Fresh off snapping an eight-game losing streak Saturday in Yorkton, the Estevan Bruins made it two straight wins Sunday afternoon with a convincing 5-2 victory over the Nipawin Hawks at Affinity Place.
And they did it behind a red-hot sniper and a goaltender who wouldn’t bend when the push came.
Estevan didn’t waste any time grabbing control.
Just 2:30 into the contest, Drew Beasley opened the scoring on the power play, finishing off a setup from Josh Potter and Harvey to give the home side a 1-0 lead.
Beasley wasn’t done. Midway through the frame, he struck again at 8:32, wiring home his seventh of the season off feeds from Olson and Ronn to double the advantage.
Then came the big gun.
With the Bruins back on the man advantage late in the period, Ewan Rennie pounced for his 31st of the season at 15:48, converting a pass from Williams and Andrews to cap off a dominant opening 20 minutes.
Three goals. Two on the power play. A 3-0 lead.
Statement made.
Despite the teams being even at 13-13 in the opening period, Estevan’s execution stood out. The Bruins were sharp, opportunistic and hungry — a team playing with confidence again.
To their credit, the Hawks didn’t fold.
Just 28 seconds into the second period, Braeden Jockims cut into the lead with his 11th of the year, finishing off a rush with helpers from Hoiness and Karakochuk.
Five minutes later, Dinley Radloff buried his 15th of the campaign to suddenly make it a one-goal hockey game at 3-2.
Momentum shift.
Nipawin poured on the pressure in the middle frame, outshooting Estevan 16-9 and drawing multiple power-play chances. But Bruins netminder Nathan Kam stood tall, turning aside everything else that came his way to preserve the slim lead heading into the third.
Special teams played a huge role all night. The Hawks went 0-for-8 on the power play, unable to solve Kam when it mattered most. Meanwhile, Estevan capitalized twice on nine opportunities.
That difference loomed large.
Clinging to a 3-2 lead deep into the third period, the Bruins needed a dagger.
They got it from their hottest player.
With just over four minutes remaining, Rennie struck again, finishing off a crisp passing play from Olson and Ronn at 15:56 to restore a two-goal cushion.
Then, with Nipawin’s goalie on the bench, Rennie completed the hat trick into the empty net at 17:55 — his 33rd goal of the season and fifth in just two games.
Five goals in two nights. That’s how you heat up.
Kam closed the night with 36 saves on 38 shots, earning his 10th win of the season and backstopping a Bruins team that suddenly looks far different than the one that struggled through eight straight losses earlier this month.
