Yorkton took a big win in overtime on home ice, and then lost a crucial game in Humboldt - a contest with playoff implications.
The Terriers remain in third spot in the Viterra Division of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League with a record of 13-24-1-3 and 30 points.
Weyburn still tops the Division with 57 points, followed by Estevan with 46.
Melville is fourth with 26 points, four points back of Yorkton.
鈥橲tangs in town
Last Tuesday the SJHL鈥檚 second best team, the Melfort Mustangs, visited the Farrell Agencies Arena.
In spite of being 29-points apart in the standings going into the game, it was a close contest.
The first period was a scoreless affair.
The Mustangs took the lead with the only goal of the second period off the stick of Miles Warkentine.
Brandon Sookro knotted the score 1-1 with a goal 3:05 the third, then a powerplay goal by Corwin Stevely gave the Terriers a lead at 7:58.
The lead would not last two-minutes as Travis Mayan scored his 34th of the season at 9:45.
The 2-2 tie would hold through the remainder of regulation time, forcing the game to a five-minute, four-on-four extra frame.
Overtime settled nothing, taking the game to the shoot-out, where Melfort finally took a 3-2 win.
Richard Palmer took the win in the Mustangs nets facing 36-shots, while Matt Kustra was in goal for Yorkton also facing 36-shots.
鈥淭he Melfort game was a real good effort,鈥� offered Terrier head coach Trent Cassan Thursday.
鈥淚 thought generally we were very good, but we were sloppy at times too,鈥� said Cassan. 鈥淲e gave up a lot of shots from prime areas too.鈥�
Cassan said it was the kind of effort that ultimately would have been frustrating to see and not come away with at least something to show for it, in this case an overtime loss point.
Rare Thursday game
It was an offensive tilt at the Farrell Agencies Arena Thursday with Kindersley visiting.
Cole Keenleyside started scoring for the home side with a powerplay goal 2:57 into the game.
By the end of the first the Terriers would hold a 3-2 lead as McKenzie Welke and Corwin Stevely added goals.
Dexter Bricker and Daniel Lange replied for the visitors.
Matt VanderSloot tied the game one-minute into the second, but Welke would restore a one-goal lead with a short-handed effort 4:43 into the frame.
Brandon Sookro would extend the lead to two goals into the third, before Austin Calladine went to work for the Klippers, scoring at 12:52, then adding a powerplay goal at 15:51 to tie the game and eventually send the game to overtime.
It would take only 33-seconds of the five-minute extra frame for Terrier Captain Kailum Gervais to score the winner four-on-four.
Jakob Severson faced 36-shots, allowing five-goals to earn the win in the Terrier net, while Nathan Hargrave was tagged for the loss for Kindersley facing 33.
Cassan said the Terriers didn鈥檛 seem to immediately grasp that the Klippers were going to be tough.
鈥淲e have to realize every game we go into we鈥檙e probably the underdogs. There are no freebies,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e knew that going into the Melfort game.鈥�
Against Kindersley though, the Terriers took their foot off the gas.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a certain way we have to play,鈥� said Cassan. 鈥淭onight I felt we didn鈥檛 we didn鈥檛 have that as a focus all the time.鈥�
That was particularly obvious when the Terriers gave up the 5-3 lead late.
And the team had a powerplay at a crucial time with the two-goal lead where another goal could have essentially put the game away.
鈥淲e鈥檙e up 5-3 and get a powerplay, and it was flat,鈥� said Cassan.
Gervais said his extra time goal was a matter of being in a good spot when the opportunity arose. Regan Seiferling made the move and the pass.
鈥淚 was in the slot,鈥� said Gervais, who added he made the right shot, and it found a way past the netminder.
As for Gervais, the lone 20-year-old on the Terriers, there was a chance he might have been dealt at the league deadline on a team rebuilding with youth.
鈥淲e talked about it,鈥� said Gervais, who admitted he wanted to stay with the team as a five-year Terrier. At the same time he knew a trade could happen if the deal was right.
Now with the team until the end of the season Gervais said he just 鈥渢ries to lead by example on and off the ice鈥�.
As for the team, Gervais said he sees some positive things as the season wears on.
鈥淲e鈥檝e just got to be consistent all the way to the playoffs,鈥� he said.
Cassan said the team has a playoff berth in mind.
鈥淭his team wants to get into the playoffs,鈥� he said, adding that while Melville and Humboldt aren鈥檛 going to fade away, the Terriers do control their fate as they currently hold onto the final playoff spot.
In general terms Gervais has been playing well of late, and he credits his recent success to linemates Corwin Stevely and Adam Santoro.
鈥淚t鈥檚 fun to play with these guys,鈥� he said.
Cassan said since the trio were put together as a unit they have played well.
鈥淭hey all bring things to the line,鈥� he said, adding their skill sets seem complimentary.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e scored some big goals for us.鈥�
Road loss
Saturday Yorkton was in Humboldt to face the Broncos who are chasing the Terriers for the final playoff position.
Humboldt struck first 4:12 into the first period with Tristan Hermanson potting the goal.
Josh Roberts made it 2-0 at 7:43.
Shane Sherban responded for the Terriers at 14:50 of the opening frame.
And that would be it, as neither team managed another goal the rest of the way.
Ryan LaRochelle faced 28-shots in the Humboldt nets for the win, while Matt Kustra faced 20-shots in the loss for Yorkton.
The Broncos鈥� win gave Humboldt 29-points, only one back of the Terriers for the final playoff position.
Up next
The Terriers were to host Weyburn last night (Tuesday), but results were not available at press time.
Saturday Kindersley will visit the Farrell Agencies Arena.
