The Kindersley Klippers have went 1-3 through their first four preseason games, but the three losses were all against the same opponent. Tuesday night they got an opportunity to play another new opponent, the always defensive minded Nipawin Hawks, and the Klippers lost 3-1 in a low shooting grind it out affair.

Cole Brock got an early chance in the first minute of the period for the Klippers when he brought the puck down the right side of the ice on a 2-on-1, but his shot was stopped by Loic Mainguy-Crepault in net for the Hawks for a faceoff. The Hawks went on a quick breakout off the draw and Brett Sweet made a great save on a partial breakaway, but his team in front couldn't clear the puck out of the zone. As the rest of the Hawks entered the zone, a screen formed in front of Sweet and the puck found its way to the point and the stick of Evan Bortis at the point, and his shot went through traffic for the game's first goal 1:29 into the game with a lone assist the Reed Sparrow.

After the goal was scored in the first two minutes, both teams had a single shot on goal and it remained that way until five minute mark of the period when Sweet made a nice save off a turnover in the slot.

In the 11th minute of the period, the Klippers cleared the puck from their zone off a blocked shot and went to get a change, and the Hawks took advantage of the change with a 3-on-1. Down the left side was Easton Ediger with the puck, he sent it through the middle to Dayne Feicht on the far right, and he tapped it home as Sweet sprawled to only catch a piece of it before the puck was in the back of the net.

One really good thing the Klippers have had so far in the preseason has been their penalty kill, and they got an opportunity to showcase it near the end of the period when Carson Baylis went to the box for hooking with less than two minutes left. Even with the unique home ice advantage the Cage in Nipawin offers in it's smaller ice surface and odd bounces off the back wall, the Klippers were able to shut down the powerplay to carry it into the second period.

After 1: Klippers 0 - 2 Hawks, shots 7-5 Hawks

With Baylis still in the box from the first period, the Klippers had 22 seconds of penalty kill to get through to start the second, and they did in large part thanks to a big block from Josh Pufahl just before the penalty ended. Pnealties would be the story of the second period after that.

The Klippers got a chance of their own on the powerplay when Cole Beamin went to the box for holding just over six minutes in. The powerplay has not looked the greatest for the Klippers so far during the preseason but that will come with a more consistent roster. The Hawks powered through the penalty kill, and soon after the Klippers would take a penalty of their own once again.

Ethan Mack was called on a roughing call shortly after the halfway point of the period, and after the Hawks wore down the penalty killers, the Klippers defenders backed off the blue line which led to the puck being cycled from Dawson Brace on the right wall to Mkyllan Couture at the centre of the blueline and to the left wall for Phil Laberge. With a screen in front, Laberfe fired a wrist shot that beat Sweet's blocker, and the Hawks were up big with under eight minutes left in the second.

Two minutes later, and the Klippers went back to the man advantage when Bortis went to the box for tripping, and the Klippers made them pay for it. After the puck was cleared to centre once, the Klippers came right back and after getting a pass from Hunter Laroque, Carson Baylis took a shot and hit another stick in front on the shot, but that disrupted the pace enough to sneak by Mainguy-Crepault and get the Klippers on the board.

The Klippers got another opportunity on the man advantage when Couture went to the box for playing the puck with his hand, and while the Klippers did send a couple opportunities just wide, the Hawks aggressive penalty kill kept the puck out of the net.

After 2: Klippers 1 - 3 Hawks, shots 14-12 Hawks

The third period was the quietest on the scoresheet for both teams by quite some margin. The only thing that got marked down was a penalty from Reed Sparrow for slashing, and a great chance on that man advantage saw Hunter Laroque work his way into the middle and take a hit as he took the shot, but there was no rebound as he slid into the net and knocked it off. That would be the lone shot the Klippers managed on the powerplay.

The Klippers did get a chance to pull their goaltender at the end of the period and with the extra man they were able to sustain some pressure, but couldn't get anything through and fall to 1-4 in the preseason.

FINAL: Klippers 1 - 3 Hawks, shots 18-18

The Klippers play their final preseason game Thursday against the Melfort Mustangs.