Kiviniemi's Overtime Winner Lifts Broncos over Hitmen
September 22, 2019 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Swift Current Broncos News Release
SWIFT CURRENT, SK - The Swift Current Broncos (1-0-0-0) opened up the regular season with a thrilling overtime win against the Calgary Hitmen (0-0-1-0) thanks to Joona Kiviniemi's overtime winner Saturday night.
The Broncos thought they had opened the scoring just over five minutes into the game, but the officials quickly waived it off as Ethan Regnier deflected it with a high stick.
Carter Chorney would open the scoring for real nearly 10 minutes later. After Ethan O'Rourke was stopped off the rush, Chorney jumped on the rebound and poked it over Carl Stankowski to open the scoring.
The lead didn't last long as the Hitmen answered back off a goal from Carson Focht to send the game into the intermission tied at one.
Early in the second, Regnier got a breakaway but was hooked up and awarded a penalty shot. He made no mistake, beating Stankowski through the five hole to give the Broncos a 2-1 lead.
The lead lasted until the final minute, when Egor Zamula's long wrist shot beat a screened Isaac Poulter with just 18 seconds remaining in the game.
In overtime, Josh Prokop was awarded a penalty shot after he was tripped by Connor Horning. Prokop tried a similar move that Regnier scored on earlier, but Poulter stayed with him and made the left pad save.
With just six seconds left in overtime, Jett Woo was called for tripping, giving the Broncos their fourth power play of the game.
Ben King won the faceoff clean to the left wall for Alex Moar. Moar skated into the left corner before finding a wide-open Kiviniemi in the slot.
Kiviniemi took half a step before firing a wrist shot past Stankowski with under a second left in overtime to win the game.
The Broncos are now off six days until they host the Medicine Hat Tigers to the iPlex Friday night.
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