WEYBURN, Sask — The Weyburn Red Wings found their offensive stride in a flash on Wednesday night, scoring three goals in less than a minute to spark a 6-2 preseason victory over the rival Estevan Bruins at the Whitecap Resources Centre.
After Estevan opened the scoring with a second-period power-play goal from Gunner Moore, Weyburn responded with a sudden flurry of even-strength offence. Kiran Fedun put the Red Wings on the board at 3:16 left in the middle frame. Callas Pierce and Max Hawitt quickly followed suit with goals with 2:50 and 2:30, respectively, handing Weyburn a 3-1 lead heading into the second intermission.
Weyburn assistant coach Chad Wilchynski credited the outburst to the team overcoming early nerves and beginning to understand their systems.
"We got the one, and then we just brought a lot of excitement, and the guys started rallying together, and it was nice to see," Wilchynski said following the game.
Goaltender Nate Stevens anchored the Red Wings' defensive effort, stopping 28 of the 30 shots he faced to earn the victory. Wilchynski praised the netminder's work ethic and preparation.
"He's the guy, and you know, he's done everything in practice," Wilchynski said. "He's putting in the time. He's doing the extra stuff, and you know, I'm not surprised that he had a good night tonight."
Estevan’s Justin Poudrette cut the deficit to 3-2 at 13:17 of the third period, but Weyburn firmly shut the door in the final minutes of the game. The Red Wings pulled away with late markers from Ethan Boehm, Crue Mohr, and Pierce's second goal of the night. Bruins goaltender Brady Carr took the loss, making 34 saves on 40 shots.
The Highway 39 rivalry remains spirited even in exhibition play, with Wilchynski noting that both teams always draw excitement for the matchup. The two clubs will meet twice more in the preseason as both organizations finalize their regular-season rosters.
"We still have to downsize our rosters, you know, and I believe that both teams are gonna be trying to find the extra pieces that we need," Wilchynski said. "We'll just take it one game at a time."
The Red Wings and Bruins continue their preseasons in Estevan on Friday night.
