shooter for the Melville Millionaires was rookie sensation Nic Porterfield. His move was almost identical to Peterson’s, same side, same place, same result. 1-1 after the first round.

Ben Hiltz was next for the Red Wings. Hiltz, another lefty, brought the puck down the left side wide, looking for a little speed and space, and he cut almost directly in front of McEachern. His forehand drew the poke check, he put it to his back hand as the poke came out, and snapped the puck into the roof of the net.

Luke Spadafora came on next for the Millionaires. Another left hander, he brought it down the right side, just over the top of the circle. A couple stick handles in front tried to make de Kok move, but he stayed strong in position for the easy save. 2-1 after round two.

Jacob Piller was the first right handed shot of the shootout, and he likewise came down his forehand side to the right with a chance to seal the deal. He tried a quick shot to be McEachern, but the blocker came out for the save.

It all came down to de Kok against Jonathan Krahn, who had been a force all game for Melville. The third lefty on the top line brought the puck wide left with a head of steam. He tried a similar move to Hiltz but with even more speed. de Kok saw it coming the entire way, stopped it with an outstretched pad, and the game was over.

Final score:

Weyburn 2 – 1 Melville (Shootout), shots 45-36 Weyburn.

The game saw positives from every facet of the Red Wings game. Defensively they were sound. Offensively they were relentless.  de Kok was spectacular in net. The powerplay was firing at all cylinders and through every open lane. The penalty kill barely let the puck passed their own blue line.

A great game from both teams that earned them both a point, but the Red Wings get the last laugh. They now wait for next Friday when they take on the Kindersley Klippers at home.