The first three games of the road trip did not go the best for the Kindersley Klippers. Tuesday they got the win but it was a little tighter against Yorkton than they would have liked in the shootout, then Wednesday and Friday's games against Melville and the rematch with Yorkton resulted in dissappointing losses.  On Saturday, the Klippers were outshot but still seemed to control the play for most of the game, and they earned a 3-2 win in the rematch with Melville.

29 seconds into the game and the Klippers had the lead. After being held out of the game due to injury in the last two games, Logan Linklater returned with a bang after Cash Arntsen turned the puck over behind the net for Linklater, and he made a beautiful pass in front for Tylin Hilbig to hammer home on the onetimer in the slot to give the Klippers the early lead.

Then the period started to open up at either end. It was clear from the start of the game that Klippers goaltender Brett Sweet was dialed in as he made some solid saves from the Millionaires stretch pass offence, and some tough rebound saves were kicked out along the way as well.

Five minutes into the period and the Klippers had a solid start to their penalty kill when Chase Friedt-Mohr was sent to the box for tripping, and the Klippers allowed just a single shot while down a man. Overall in the period, both teams had a similar amount of chaces but the Millionaires had a fair amount of rebound chances they were able to put on net, all of which Sweet stopped.

After 1: Klippers 1 - 0 Millionaires, shots 17-10 Millionaires

Two minutes into the second period, the Klippers got their first powerplay of the game. Coming into the contest, the Klippers powerplay had not scored in eight games going on a run of 0/30 dating back to October 29 against the La Ronge Ice Wolves, but despite those numbers the Klippers have looked at least decent on the powerplays at most times while cycling the puck but not getting too many shots. That would be the case with the first powerplay, cycling well and earning two shots, but not getting anything through Jared Thompson in goal.

Another penalty kill for the Klippers later in the period would result in another momentum boost for the team after Coletyn Boyarski was called for hooking, and soon after the Klippers would score again with the same unti. Tylin Hilbig on the pass ahead would get it to Arntsen, and he would bring the puck over the blueline before being pokechecked. The puck stayed in the zone, Arntsen kept moving forward to draw the defenders away, and Linklater picked up the loose puck to dance past the other defender before tucking the puck in around the wide side pad of Thompson.

A third penalty would be killed at the five minute mark of the period, but that second kill of the period seemed to take sone wind out of the Klippers at the end of the period and in the final minute, they got caught. A stretch pass up the right side of the ice from Louis-Frederic Theberge would spring Jonathan Krahn on a partial break, and his wrist shot would be stopped by Sweet's blocker. The rebound however was cleaned up by Zach McIntyre with nine seconds left in the period to cut the Klippers lead to one.

After 2: Klippers 2 2 Milllionaires, shots 9-9 in the period, 26-19

The Millionaires tied it up in the first minute of the third. On a faceoff to the left of Sweet, Nicolas Samson won the faceoff back to the line and Theberge fired a shot that was tipped in front by Zack Cain in front that got past Sweet 41 seconds into the period.

Shortly after, the Klippers powerplay got another opportunity but was still held off the board, and the ice opened up in a big way. Cole Laroque for the Millionaires came down 1-on-1 on Josh Pufahl and made a beautiful move to get around him but was then robbed by Sweet, and on the same play at the other end a feed from Tylin Hilbig sent Linklater in alone, and he undressed Thompson but just hit the side of the post trying to tuck the backhand in. 

 

While Sweet was great in the two periods prior, the third was his best work by far including a possible save of the year candidate. Just before the halfway mark of the period, Samson coming around the right side of the ice trying to get around Pufahl, but Pufahl interefered with him just enough that Samson couldn't get a clear shot off and the two of them crashed into Sweet. Sweet laying down on his right side was then looking for the puck which was behind the net with the left side wide open, and Samson picked the puck up behind the net to try a quick wrap around but Sweet rolled to his stomach, kicked his left pad out for the save, then located the puck while sprawled out and covered it up in spectacular fashion.

15 minutes in, and the Klippers got their fourth and final opportunity on the powerplay when captain Mark Snarr took a hit to the head from Liam Burns, Snarr was alright, and the Klippers powerplay went to work. They finally did score on a play started by Charles Obobaifo from the right side of the point when he sent a pass through the middle to Jaxon Georget on the left side of the net. He didn't have a lane to shoot, so he passed the puck back to the line for Pufahl, and Pufahl fired the puck where Cash Arntsen was able to tip the puck home for the Klippers first powerplay goal in 34 attempts.

The Millionaires would add some pressure in the final few minutes and would get their goaltender pulled, and Georget would even get a chance to put the puck down the ice and just missed the open goal, but the icing was called off by the officials as the Millionaires had a chance to touch the puck on the way down the ice and the faceoff would move the faceoff to centre ice for the final nine seconds, and the Klippers just put the puck to the wall to hold things up and earn the win.

FINAL: Klippers 3 - 2 Millionaires, shots 16-9 Millionaires in the period, 42-28 Millionaires in the game

Brett Sweet put up his best performance of the year with 40 saves on 42 shots. Before this, he had a 35 of 36 performance against the Flin Flon Bombers in the SJHL Showcase.

Cash Arntsen earned himself a three point night during the effort along with a big hit in the third period and a key blocked shot in the final frame as well.

With his two points, Kindersley local and rookie Tylin Hilbig continues to lead the team in points (17) and goals (9) so far this season, and now takes the lead in assists as well at (8).