JOSH LEWIS
of The Clarion
Tuesday’s game against the Weyburn Red Wings had a happier ending for the Kindersley Klippers than their previous meeting.
In their first tilt since Weyburn knocked Kindersley out of last year’s playoffs on home ice, the Klippers got another standout performance from Josh Thorimbert and some timely marksmanship in the shootout to hand the Wings a 2-1 loss.
The win moves Kindersley (6-4) into a tie for second place in the Sherwood Conference with Yorkton, while Weyburn (6-2-1) remains in first, but only by a point. The Klippers now have a week off prior to a road trip to La Ronge and Melfort for games on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Johnny Calkins flicked a wrister over A.J. Whiffen’s shoulder to end a game that, fittingly, needed extra shooters to decide.
“The way they play on the road is very patient. They’re an opportunistic team and they wait for your turnovers,” said Klippers head coach Larry Wintoneak of Weyburn.
“Both goaltenders played pretty good and fortunately enough, we came out on top in the shootout. It was very entertaining.”
Indeed it was, despite being scoreless through two periods.
Whiffen made several big saves in the opening 20 minutes to keep things on even terms, and Thorimbert held off the Wings - whose shot totals grew with each period - the rest of the way.
Weyburn’s Rhett Bly finally broke the ice early in the third, slipping the puck past Thorimbert blocker side exactly five minutes in.
The Klippers responded quickly. Less than three minutes later, with Dmitry Adams in the box for cross-checking, Jordan Braid converted the juicy rebound of a laser-quick wrist shot by Taylor Duzan to even it up again.
“It was a big, big step for us,” Duzan said of the goal. “We needed (at least) a tie so we could get the point.”
The 18-year-old winger gave the Klippers a chance to go for two with a clutch play late in overtime.
With 6.4 seconds remaining, a turnover in the neutral zone led to a Weyburn 2-on-1 against Duzan, who tied up the shooter from behind and rode him into the net to end the threat.
“He works so hard. He’s not the biggest guy, but he’s got a great big heart and some pretty good offensive abilities too,” said Wintoneak of Duzan. “As long as he continues to do that, he’ll stay (on the top line).”
Bly opened the shootout by roofing a backhander past Thorimbert. That was followed by misses from Duzan and Brennan Wrigley before Braeden Adamyk ripped a shot between Whiffen’s pads to level the score.
Lucas Ulmer and Braid both missed to send the shootout to extras, where Thorimbert stopped Forest Dell’s five-hole attempt to set up Calkins’ winner.
Defenceman David Ahl, whose acquisition from the Okotoks Oilers had been finalized earlier in the day, logged nearly 17 minutes on the third pairing and displayed strong skating and an ability to distribute the puck.
1991-born winger Sam Prpich also made his Klipper debut, filling in for the injured Taylor Wasden on the fourth line. Wasden joins defenceman Shayne McVittie as a concussion victim, though he may not miss as much time. Prpich had been skating with the Klippers for several weeks, but was not signed until last week.