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WHL Swift Current Broncos

Geekie's Overtime Winner Sends Broncos to Second Round

April 4, 2024 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Swift Current Broncos News Release


Lethbridge, Alta. - The Swift Current Broncos have punched their ticket to the second round of the 2024 WHL Playoffs after a 5-4 double-overtime win over the Lethbridge Hurricanes, ending the series in four straight games, thanks to Conor Geekie's overtime heroics.

It was a big comeback for the Broncos who fell behind 3-0 in the first period, and were down 4-1 early in the second period, but three unanswered goals, two of which were in the second, and one midway through the third led the way for the Broncos. Interim Head Coach Taras McEwen said he was happy with how his team stuck with the process.

"Just a slow first period, we were very sloppy," McEwen said. "But I just thought we did a good job of kind of adapting throughout the game and just sticking with it, one shift at a time and found a way."

Josh Filmon brought the Broncos to 3-1 in the first period before the three-goal lead was restored by Lethbridge early in the second. A powerplay goal from Clarke Caswell would start the big comeback by the Broncos as just 1:45 after that goal, Luke Mistelbacher scored his fourth goal in two nights to make it 4-3 through two periods of play.

It took until just over 11 minutes into the third period for the Broncos to tie it as Grayson Burzynski's first goal in 31 games tied things up for the Broncos, setting the table for extra time for the first and only time in the series.

McEwen said this game showed how far the group has come through the season.

"Whatever happens, we have the ability to respond," he said. "At no point, did we feel out of it, at no point was there any sort of panic on the bench, we knew that at some point we were going to get a chance and we just couldn't give up the next one."

The first overtime solved nothing, but the Broncos did outshoot the Hurricanes 8-6 in the first frame.

And then just 37 seconds into the second overtime, Conor Geekie received a Clarke Caswell pass and fired one off a Lethbridge stick and passed Harrison Meneghin to end the game, and the series.

Reid Dyck ultimately stopped 37 of 41 for the Bronocs while Meneghin stopped 40 of 45.

The Broncos powerplay was 1-for-3 and the penalty kill was 1-for-1.

The four-game sweep was the Broncos first sweep since 1997, when they defeated Medicine Hat.

The Broncos will await their next opponent for the second round as they are the first team to punch their ticket to round two.

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