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WHL Swift Current Broncos

Filmon's Overtime Winner Lifts Broncos Over Tigers

December 31, 2022 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Swift Current Broncos News Release


Swift Current, Sask. - The Swift Current Broncos (16-15-0-1) saw their two-goal lead in the third period disappear but forced overtime before Josh Filmon scored his second of the night, giving the Broncos a 4-3 win over the Medicine Hat Tigers (13-18-5-1).

Much like the night before, the Broncos opened the scoring halfway through the first period. Connor Hvidston hooked the puck across the neutral zone for Sam McGinley who had speed coming down the left wing.

McGinley was able to fend off the check of a Tigers defender before skating into the left circle and firing a low wrist shot past the glove of Beckett Langkow to give the Broncos a 1-0 lead. It was McGinley's seventh goal of the season, tying his career high set last year, but in 37 fewer games.

The Broncos withstood some pressure by the Tigers over the duration of the first period, with Reid Dyck turning aside all seven shots sent his way.

Swift Current went to their first power play of the night late in the period and took advantage. Owen Pickering slid the puck from the right point across to Mathew Ward, and he quickly fired it to Josh Filmon in the right circle.

Filmon was able to sneak a shot under the blocker of Langkow for his 22nd of the year with just 38 seconds to go in the period, sending the Broncos to the intermission leading 2-0.

The second period saw some push back by Medicine Hat, generating numerous high-quality scoring chances, but Dyck was stellar in the Broncos crease. His finest save came with just seconds remaining in the period, stabbing out the blocker to deny Oasiz Wiesblatt on a shorthanded breakaway.

After carrying their 2-0 lead into the second intermission, the game began to turn on its head.

Medicine Hat cut into the Broncos lead with a power play goal to start the third. Brayden Boehm redirected a shot from Wiesblatt just 1:50 into the third.

With the Broncos on the power play near the midpoint of the third, a turnover in the neutral zone sent Brendan Lee on a shorthanded breakaway and he scored to tie the game at two.

Five minutes later, another neutral zone turnover by Swift Current ended up in the back of the net as Owen MacNeil found a loose puck during a goal mouth scramble to give the Tigers their first lead of the night.

The Broncos responded perfectly however, tying the game just a minute after Medicine Hat took the lead. Pickering fired the puck on net from the left point and Brady Birnie picked up the loose puck at the top of the crease before sliding it past Langkow to tie the game at three.

In overtime both teams had sequences of possession, with Hvidston nearly ending the game off the opening faceoff. He started from his own zone before blowing through the Tigers defence down the wing but was stopped by Langkow.

Just over three minutes into overtime, Pickering gathered the puck on the goal line of the Tigers zone and centred for Filmon who hammered a one timer over the glove of Langkow, winning the game with his 23rd goal of the season.

With the win the Broncos are on their second four-game winning streak of the season. They'll to win their fifth straight when they welcome the Saskatoon Blades (25-6-1-0) on Friday.

Announced attendance was 1,771.

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Western Hockey League Stories from December 31, 2022


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