Bruins double scoring output, win three games
By Michael Wirischagin
These past two weeks have shown proof that the Grand Forks Border Bruins can score and that they can score in bunches. Overall the Border Bruins have won three of their past seven games, with the only seemingly remaining Achilles heel for the team being their road game. Led by a new “power” line, featuring Artsiom Kalashnikov, his brother Yan Kalashnikov, and Mikel Brewer, the Bruins have increased their goals-per-game output by almost double from two goals-per game prior to Oct. 22, to almost four goals-per-game. Not to mention that last year’s leading point getter and this year’s point-per-game player Zachary Thompson has continued to score on a line of his own giving the Bears two bona fide scoring combinations and the new found ability to win games. Going back to Oct. 22, the Border Bruins welcomed the Columbia Valley Rockies to the Grand Forks Arena. Facing off against their former goaltender Tyler Stamler, the Bruins fired 55 shots on Stamler, scoring five times. The Bears won the game 5-3. Brewer finished the game with one goal, and one assist. Artsiom Kalashnikov had one assist, while his brother had one goal and one assist. Thompson was held scoreless and Garrett Muir stopped 26 of 29 for the victory. Cody Robertson, Kale Erickson, and Joey Cormano rounded out the Border Bruins scoring. The following night, the Bruins travelled to Nelson to take on the Leafs, looking for their first road victory of the season. Grand Forks found themselves behind by one goal going into the third period but gave up two in the frame to lose to the Leafs, 5-2. Kevin Wong and Yan Kalashnikov scored the Bruins only two markers. Thompson finished the game with one assist while Muir stopped 23 of 28 shots for the loss. On Oct. 29 the Spokane Braves travelled to Grand Forks to take on the Bruins and while the Border Bruins took a 3-1 lead into the third period, the Braves proved too much for the Bears, netting three third period goals to defeat Grand Forks 4-3. Dylan Sahara, Artsiom Kalashnikov, and Thompson scored the three Grand Forks goals, while Brewer and Yan Kalshnikov registered two assists each. Muir stopped 33 of 37 shots in the loss. Once again on consecutive nights, the Border Bruins were in action, this time facing off against the Creston Valley Thundercats and another former net minder in Ryan Garber. Garber stopped 28 of 33 shots faced, giving up 5 goals while recording the double-overtime loss for the Thundercats. Thompson scored twice and added an assist in the win, with Artsiom and Yan Kalashnikov also scoring a goal apiece. Grand Forks Border Bruins’ Captain Randy Tosoff rounded out the scoring for the Bears. Bruins’ net minder Ryan Ryman recorded his first victory of the season, stopping 33 of the 37 shots that he faced. Grand Forks was looking to make it two-wins-in-a-row as they welcomed their division rivals, the Beaver Valley Nitehawks, to town on a rare Wednesday night puck-drop on Nov. 3. Yan Kalashnikov recorded one goal and three assists and his brother Artsiom registered one goal and two assists, leading the Bruins to their second victory in a row, winning 5-2. Thompson had another great game scoring once while adding one helper, for two more points, while Lucas Hildebrand scored his second goal of the season. Sahara also potted a goal for the Bruins in the win. Muir backstopped Grand Forks to another victory, this time stopping 26 of 28 shots. The Bruins finished out their past seven games with two games on the road. They first travelled to Fernie to take on the Ghostriders on Nov. 5 and then travelled to Fruitvale for a rematch against the Nitehawks, last night (Nov. 10). The Bruins were unable to tally their first road win of the season over those two games, losing to Fernie 6-3, and then to Beaver Valley 9-3, in the lopsided rematch. Cormano, Thompson, and Yan Kalashnikov scored the Bruins’ three goals against the Ghostriders. Yan also added an assist, while his brother Artsiom assisted on all three goals. Ryman stopped 37 of 42 in the loss to Fernie. The same three goal scorers for Grand Forks, with Brewer replacing Cormano from the Fernie game, were the same scoring in the Beaver Valley game. Yan also added another assist, for another two point game. Muir was pulled after giving up five goals in the game. Replacing him was Ryman who fared no better, giving up four goals in the no decision. Over these past seven games, Brewer tallied two goal along with five assists, Thompson recorded six goals and four assists, Artsiom Kalashnikov: three goals and six assists, while Yan led the way for Grand Forks scoring six times and registering eight assists for 14 points over the stretch. Following last night’s game, the Bruins play tomorrow night (Friday, Nov. 12) against the Castlegar Rebels in Grand Forks at 7:30 p.m. Then off to Nelson on the following night to take on the Leafs at 7:00 p.m. The Bruins play their last remaining home game of the month on Thursday, Nov. 18, at 7:30 p.m. They will play the Nelson Leafs that night in the second half of their home-and-home series. The Border Bruins record now stands at 4-wins along with 17-losses, good enough for 8 points and last place in the Kootenay Conference: Neil Murdoch Division.
Michael Wirischagin is the play-by-play voice of the Grand Forks Border Bruins
