With the first month of the SJHL season behind them, the Kindersley Jr A Klippers have had an up and down season with a slow 3-7 start that they turned around with five wins in six games to a 8-8 record, and Tuesday night they faced the league leading and divisional rival Humboldt Broncos with a shot at getting above .500 for the first time this season. A back and forth game showed the Klippers can compete with anyone in the league, but ultimately fell in the shootout 2-1.

As has become a bit of a staple for the team, the Klippers had a bit of a slow start. Three of the league's top four scorers, Logan Kurki, Connor McGrath, and Alec Saretzky were split up between two lines and managed to carry the puck around the offensive zone and outshot the Klippers 5-1 through the first five minutes.

After surviving the early onslaught, the Klippers started to build some momentum of their own and eight minutes in they finally broke the ice with a hard forecheck. With the puck being bounced around the left side corner between both teams, Bangs was the first to free the puck up and he sent it to the middle. Matt Mazzocchi had just enough time to turn and shoot short side and his shot was kicked away by the goaltender Rayce Ramsay, but Tylin Hilbig picked up the rebound and scored his team leading seventh of the season.

From there, the period tightened up with both teams being forced to dump and chase, and soon Ethan King was nabbed for slashing to give the Broncos their first powerplay of the game. Despite their star power, the Broncos powerplay sat only fourth in the league and the Klippers were able to shut them down well allowing just a single shot.

After 1: Klippers 1 - 0 Broncos, shots 12-6 Broncos

The second period may have been the best period defensively for the Klippers all night despite the fact that they were outshot in the end. For a long time in the period the Klippers stopped the Broncos from crossing centre ice cleanly, either forcing them to dump in and chase after the puck or turn it over at centre and cause a chance the other.

Three minutes in, King earned his second penalty of the night with a completely accidental trip, but despite missing one of their best penalty killers who's got shorthanded goals this season, the Klippers penalty kill was just fine. They actually outshot the Broncos 2-1 while shorthanded, and Matt Mazzocchi was about a step away from a breakaway towards the net after turning the puck over up the right wall.

After the halfway mark of the period, the Klippers got a powerplay of their own that started off well. The first minute saw the Klippers fire a couple shots through traffic and be able to cycle the puck around the outside of the zone, but as units started to change it finally started to fall apart and the Klippers were forced back into their zone for the second half.

The Klippers had the lead in shots in the period until a late onslaught of shots from the Broncos saw them retake it for themselves.

After 2: Klippers 1 - 0 Broncos, shots 23-16 Broncos, 11-10 Broncos in the period

In their two games prior to this one, the Klippers scored in the first minute of the period as they went on to win the games. This time, the Broncos were the ones to score after a faceoff in the offensive zone. McGrath won the puck back to his left and Kade Olsen, and tapped the puck ahead to Logan Kurki who lasered a wrist shot through traffic and scored with an emphatic wrist shot that beat Pesenti blocker side to tie the game 16 seconds into the period.

From there it was back and forth action at both ends. The Klippers got an early powerplay opportunity but couldn't get much going on the man advantage this time around.

Near the halfway mark of the period, we saw some fantastic goaltending at either end of the ice. It started in the Klippers zone when the puck was passed across the ice to Pesenti's left, and he stretched out to make an incredible kick save. Seconds later, Jaxon Georget and Logan Linklater went down the ice on a two on one and Georget centred the puck for an open Linklater who was robbed with a similar save from Ramsay.

With just over two minutes left, the Klippers were given another powerplay opportunity and although it didn't start too great with an early clear, the Klippers were able to get a cycle going and even put a couple shots from the point through, but just couldn't find that game winner.

After 3: Klippers 1 - 1 Broncos, shots 31-24 Broncos, 8-7 Klippers in the period

The first minute and a half of the overtime period was nothing too special in particular. Both teams brought the puck up and down the ice, but no one got a clear shot at the net. Then Matt Mazzocchi took a cross checking penalty in his own zone, and that gave the most dangerous group of three players lots of open space to play with in a full 4-on-3 powerplay.

McGrath, Saretzky, Kurki, and rotating fourth man for the Broncos up against Jaxon Georget, Mark Snarr, and Brenden Lee. The puck never left the Klippers zone in a wild penalty kill. A broken stick from Connor McGrath on a short side onetimer. Another fantastic robbery from Pesenti from the other side. A blocked shot from Snarr. A blocked shot from Georget. Lee with a key pass interception that didn't quite leave the zone. A shot that Pesenti stopped and it trickled behind him only to be swept out of the crease by Snarr. One of the wildest penalty kills this writer has ever seen ended when the Klippers cleared the puck over the glass just as Mazzocchi left the box.

Unfortunately the Klippers couldn't get much more going from there, and we went to a shootout. We didn't see any goals in the shootout until the third round when Cage Newans beat Pesenti, but Noah Lindsay answered back. Then in the fourth round, Matthew Perkins scored and Matt Mazzocchi couldn't replicate it, and the Klippers would fall in an otherwise fantastic game.

FINAL (SO): Klippers 1 - 2 Broncos, shots 34-24 Broncos, 4-0 Broncos in Overtime

The loss comes as the first overtime loss of the season for the Klippers in five attempts. Again the Klippers played this game shorthanded as Jack Michell was a gametime decision to not play.

The Klippers get two days rest before they're back on the ice at home against the Notre Dame Hounds.