Broncos Fend off Late Push to Down Hurricanes 5-4
October 27, 2022 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Swift Current Broncos News Release
Swift Current, Sask - It was closer than they would have liked, but the Swift Current Broncos (3-7-0-0) fended off a late push by the Lethbridge Hurricanes (5-8-0-0) to hang on for a 5-4 victory Wednesday night.
The Broncos opened the scoring for just the second time this season off a 4-on-1 rush. After Gage Alexander poked the puck away on a chance in tight for Lethbridge, the rush turned back the other way for the odd-man rush.
Raphael Pelletier had the puck on right wing and held on as long as he could before sliding it across the crease for Owen Pickering who tapped it past Jared Picklyk for his second goal of the year, 13:07 into the first period.
The Broncos took that 1-0 lead into the intermission, though the Hurricanes were outshooting Swift Current 11-6.
Early in the second the Broncos went to their first power play of the game and wasted no time taking advantage. Mathew Ward had the puck on the goal line and spotted Josh Filmon alone in the slot, feeding him the pass for a one timer as Filmon picked up his fifth goal of the year.
The Hurricanes would cut into the lead halfway through the second period when Hayden Smith got a step on the Broncos defence, coming down the left wing and snuck a shot under the blocker arm of Alexander to make it 2-1.
Undeterred, the Broncos answered back six minutes later with another power play goal, this time courtesy of a one timer from Ward for his fourth of the year as the Broncos took a 3-1 lead into the second intermission.
Lethbridge received two power plays in the opening minutes of the third period, and took just seven seconds on the second one to cut into the Broncos lead. Tyson Lavenutre took a pass on the goal line and spun out in front of the net, lifting a shot over the glove of Alexander to make it 3-2 just 4:19 into the third.
The Hurricanes then pulled even 11:46 into the final frame. Cole Shepard shook loose from a check along the right-wing boards before turning and heading right down the slot, beating Alexander under the glove through traffic to tie the game at three.
The game didn't stay tied for long however as the Broncos answered back quickly. Ward gained the Lethbridge line off the rush and let a long wrist shot go that bounced off the blocker of Picklyk, up into the air and landed in the net for Ward's second of the game just 1:15 after the Hurricanes had tied it.
Off the next faceoff the Broncos got the puck into the Hurricanes zone and Sam McGinley beat Picklyk from the goal line, scoring his first of the season just 20 seconds after Ward's goal to make it 5-3.
The Hurricanes wouldn't go away quietly, pulling Picklyk for the extra attacker and cutting into the lead once again. Jett Jones was able to jam a puck past Alexander with 2:53 to play to make it a one-goal game again.
In a role reversal from Saturday's game against Lethbridge, it was Swift Current's turn to withstand a furious push late as the Hurricanes tried to pull even, but the Broncos were able to fend off the late push and hang on for the 5-4 win, their league-leading eighth one-goal game of the season.
The Broncos now prepare to face the Victoria Royals (2-9-2-0) on home ice for the first time since November 29, 2017.
Announced attendance was 1,503.
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