Game Highlights – vs La Ronge
courtesy of Austin Arvay, discoverweyburn.com
It was another exciting night of Red Wings hockey, but Weyburn let a two-goal lead slip away in the third period before eventually falling in overtime. The Red Wings were the better team for most of the night, but some lapses in the final period cost them as they fell for the eighth consecutive game by a score of 4–3.
Playing a scrappy game on the road and working to get back in the win column, the Wings threw everything they had at Ice Wolves goalie Jordan Frey. It could have easily been 5 or 6–1 at a point in the second period if it wasn’t for Frey in goal.
After a scoreless opening 20 minutes, it didn’t take long for the Wings to get on the board in the second. Connor Pyne’s fourth of the season just 29 seconds in had the Red Wings in front following a dominant first period.
The Wings kept coming, however, time and time again Frey turned them aside with a handful of fantastic sprawling saves. His tremendous play allowed La Ronge to tie things up at ones after Jake Gudjonson was left all alone at the side of the net for a tap-in.
Weyburn shook off the equalizer and went back to controlling the play. They would finally get a second one past Frey with just 58 seconds left in the middle frame. Cade Kowalski’s shot was stopped, but Jacob Piller was there to eventually bang home the rebound for the third goal of his rookie season.
Surging late in the period, a great shift by the Wings top line potted a goal with just 3.6 seconds left on the clock. Both Pyne and Ty Brown were robbed in tight before Ben Hiltz wrapped a puck around and it deflected off a La Ronge defender and in. An ugly goal yes, but the Red Wings would undoubtedly take it as they held a 3–1 lead heading to the intermission.
Early in the period the red and white would get themselves in some penalty trouble when both Tristan Petrie and Carson Scheschuk were sent off. The Wings were forced to kill 1:16 of 5-on-3 powerplay time and the Ice Wolves top unit went to work.
Leading scorer for the team Mitch Zambon was a threat all night and finally found his way on the score sheet. He faked a slap shot that fooled the Wings, before sliding a perfect pass through the seam to Zach Bannister back door who buried it past a helpless Riley Lamb. Zambon and Bannister would connect again a few minutes later, with this time Bannister setting up the 20-year-old Zambon backdoor after he escaped the defenceman in front.
Two big goals tied things up at three and that’s where regulation would finish up. Weyburn continued to throw chances at the night and were turned away by Frey time and time again. According to the arena shot clock, the Wings recorded 55 shots through 60 minutes (highly unofficially).
The teams would go back-and-forth in the wide-open 3-on-3 overtime — with plenty of skill available on both benches. Zambon had a glorious chance to end it early on, but a fantastic back check by Pyne knocked the puck off his stick at the last moment. Weyburn had a few shots in the OT before La Ronge captain Kolby Johnson stepped off the bench and took a pass, went in all alone and beat Lamb to the blocker side for the game-winner.
It was a heartbreaking end for the Wings who were the better team for 45 minutes on the night. Letting the lead slip away will definitely be a sore spot for this team on their day off today. The eight straight losses are the longest streak for the Red Wings club in recent history.
A day of rest will do this team some good as they will be tired and sore following back-to-back games. They’ll be in action next on Friday night in Flin Flon for the rematch with the Bombers following the brawl on October 13. It will be yet another chance for the Red Wings to snap their losing streak and get back to their winning ways.