WEYBURN - The Estevan Bruins wrapped up the regular season on Saturday night with a 5-4 win over the Weyburn Red Wings.
Estevan controlled Saturday night's game, outshooting Weyburn 41-17, including an 18-4 edge in the third period, but didn't get the game-winning goal until late in regulation, when Ilia Chmelevski scored with less than five minutes to play.
Estevan jumped out to a quick 2-0 edge on goals by Felix Allard and Cade Kennedy in the opening 10 minutes of the game. Weyburn fought back to tie when Jerome Maharaj and Jaxson Ruthven scored with less than five minutes to play in the first; Ruthven's goal was with 36 seconds to play. Lucas Schmid scored in the opening minute of the second to put Weyburn ahead.
Owen Barrow and Dillon Jackson scored 26 seconds apart to put the Bruins ahead midway through the second, but Ruthven's second of the game tied the game again at fours. It was the final goal until Chmelevski's winner.
Jackson Miller had 13 saves for Estevan, while Angelo Zol made 36 saves for Weyburn.
The win was the Bruins' first over the Red Wings in six meetings this season. Estevan now holds a win over every team in the SJHL in the 2023-24 campaign.
The night before, Weyburn blanked the Bruins 4-0. Weyburn had all of the offence they needed in the first eight minutes of the game, as Sam Callahan and Nicholas Kovacs scored 2:40 apart to give Weyburn a 2-0 advantage. Braigh LeGrandeur's goal 2:10 into the second extended the lead.
Estevan had a couple of quality scoring chances midway through the second period, and hit the post on a power play late in the frame.
It remained a 3-0 game until Max Monette scored into an empty net with 4 1/2 minutes to play in the third.
Miller had 31 saves for Estevan, while Dazza Mitchell stopped all 33 shots he faced for Weyburn.
The Red Wings outscored the Bruins 18-7 in three games at Affinity Place this season.
The Bruins finished the regular season with a 26-26-2-2 record and 56 points, leaving them in seventh place overall. They will finish face the Melfort Mustangs, who finished second in the league with a 38-14-3-1 record, in the quarter-final round.
Melfort won four of the six meetings between the teams during the regular season.
A schedule for the series was not immediately released.
