CJAHL Rankings for Week Ended Nov. 17

Sunday, November 18, 2007

The Canadian Junior A Hockey League announced today its Top 15 rankings for the week of November 11th to November 17th. Last weeks rankings and the leagues in which the teams belong to are in parenthesis.

The CJAHL Top 15 as of Saturday, November 17th

1.(1) Camrose Kodiaks (AJHL)
2.(3) Portage Terriers (MJHL)
3.(2) Salmon Arm Silverbacks (BCHL)
4.(5) Woodstock Slammers (MJAHL)
5.(7) Newmarket Hurricanes (OPJHL)
6.(4) Humboldt Broncos (SJHL)
7.(11) Nanaimo Clippers (BCHL)
8.(12) Selkirk Steelers (MJHL)
9.(9) Fort William North Stars (SIJHL)
10.(13) Pembroke Lumber Kings (CJHL)
11.(14) North Bay Skyhawks (NOJHL)
12.(10) Melville Millionaires (SJHL)
13.(8) Yarmouth Mariners (MJAHL)
14.(NR) St. Michael’s Buzzers (OPJHL)
15.(NR) Les Condors de Kahnawake (LHJAAAQ)

Honorable mention goes to the Penticton Vees (BCHL), Fort McMurray Oil Barons (AJHL), Olds Grizzlys (AJHL), Okotoks Oilers (AJHL), Melfort Mustangs (SJHL), Weyburn Red Wings (SJHL), Winnipeg Saints (MJHL), Dauphin Kings (MJHL), Dryden Ice Dogs (SIJHL), Sudbury Jr. Wolves (NOJHL), Markham Waxers (OPJHL), Vaughan Vipers (OPJHL), Huntsville Otters (OPJHL), Cumberland Grads (CJHL), Brockville Braves (CJHL), Les Inouk de Granby (LHJAAAQ), and the Truro Bearcats (MJAHL).

The rankings are based upon a variety of factors which includes the league in which the teams belong to, their winning percentage, their win-loss record, total points accumulated, their goals-for versus goals-against ratio, amongst other factors.

Power Rankings (for the week ended Nov. 18)

Another week of action in the SJHL saw the top two teams for most of this season both take a bit of a drop as they struggled a bit this week and the parity in the league really shone through this week.

1. Melfort Mustangs (17-7-0-1) LW: 3

The SJHL's hottest team has made its way to the top of the power rankings this week as they have picked up at least one point in each of their last 13 games. All they did this week was win two tough road games in Melville and Yorkton, never an easy feat. The Mustangs were dealt a bit of a blow when it was found out that Clint Olson, currently in the top 10 in league scoring, will be out for up to 2 months with an injury. However, Taylor Watt, Matt Hill and the rest of the supporting staff have adequately filled the void. Brady Gordon, Tommy Brown, Riley Clark, Mike Kirby, Kassidy Collins and the rest of the crew give Melfort as good of a defense as any in the league. Ilia Ejov's only blemish on his goaltending record since arriving in Melfort is a shootout loss. Everything seems to be clicking right now in Melfort. The Mustangs will have a good test this week as they travel to Humboldt on Tuesday before hosting Weyburn Wednesday and Estevan on Saturday.

2. Weyburn Red Wings (15-8-2-2) LW: 4

The Red Wings won a pair of games over there Highway 39 rivals from Estevan this week as they climb a couple of spots in the power rankings. The Red Wings continue to get offense from a variety of different players as they continue to roll four lines for the most part. Josh Bray has kept up his fine play as of late and now has 15 goals on the season. Rookies like Rhett Bly, Joel Langevin and Luke Johnson have also all chipped in with offense every night. Defensively, in my mind, the Wings are as good as any team in the league. Kyle Haines, Stephen Simms, Connor Krukowski and Mick Pawlyshyn along with rookies Andrew Perrault and Ethan Gardner provide as solid of six as any team can offer. The Wings MVP in my mind though as been rookie goaltender AJ Whiffen. As an 18 year old I don't think anyone in Weyburn, or around the league, for that matter, expected to see Whiffen post the numbers that he has. As long as Whiffen can keep up with the workload that he has been receiving, this could be a special season for the Red Wings. This week the Wings will be tested as they play three tough games on the road. They will be in Nipawin on Tuesday, Melfort on Wednesday and head to Melville on Saturday.

3. Melville Millionaires (16-7-1-0) LW: 2

The Millionaires have been going in the wrong direction as of late after starting the season a perfect 11-0. This week they dropped a game versus Melfort before splitting a home and home with the Yorkton Terriers. The Millionaires bolstered their lineup this week with the addition of former Regina Pat forward Levi Lind. Lind had three points in his first three games in a Melville uniform. Derek Edwards has been putting up bigger offensive numbers from the blue line as of late. Kyle Cantlon's numbers have dropped a bit as of late but he continues to play strong in the Melville goal. The Millionaires have three important divisional games this week as they have home games versus Estevan and Weyburn and a road game to Notre Dame sandwiched between.

4. Humboldt Broncos (18-6-0-0) LW: 1

I may be a bit harsh on the Broncos this week having them drop three spots but I do not expect them to stay this low in the rankings for long. The Broncos lost their offensive touch this week as they only scored three goals in three losses to Nipawin, Flin Flon and La Ronge. Despite maybe the first adversity of the season he has faced, it was all in all a good week for Broncos goaltender Taylor Nelson as he accepted a scholarship to NCAA school Ferris State for next season. The Broncos play twice at home this week as they host Melfort on Tuesday and Kindersley on Saturday.

5. Flin Flon Bombers (15-9-0-1) LW: 6

Yes, the Bombers did lose to the Battlefords North Stars for the second time this season, but the followed that up with impressive wins over the Kindersley Klippers and Humboldt Broncos. Reid MacLeod, Pierre-Luc Boucher and Dennis Kubat continue to be 1-2-3 in league scoring and are showing no signs of slowing down. Barrett Penner has also proven to be a great pickup since being acquired from the Battlefords North Stars a couple of weeks ago. Calvin Bartel has really picked up his play and has regained the starting role in Flin Flon. The Bombers have a chance to distance themselves from some Itech Conference rivals this week as they have a home and home versus La Ronge and then host Nipawin on Saturday.

6. Kindersley Klippers (15-10-0-2) LW: 5

The Klippers swept a home and home set with the Battlefords North Stars and dropped a home game against Flin Flon earlier in the week. Ryan Sawka, Brett Leedahl and Casey Rempel, to name a few, have all picked up the scoring pace for the Klippers as of late. Scott Linnell and Milo Miller continue to lead a fairly young defensive unit. Matt Weninger has put pressure on starting goaltender Ryan Niesnzer for playing time, which is always a good situation for any team. In a scheduling rarity, the Klippers will host the Yorkton Terriers twice this week (Tuesday and Thursday) before hitting the road to Humboldt on Saturday.

7. La Ronge Ice Wolves (13-12-1-1) LW: 10

The Ice Wolves had a good week as they won games over the Nipawin Hawks and Humboldt Broncos. Jordie Johnston has been arguably the hottest player in the league as of late and is now 4th in league scoring. His linemates Jarrid Dowhay and Bruno-Pier Gosselin have also been putting up big numbers as of late. Forgotten in the mix is that Codie Pederson has been out of the Ice Wolves lineup for the entire season as of date due to injuries sustained in a car accident over the offseason. If Pederson can return to his form from last season, once he returns, it will be as good as making a big trade for the stretch drive. Jonathan Jobin and Brian Kaval continue to give the Ice Wolves a solid 1-2 punch in goal. La Ronge has a busy week as they play a home and home with the Flin Flon Bombers, before hitting the road for games in North Battleford and Notre Dame (in Gull Lake).

8. Yorkton Terriers (13-10-2-3) LW: 7

It was a mixed bag of results for the Terriers this week as they did manage to pick up three of a possible four points against rival Melville but lost a home game to Melfort. The Terriers were dealt a bit of a blow when Carter Smith announced early in the week that he was heading back to the WHL. Smith is now with the Red Deer Rebels where he has scored 2 goals in 2 games. With Bryan Hull still out due to injury, the Terriers will be leaning heavily on the likes of Kyle Block, Scott Jackson and Corey Silverson to provide the offense. Lynden Sammartino has continued to play well between the pipes for the Terriers as he is having a MVP type season. The Terriers hit the road this week for a pair of games in Kindersley and a game in the Battlefords.

9. Nipawin Hawks (10-11-0-2) LW: 9

The Hawks picked up three of a possible four points this week as they continue their climb back up the Itech standing after a period of mediocrity which led to some lineup changes. Those changes do not appear to be done though as Adam Schwark has apparently been moved on the the Bonnyville Pontiacs of the AJHL. Derek Kleinsteuber has picked up his play as of late and last week was the SJHL goaltender of the week. The Hawks have home games against Weyburn and Estevan this week before heading to Flin Flon for a game on Saturday.

10. Estevan Bruins (12-12-2-0) LW: 10

Uninspired play seems to have plagued the Bruins as of late and that was apparent again in a pair of losses against Weyburn this past weekend. The goal scorers have not been scoring and that is the biggest problem for Estevan right now. Kyle Stroh, Payden Benning and Kyle Ermel amongst others, have all saw there numbers decline as of late. One guy who can't be blamed for any problems though is goaltender Karsten Felske. Felske looked good in both games against Weyburn, despite the losses and also picked up a big win over Notre Dame earlier in the week. The Bruins will have to find their game on the road this week as they play three tough games in Melville, Nipawin and Melfort.

11. Notre Dame Hounds (7-17-0-1) LW: 11

It was a light week of action for the Hounds as they played only once, a 2-1 loss to the Estevan Bruins. The Hounds will hope the rest will give them the jump they need as they are currently 11 points out of a playoff position in a very tough Sherwood Conference. Despite the team's record, Mark Currie has been a great pickup in goal for the Hounds since his arrival from Yorkton. If the Hounds fail to get on a winning streak of some sort in the next couple of weeks, one has to think that Mike Vandenberghe may start to look to the future and move some veterans such as Tanner Vandesype, Eddie Gale and Chris Bratina. The Hounds host Melville before playing a neutral site game versus La Ronge in Gull Lake.

12. Battlefords North Stars (3-22-1-1) LW: 12

Although the Stars do deserve credit for a 3-0 win over Flin Flon, they followed that up with a pair of losses to the Kindersley Klippers. Ryan Kerpan has played well as of late and seems to have solidified the starting goaltending job in the Battlefords. Shawn McNulty has rediscovered his offensive touch in the last couple of games for the Stars. The Stars do not have a lot left that other teams would be interested in picking up for a late season pickup but one guy who may be on the move at some point is 20 year old forward Jason Walker. Walker could be a solid second or third line addition for some of the more upper echelon teams in the SJHL.

That's it for this week. As no comments have been left on the power rankings so far this season, I will assume that I am perfect in my predictions (Ha Ha)

- Brad M.

Wonderful Whiffen! Red Wings Complete Weekend Sweep of Bruins!

The Weyburn Red Wings, at least for the time being, find themselves at the top of the Sherwood Conference after posting a 3-0 shutout win over the visiting Estevan Bruins on Saturday night at the Colosseum. AJ Whiffen was on his game again tonight as he stopped all 39 Estevan shots fired his way to pick up his third shutout of the season. Rhett Bly scored a power play goal, his 7th of the season, in the first period to put the Wings up 1-0. Luke Johnson and Stephen Simms assisted on the goal. Carter Selinger put the Wings up 2-0 at the 8:18 mark of the second after stepping out of the penalty box and being sent on a breakaway. Simms and Brayden Nargang assisted on the goal. The Wings capped off the scoring later in the third period after Josh Bray stepped out on the ice on a delayed penalty against the Bruins. Bray was sent in on a breakaway by Jared Whincup and made no mistake snapping the shot through Karsten Felske as he picked up his 15th of the season. Kyle Haines also assisted on the goal. Bruins coach Karry Biette was upset after the Bray goal feeling that Bray had stepped on the ice before Whiffen had got back to the bench for the extra attacker. Felske kept his team in the game as he stopped 22 of 25 Weyburn shots. The Bruins look like a frustrated club as of late and that was evidenced by a third period misconduct penalty to Bruins forward Payden Benning. The Wings leapfrog the Melville Millionaires into first place in the Sherwood with a record of 15-8-2-2. The Bruins are now 12-12-2-0 and all of a sudden are now five points back of fourth place Yorkton.

In Melville, the Millionaires were also looking for a weekend home and home sweep as they welcomed the Yorkton Terriers to town. However, Logan Dew spoiled the party as he scored the go ahead goal with only 1:42 to go in the third to send the Mils crowd home unhappy. Kyle Block and Corey Silverson also scored while Jordan Pawelec, a former Millionaire, added two assists. Dion Campbell had a goal and an assist for the Millionaires. Derek Edwards also scored for Melville. Levi Lind picked up his third point in three games as a Millionaire as he assisted on Edwards' goal. Lynden Sammartino was phenomenal in the Yorkton goal as he made 51 saves. Kyle Cantlon stopped 25 shots in the Melville goal. The Millionaires drop to 16-7-1-0 and fall to second place in the Sherwood with the loss. They do however have three games in hand on Weyburn. Yorkton stays in fourth with a record of 13-10-2-3 but are only three points back of first place Weyburn as the standings at the top continue to tighten. Should note - Melville wore their third jersies tonight and they are the ugliest things I have ever seen.

The Kindersley Klippers kept pace with the pack in the Sherwood Conference as they defeated the Battlefords North Stars for the second night in a row, a 5-3 win at home tonight. Casey Rempel scored twice and added an assist to lead the way for the Klippers. Kirk Pearce added a goal and an assist while there other linemate Matt Sawa had two assists. Ryan Sawka and Jayde Dunser also scored for Kindersley. Shawn McNulty picked up two goals for the North Stars while Tyrel Schulko added a single. Jason Walker added two assists for the Stars. Ryan Nieszner stopped 26 shots to pick up the win. Ryan Kerpan stopped 31 shots in the Battlefords goal. The Klippers are third in the Sherwood with a record of 15-10-0-2. The Stars drop to 3-22-1-1.

Finally, in La Ronge, the Humboldt Broncos dropped their third in a row as they fell 3-1 to the Ice Wolves. Jordie Johnston had a goal and two assists to lead the Ice Wolves. Bruno-Pier Gosselin added two goals. Russell Nielsen had the lone goal for the Broncos. Jonathan Jobin was spectacular for La Ronge as he stopped 46 Humboldt shots. Taylor Nelson allowed three goals on 30 shots in the Humboldt goal. The Broncos are now 18-6-0-0 and cling to a one point lead over second place Melfort in the Itech Conference. La Ronge is now 13-12-1-1 and sit fourth in the Itech.

Tonight's Three Stars:

* AJ Whiffen - Weyburn Red Wings (39 saves, league leading third shutout of the season)
** Lynden Sammartino - Yorkton Terriers (51 saves in win over Melville)
*** Casey Rempel - Kindersley Klippers (3 point night to help lead Klippers to victory)

Tradewinds:

Rumors are circulating out of Nipawin that third year Hawk Adam Schwark has been dealt to the Bonnyville Pontiacs of the AJHL. Schwark has 23 points in 23 games this season and was second in Hawks scoring. We will post more once things become official.

A couple of deals that were completed:

The Kindersley Klippers have sorted out their goaltending situation and have sent rookie goaltender Randy Willis to the Blind River Beavers of the NOJHL for futures. Willis was stuck in a logjam behind Ryan Nieszner and Matt Weninger in Kindersley.

Meanwhile, the Melfort Mustangs have sent forward Brendan Baumgartner to Fort Francess of the SIJHL for futures.

I would expect we will see quite a few more deals in the next couple of weeks and will let you know as soon as we know if anything comes to fruition.

- Brad M.

Wings take game one versus the Bruins

The Wings keep on with their winning ways as they travelled down highway 39 to Estevan where they were looking to take over top spot in the Sherwood Conference versus the Bruins.

With a 3-2 victory over the Bruins, the Wings were in first place for maybe 10 minutes as Melville disposed of the Yorkton Terriers in a shootout to remain one point up on the Wings.

Rhett Bly opened up the scoring for the Red Wings in the first period with the assist going to Joel Langevin. The Wings then took control of the game in the second as Langevin was on the receiving end of a pass from Torrey Lindsay and scored on the powerplay to give them a two goal lead heading into the third.

Estevan finally got to Whiffen early in the third as Liam Brennan scored at 2:30 into the period to cut the lead down to one. It didn't take long for the Wings to regain their two goal advantage as Brayden Nargang scored six minutes later with the assist going to Connor Krukowski. Estevan did manage to keep things close as Kyle Stroh put one more past Whiffen halfway through the period but that's as close as they would get as the Red Wings held the Bruins off in the late stages of the third, killing off two penalties in the process.

AJ Whiffen picked up the win in the Red Wings net, making 31 saves on 33 shots while his counterpart Karsten Felske made 27 saves on 30 shots for the Bruins.

* Forward Josh Bray left the game midway through the second and did not return. He has been battling a hip injury lately and is questionable for tomorrow nights game.

- Troy K


*** Update ***

There were three other SJHL games on Friday night. As Troy mentioned above, the Melville Millionaires defeated the Yorkton Terriers 3-2 in a shootout as the Mils maintain a one point advantage over the Red Wings. Daniel Hope was the shootout hero for the Mils and also scored a goal in regulation. Levi Lind also scored for Melville while ex-Wing Brad Johnston had two assists. Derek Serdachny and Kirk Byczynnski replied for the Terriers who could not beat Mils goaltender Kyle Cantlon in the shootout. Cantlon did not have a very busy night as the Terriers could only manage a minuscule 12 shots on goal in 65 minutes of action and certainly were lucky to even pick up the single point. Lynden Sammartino made 28 saves in the Yorkton goal.The Terriers pick up a single point and are one point behind third place Kindersley.

Speaking of thoes Klippers, they were in action in North Battleford tonight, and much to the chagrin of Stars123 the one game winning streak is over for the Stars as they fall 4-0 to Kindersley. Brett Leedahl had three assists to pace the Klippers offensively. Jonathan Redlick scored two goals. Jayde Dunser had a goal and an assist and Jeremy Beller scored the other Klippers goal. Ryan Sawka also had two assists for Kindersley. Matt Weninger picked up the shutout for the Klippers as he stopped all 29 shots he faced. Ryan Kerpan was under fire all night and managed to turn aside 49 of 53 Kindersley shots. Kerpan appears to be one positive on the Stars roster as of late. The Klippers now have sole possession of third in the Sherwood and are two points back of second place Weyburn.

In Flin Flon, the Humboldt Broncos dropped their second straight game as they were dumped 4-1 by the hometown Bombers. Reid MacLeod added to his SJHL leading totals as he had two goals and an assist for Flin Flon. Dennis Kubat chipped in with a goal and an assist. Barrett Penner also scored for Flin Flon. Matt Kirzinger had the lone Broncos goal. Calvin Bartel made 26 saves for the victory. Taylor Nelson had a rare off night as he allowed four goals on 25 shots.

Tonight's Three Stars:

* Reid MacLeod - Flin Flon Bombers (2 goals, 1 assist to lead Bombers over Broncos)
** Brett Leedahl - Kindersley Klippers (3 point night to lead Klippers)
*** Brayden Nargang - Weyburn Red Wings (I was at the game in Estevan and thought Brayden had a great game. Not only scoring the winning goal but his penalty killing work was also top notch)

- Brad M.

#13 Not so Unlucky for Mustangs!

For the 13th straight game, the Melfort Mustangs have picked up at least a single point as they went into Yorkton tonight and came from behind to defeat the Terriers 3-2. Riley Clark, an early candidate for SJHL defenseman of the week, scored twice for the Mustangs. Tommy Brown also scored a goal for the second consecutive game since returning from the World Junior A Challenge in Trail, BC as well as adding an assist. Brady Gordon, Matt Hill, Kyle Fraser, Ryan Gareau and Taylor Watt all picked up helpers as well. Kyle Block and Derek Serdachny replied for the Terriers. Kevin Stringfellow, Michael Trebish and Evan Neibrandt added assists for the Terriers. Ilia Ejov made 23 saves to lead the Mustangs to another win, while Lynden Sammartino had 26 saves for the Terriers. The Mustangs are now 17-7-0-1 and have climbed within one point of division leading Humboldt. The Terriers fail to make up ground as it has been a rough week for Sherwood Conference teams so far this week. They are now 12-10-2-2 and remain tied with the Kindersley Klippers for third in the Sherwood. There are still only five points separating first place Melville from fifth place Estevan.

Three Stars (I will go with the three stars from the gamesheet tonight)

* Riley Clark - Melfort Mustangs (2 goals, game winner)
** Tommy Brown - Melfort Mustangs (goal and an assist)
*** Ilia Ejov - Melfort Mustangs (23 saves for 11th victory since arriving in Melfort)

Minor deal - The Nipawin Hawks have dealt 1989 born defenseman Andrew Bzdel to the Notre Dame Hounds for the rights to 1990 born Cody Aldag. Bzdel saw limited ice time in two seasons in Nipawin and this move may allow him to get more of a chance to play.

- Brad M.

What Bray has to say!

Troy Kramm: You have really come back with a vengeance these past few games after being out of the lineup with an injury, what has been a key to your success?

Josh Bray: I have just been getting pucks to the net and been continuing to work hard. My linemates have been playing good and have been getting the puck to me. I have just been fortunate enough to score on my chances.

TK: The team came out giving up the first goal in both games last weekend but managed to battle back in those games especially versus Melville as you were down two in the third. How does the team try and fight back when down a goal or two?

Bray: Well that’s why it is a 60 minute game. You never win by a score of 1-0. You are usually gonna give up a goal so you just have to put it behind you. The game is never over after the first goal is scored so we just have to keep playing right until the final whistle.

TK: You have the week off before facing Estevan and you now have Dwight back behind the bench, are you looking forward to seeing Dwight back and was it a different feel with Darcy and Tyler handling the coaching?

Bray: They didn’t do anything too different, it’s just going to be business as usual with Dwight back. He has so much experience, he picks up on things we need to work on in practice and just helps us get a little more finely tuned on the ice.

TK: Are you looking forward to taking on Estevan as you wont have to try putting pucks past Guillaume Perusse who the Wings have had some tough times scoring on in the past?

Bray: It doesn’t matter who is in net. I am just go out there and play every game like it’s my last. It doesn’t matter if Fleury is in net, I just go out and battle every night.

TK: With the Sherwood Conference being so close together for points, are you putting any added pressure on yourself to pick up these next two wins versus Estevan?

Bray: For sure, they is always big pressure to win the conference games. It is always good to play our rivals that are just down the road from us. I think it puts some more fire in our belly and excites everyone a little more.

The next game for the Weyburn Red Wings is on Friday night versus the Estevan Bruins in Estevan. We hope you can make the trip out there. Come cheer on the boys.
Troy K

Former Wing Traded Again!

Forward Jared Smale wore out his welcome for a second time as the Port Hope Predators have dealt Smale in a multi-player deal to the Fort McMurray Oil Barons of the AJHL. Smale only played six games in Port Hope and managed only 1 assist and 42 penalty minutes in six games. Smale has not played for Port Hope in over three weeks and was apparently sent home to Edmonton to await a trade.

- Brad M.

CJAHL Ranking for week ended Nov. 10/07

CJAHL TOP 15 as of November 10th, 2007

Team League Last Week
1 Camrose Kodiaks (AJHL) 1
2 Salmon Arm Silverbacks (BCHL) 2
3 Portage Terriers (MJHL) 4
4 Humboldt Broncos (SJHL) 6
5 Woodstock Slammers (MJAHL) 7
6 Markham Waxers (OPJHL) 5
7 Newmarket Hurricanes (OPJHL) 3
8 Yarmouth Mariners (MJAHL) 11
9 Fort William North Stars (SIJHL) 8
10 Melville Millionaires (SJHL) 10
11 Nanaimo Clippers (BCHL) 9
12 Selkirk Steelers (MJHL) 12
13 Pembroke Lumber Kings (CJHL) 13
14 North Bay Skyhawks (NOJHL) 14
15 Les Inouk de Granby (LHJAAAQ) 15

Honorable mention goes to the Penticton Vees (BCHL), Okotoks Oilers (AJHL), Fort McMurray Oil Barons (AJHL), Dauphin Kings (MJHL), Winnipeg Saints (MJHL), Dryden Ice Dogs (SIJHL), Sudbury Jr. Wolves (NOJHL), St. Michael's Buzzers (OPJHL), Vaughan Vipers (OPJHL), Huntsville Otters (OPJHL), Smiths Falls Bears (CJHL), Brockville Braves (CJHL), Les Condors de Kahnawake (LHJAAAQ), and the Truro Bearcats (MJAHL).

Top Teams Tangle in Melville!

Two of the SJHL's top teams went at it in Melville tonight and the game did not disappoint as Melfort squeaked out a 3-2 win over the Millionaires. Kyle Fraser led the way for the Mustangs as he scored the game winner in the third period and added an assist. Jordan Morgan and Taylor Watt also scored for the Mustangs. Donavon Chow, Riley Clark, Matt Hill, Mike Kirby and Tommy Brown all added assists. Shane Stanicky and Dion Campbell, with a short-handed goal, replied for Melville. Jeremie Houde, Levi Lind, and Derek Edwards added assists for Melville. The Mustangs have now won five in a row and went twelve games without losing in regulation. Ilia Ejov improves his record to 10-0-0-1 as he made 29 saves for Melfort. Travis Bosch got the start for Melville and stopped 22 Mustangs shots. The Millionaires fail to gain ground on the second place Red Wings and remain one point ahead of them with a record of 15-6-1-0. The Mustangs improve to 16-7-0-1 and suddenly are only three points back of the league leading Humboldt Broncos. The Broncos do have two games in hand.

In Kindersley, the Flin Flon Bombers woke up from a surprising loss in Battlefords last night and posted a 6-3 win over the Klippers. Pierre - Luc Boucher had two goals and two assists to lead the way for the Bombers. Dennis Kubat added two goals while Scott Day and Barrett Penner chipped in with singles. Jonathan Redlick, Matt Sawa and Ben Ritchie replied for the Klippers. Calvin Bartel had another strong outing for the Bombers as he made 41 saves for the win. Ryan Nieszner was chased from the Klippers net after allowing four goals in the first period. Matt Weninger cleaned up and allowed only one goal on 22 shots the rest of the way. The Klippers missed out on an opportunity to tie the second place Red Wings as they fall to 13-10-0-2. The Bombers improve to 14-9-0-1.

In La Ronge, it was the place to be if you like offense as the Ice Wolves won 6-5 in a shootout over the Nipawin Hawks. Jarrid Dowhay picked up the shootout winner for the Wolves and added two assists. Joseph Cook, normally known for his feistiness, scored twice for the Ice Wolves. Everette Lerner, Jordie Johnston and Adam Moar also scored for La Ronge. Adam Schwark, Keldon Sanderson, Jordan Bourgonje and Torrie Dyck each had a goal and an assist for Nipawin. Blair Toms had the other Hawks goal. Cody Wutzke chipped in with two assists. Brian Kaval made 43 saves to pick up the win. Derek Kleinsteuber, now clearly the number one guy in Nipawin, made 46 saves in the Hawks goal. The Ice Wolves move to 12-12-1-1 with the win. The Hawks are now 10-11-0-2.

Note: Melfort forward Clint Olson, who was having a fantastic season to date, is out six to eight weeks with an injury.

Carter Smith, who on Sunday was still a member of the Yorkton Terriers, scored the game winner for the Red Deer Rebels late in the third period, as they defeated the Edmonton Oil Kings 4-3. Tyler Penny, a Weyburn product, also had an assist for the Rebels.

Tonight's Three Stars:

* Pierre-Luc Boucher - Flin Flon Bombers (4 point night versus Kindersley)
** Ilia Ejov - Melfort Mustangs (29 save performance in Mustangs win over Melville, including a late breakaway save on Dion Campbell)
*** Joseph Cook - La Ronge Ice Wolves (rare two goal game for Ice Wolves goon)

There is only one game on the schedule for Thursday as the Melfort Mustangs continue there mini two game road trip in east central Saskatchewan with a game in Yorkton.

- Brad M.