Broncos Drop Tightly-Contested Game to Hurricanes
December 31, 2019 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Swift Current Broncos News Release
SWIFT CURRENT, SK - The Swift Current Broncos (7-24-1-2) battled hard until the end, but missed opportunites came back to bite them against the Lethbridge Hurricanes (23-10-0-5) in a 3-1 loss Monday night.
After weathering some early storms from the Hurricanes, the Broncos opened up the scoring when Tyler Smithies kept on a two-on-one rush and beat Carl Tetachuk on the blocker side. The Broncos took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission.
After the Hurricanes killed off the remaining 36 seconds from a Broncos power play that carried into the second, Lethbridge got a man advantage of their own.
Just 19 seconds into that power play, Logan Barlage jammed home a rebound off a high save from Isaac Poulter to tie the game 1:08 into the second.
Both teams had chances in the second, including Kasper Puutio on a power play when he fanned on an open net one timer chance.
Poulter made a huge left pad save on Zack Stringer cutting to the net shortly after a Broncos power play in the second.
Smithies came in on another two-on-one rush in the final seconds of the second, but his pass to Aiden Bulych was blocked by the Hurricanes defender as the period ended tied at one.
2004-born Josh Davies had a chance to regain the lead for Swift Current in the third after a turnover by the Hurricanes in their own zone, but he couldn't get his backhand shot on net.
Lethbridge pulled ahead for good near the halfway mark of the third period after the Broncos couldn't clear the zone. Barlage took a shot from the slot and Justin Hall chopped the rebound over Poulter's right pad to put the Hurricanes ahead.
With Poulter on the bench, the Broncos pressured inside the Lethbridge zone before Hall hit the empty net with seven seconds to go to give the Hurricanes a 3-1 lead.
The Broncos are back in action Friday night when they host the Regina Pats for retro night.
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