YORKTON - With a dramatic game seven win in Melfort Tuesday the Yorkton Terriers will now face the Estevan Bruins in the second round of the SJHL playoffs.
Terrier head coach and GM Mat Hehr said the win in Melfort was a hard fought one.
“I thought both goalies played unreal,” he said Wednesday. “I thought we had a lot more scoring chances than they did and (Joel) Favreau stood on his head, especially the last 40-minutes.”
Coming off a seventh game the Terriers took it easy Wednesday.
“We gave the guys an optional skate today. Some of the guys are pretty tired and sore,” offered Hehr.
But, they won’t have much time to relax, as they will hit the ice Thursday to go over a few things, said Hehr, then board the bus early Friday to head to Estevan, and a check in at the hotel, and have a good meal prior to the drop of the puck for Game 1.
Meanwhile the Bruins have been waiting.
“They’ve had a week off, we get two days,” said Hehr, adding that might end up being to their advantage as they are fully into the swing of things, and the Bruins will have to get back into game gear Friday.
The Terriers have to go on emotion for Game 1.
“We don’t have too to overthink it. Hopefully we can jump on them early,” said Hehr.
The Terriers finished the regular season with a record of 29-22-1-6 for 65 points, second best in the Viterra Division well back of Estevan with 91, to sit sixth overall in the SJHL.
In the playoffs the Bruins ousted Notre Dame in five games scoring 24 goals while allowing only 9.
The Terriers scored 21 goals across seven games, while allowing 19.
On paper that makes the Terriers definite underdogs.
“I think everyone kind of counted us out all season,” said Hehr. “But, these guys are confident. They find a way to win.”
To beat the Bruins that will mean a 60-minute dedication to goal prevention.
“We’re going to have to dig deep,” said Hehr. “They score a lot of goals. They are dangerous offensively.”
In the regular season
Offensively the Terriers scored 178 goals, only eighth best in the league, while Estevan netted 262 top in the league.
The teams have met three times in 2022, having last met Feb. 16 in Yorkton with the visiting Bruins winning 3-2. Estevan won 5-4 Feb. 5, also in Yorkton. On Jan. 27 the Terriers won 4-3 in a shoot out in Estevan.
Overall the Bruins went 6-1-1 against the Terriers in the regular season.
The Terriers top goal scorer was Kishaun Gervais with 22, tied for 18th among SJHL shooters, and no Terriers was in the top-20 for assists.
Mark Rumsey had 39 goals and 76 points to lead the Bruins.
On defence the Terriers allowed 162 which was fourth best in the league, led by Kael DePape in net. He played in 43 games and record a 2.32 goals against average, fourth best in the league. His save percentage of .915 was sixth best.
By comparison Estevan allowed 124, again best in the league.
Boston Bilous was the busiest of the Bruin netminders appearing in 40 games with a 2.11 GAA and a .923 save percentage.
The playoff round will start with two games in Estevan, this Friday and Saturday, before switching to the Westland Insurance Arena for games three and four Tuesday and Thursday next week, with Games 5-6-7 to follow if needed.
