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WHL Brandon Wheat Kings

End-To-End Battle Ends in Shootout Loss for Wheat Kings

October 21, 2023 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Brandon Wheat Kings News Release


In the final regulation period of their lengthy road trip, the Brandon Wheat Kings dug deep and found a reserve of energy to fight back against the Wenatchee Wild. It was enough to carry them to a shootout, but not enough to carry them to a win.

Brett Hyland scored twice and Carson Bjarnason was incredible with 38 saves, but it wasn't enough as the Wheat Kings fell 4-3 in a shootout. Brenden Gee stopped 32 of 35 shots he faced in the win.

"I thought the first two periods we were pretty flat and we just kind of laid it out there after two," said Wheat Kings head coach and GM Marty Murray. "We had twenty minutes of hockey here to try to get something, to try to get to .500 on this road trip. Our effort was much better in the third period."

The game might've been out of reach going into the third period if not for Bjarnason. Though he surrendered goals to Kenta Isogai and Conor Geekie, he made countless highlight reel saves in both the first and second period. In between those two goals, the Wheat Kings gave him a little help as Hyland snuck a shot from the low slot underneath Gee, following a give-and-go with Nate Danielson.

Outshot by nearly double through forty minutes, a very different Wheat Kings team emerged in the third. They drew two penalties with hard work, and scored on both. First, Hyland repeated his shot from earlier, this time taking a pass from Roger McQueen and snapping it home to tie the score.

Andrei Maliavin followed that up with an absolutely spectacular end-to-end goal, splitting the defense, walking right in, and firing home a shot to give the Wheat Kings their first lead of the night. Sadly that lead would not survive the third as Briley Wood came in off the rush and put a perfect shot over Bjarnason's shoulder.

The teams played no-holds-barred in overtime, particularly in the back half as they traded grade-A chances and breakaways alike. Bjarnason and Gee went save for save in an impressive goaltenders duel.

The game went to a shootout, where Isogai, who had opened the scoring, ended it. He scored the only goal of the shootout and the extra point went the way of the Wild.

With their longest road trip of the season out of the way, the Wheat Kings return home. They next face the Moose Jaw Warriors on Thursday, October 26 at 7:00 at Westoba Place.

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