The CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins have advanced to the next round of the SJHL's playoffs.

Estevan defeated the Kindersley Klippers 4-1 on Wednesday night to win the best-of-five Sherwood Conference Survivor Series in four games.

The Bruins will now face the Yorkton Terriers in a best-of-seven conference semi-final series.

Estevan set the tone quickly on Wednesday, as Alex Cote scored 15 seconds into the game to give Estevan a 1-0 lead. The Bruins had several quality scoring chances during the first half of the period, but couldn't convert.

"We've had success in the last little while getting off to quick starts, and that certainly helped (tonight)," said head coach/GM Keith Cassidy. "I think we could have come out that first nine minutes in the first period three or four goals up, but such as our season has been thus far, we didn't capitalize on those opportunities."

Late in the first, Ryan Doner scored for Kindersley. The two teams were tied after the first period, even though Estevan had a 13-2 lead in shots on goal.

But the early goal took a lot out of Kindersley, Cassidy said, even though they did manage to tie the game.

Kindersley had a few opportunities to take the lead early in the second, but the Bruins would soon reassert their dominance, and eight minutes into the frame, Darcy DeRoose would score what would prove to be the series-winning goal.

Hudson Morrison scored a power play goal early in the third to give the Bruins a two-goal cushion, and from there, the Black and Gold limited Kindersley's chances. Cole Olson added an empty net goal for the Bruins to finish the scoring.

Curtis Martinu stopped 17 shots to get the win.

The win allowed Estevan to avoid travelling to Kindersley for Game 5, which would have happened Thursday night.

"There wasn't a person in that room who wanted to get back onto the bus and drive up to Kindersley," said Cassidy. "I think we've had enough of being up there this year."

The Bruins played the game without forward Matt Brykaliuk, who suffered a concussion in Game 3. He's expected to be out for some time, and he has been sent home to Brandon, Manitoba, to recuperate.

Game 1 against Yorkton will be Friday night in Yorkton. Game 2 will be played on Saturday in Estevan at 7:30 p.m. at Spectra Place. Game 3 is Tuesday night in Yorkton, and Game 4 is Thursday in Estevan.

The remaining games, if necessary, will be March 16 in Yorkton, March 18 in Estevan and March 20 in Yorkton.

"Yorkton's game is predicated on depth, and being able to roll four lines," said Cassidy. "One of the reasons that we went to the line-up that we did is to get four lines, and be able to have a line-up where, at any given time, you can put any one of the four lines out on a defensive zone face-off and feel comfortable. For the most part, we've done that."

The Terriers won four of six meetings with the Bruins this year; one of Yorkton's wins was in overtime. The Bruins won in Yorkton in October - the only time that the Terriers lost in regulation on home ice this season. Estevan also ended Yorkton's 10-game winning streak when the Bruins beat the Terriers at Spectra Place in December.