For the first time since February 8, 2020, the Kindersley Jr. Klippers took on the Melfort Mustangs Saturday night in a wild back and forth affair. While the Klippers had the lead for a good chunk of the game, a late surge from the Mustangs would hand the Klippers a 6-5 loss.

There was a lot of pushing and shoving off the initial face-off as this game looked to be chippy off the start, but it seemed to be a bit of a sloppy start for both teams thanks to the high emotions. The game would settle though and the fans wouldn't have to wait long to fire the Teddy Bears on to the ice when Logan Linklater on the forecheck made a nice play to strip the puck of the defender and carried the puck behind the net, and he sent a feed in front to Tylin Hilbig who's onetimer was labeled for the back of the net.

Shortly after the goal and all the Teddy Bears were cleaned up, Logan Linklater took the game's first penalty for roughing after the whistle which end up being a theme throughout the first two periods. The Mustangs didn't score on the powerplay, but 20 seconds after it ended Marco Lopez sent the puck into the middle of the ice looking for a back door feed, but instead hit a defender's skate and the puck bounced in.

The next two penalties went on the Mustangs, a tripping call on Hayden Tuba and an interference call on Lucas Ochitwa 30 seconds later. On the 5-on-3 powerplay, the Klippers were cycling the puck well but there wasn't a lot of shots being put through. Tylin Hilbig decided to change that when recieved a pass from Noah Lindsay, and he fired a shot from nearly the corner that hit the goaltender's body and went in for his second of the game, and Nathan Degraves picked up his first point as a Klipper on the play.

With just over two minutes left in the period, the Mustangs tied it up again when Boston Maxwell went in hard on the forecheck behind the net and swung the puck to the corner. A couple Mustangs and Klippers would battle for the puck before Curits Hammond emerged with the puck and fired a shot in tight that squeaked through Pesenti to tie it before the end of the period.

After 1: Klippers 2 - 2 Mustangs, shots 12-9 Klippers

The second period was a little slower to get started with that initial feeling out process from the first period rearing it's head once again. Eight minutes in, Tylin Hilbig broke the deadlock and scored a natural hat trick when, on the powerplay, Linklater picked the puck up in his own zone and carried it down the right side of the ice before making a move to the inside with a toe drag, creating a 2-on-1 with Hilbig. The defender migrated towards Linklater after his move, Linklater fed Hilbig, and the hats came down to celebrate.

Shortly after a penalty kill and a good chance at the other end of the ice, the Mustangs again tied it up when defenceman Damon Byers carried the puck down the right side of the ice to lead the rush and sent it into the middle, and because an extra man stepped up on the rush, Trenton Curtis was left alone for a back door tap in that tied the game for the third time.

Less than 30 seconds later though and the Klippers took their lead back. Charles Obobaifo carried the puck out of the zone on the right side and as he entered the zone, he cut to the middle and dropped the puck behind him for Jaxon Georget who carried it in further until the lane opened up and Georget's pass gave Obobaifo an opportunity to score his first goal since his injury.

Finally with three minutes left, the Klippers extended their lead for the first time in the game when Degraves sent a D-to-D pass to Liam Bell playing his first game as a Klipper, and his shot was tipped by Andrew Blocker to find the back of the net, all three players coming from recent trades picking up a point.

After 2: Klippers 5 - 3 Mustangs, shots 11-10 Mustangs in the period, 22-20 Klippers overall

After an unsuccessful powerplay at the start of the period for the Klippers, they would go on the penalty kill when Degraves was nabbed for an interference call. Less than 30 seconds into the powerplay and a feed out of the corner from Seth McCulloch would find Marco Lopez streaking towards the net who hammered home his second of the game to bring the Mustangs back to within one.

Another failed powerplay for the Klippers at the ten minute mark would again give the Mustangs some energy, and again they would score when Hayden Tuba got the puck at the line and fired a shot. Dawson Leroux was battling in front and the battle knocked Pesenti over after the first save, and Pesenti made his best attempt to stop the rebound and even got a piece of it, but Leroux would score to tie the game for the forth time in the game.

Less than a minute later, and the Mustangs took their first and only lead of the game, and who else than Marco Lopez looking for a hat trick of his own. Off a faceoff, Lopez took a shot that missed the net and worked all the way around to Lucas Ochitwa on the right side of the blue line. He fired a shot, and Lopez was in front for the tip on the eventual game winner.

FINAL: Klippers 5 - 6 Mustangs, shots 12-8 Mustangs in the period, 32-30 Mustangs overall

The loss goes down as the Klippers first regulation loss after coming into the third period with a lead. The only other game they lost this season when leading into the third period was a 2-1 shootout loss to their next opponent the Humboldt Broncos.

Three of the newest Klippers all made their mark on this game as Liam Bell picked up his first point after leaving the Nipawin Hawks with an assist, Nathan Degraves earned two assists in his second game, and Andrew Blocker continued his hot start with the Klippers with his second goal and fourth point in as many games.

Although he's been lights out as of late, this performance will go down as a bit of a blemish for the Klippers netminder. At least three of the goals the Mustangs put in were ones that he will likely want his chance at again.

Tylin Hilbig's hat trick will go down as the first hat trick of the season for the Klippers. This comes after he had not scored for the last three games.