Wyatt Watson of the Macklin Mohawks celebrates after a goal during the team’s comback to force overtime in a game on Jan. 6 versus the Kindersley Sr. Klippers. The undefeated Sr. Klippers won 5-4 in a shootout.
Crossroads Staff
The Kindersley Sr. Klippers just escaped the weekend with their season-long unbeaten streak in tact and the team has padded its lead in the standings.
The Sr. Klippers are riding a 14-game unbeaten streak since the start of the 2018-19 season and their 28 points are good enough to have a six-point lead in the Sask West Hockey League standings. On Sunday, the Macklin Mohawks came as close as any team to ending the streak.
It took a shootout for Kindersley to squeak out a 5-4 win on Jan. 6 versus Macklin, but the Mohawks had a goal disallowed in overtime. Kindersley had a 4-1 lead early in the third and Macklin stormed back to tie the game to force overtime.
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Kindersley took a penalty early in overtime, and Macklin scored on the power play. However, a referee behind the net did not signal for a goal and it was disallowed after a discussion among the officials. It is believed the goal was disallowed for goaltender interference, but the call is not confirmed.
The Wilkie Outlaws (10-1-2) hold down the second spot in the SWHL standings with 22 points, and they have a game in hand over Kindersley. Wilkie plays two games in Kindersley near the end of the season, so the games could determine first overall this season.
As for the rest of the standings, the Biggar Nationals (6-5-1) are in third with 13 points followed by the Unity Miners (5-7) with 10 points, Mohawks (3-6-3) with nine points, and the Luseland Mallards (0-13) with no points.
Last weekend featured a total of five games on the schedule. In a pair of games on Jan. 4, the Nationals needed overtime to defeat the Mohawks 5-4 on home ice in Biggar and the Miners defeated the Mallards by a score of 7-4 in Unity.
In two other games played on Jan. 5, the Nationals doubled up the Mallards by a score of 8-4 in Luseland and the Sr. Klippers defeated the Miners by a score of 7-6 in Unity. In total, Kindersley has won seven of its 14 games by one goal, so the team has faced adversity throughout the season. Three of Kindersley’s wins were in overtime or a shootout.
There are five games on the schedule this weekend, and there is also a game next Thursday. In two games scheduled for tonight, Macklin is in Biggar and Unity is in Wilkie. Both of the games will start at 8:30 p.m.
In two games scheduled for tomorrow, Kindersley is in Luseland and Biggar is in Unity for games at 8 p.m. Kindersley is in Macklin for a game on Jan. 13 at 5:30 p.m. Wilkie travels to Unity for a mid-week game on Jan. 17 at 8:30 p.m.
All six of the league’s teams have played more than half of the 20-game regular season schedule. All six teams make the playoffs, but the top two teams get a bye in the first round of the playoffs. Kindersley and Wilkie have all but locked up the top two spots, so it leaves Biggar, Unity and Macklin to battle for playoff position.
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