Wheat Kings Grab Series Lead
April 4, 2016 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Brandon Wheat Kings News Release
Edmonton, AB. - The Brandon Wheat Kings return to Brandon Monday following a 5-2 victory over the Oil Kings in game five of their Western Hockey League Eastern Conference Quarterfinal.
The win, Brandon's third in a row at Edmonton's Rexall Place, gives the Wheat Kings a 3-2 lead in the best of seven series with game six scheduled for Tuesday night at Westman Communications Group Place.
The Wheat Kings, who compiled an Eastern Conference best 23-10-3-0 record away from home during the regular season, jumped out to a 1-0 first period lead and took a 2-1 lead into the third period.
Wawanesa's Jordan Thomson - with his first ever WHL playoff goal - seven minutes into the third period gave Brandon a 2-goal cushion and turned out to be the game winner for the Wheat Kings, who were forced to play three straight games in Alberta due to the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair at the Keystone Centre.
"I give our players a lot of credit for having the determination to continue to believe that we could get back into the series," Brandon GM/Coach Kelly McCrimmon told Bruce Luebke on CKLQ's post-game show, "We're not done the series yet, we have another win that we need to have but in terms of accomplishing some real positive things here in Edmonton, we have done that."
John Quenneville, Stelio Mattheos, Reid Duke and Jayce Hawryluk also scored goals for the Wheat Kings, who were playing without veteran forward Tyler Coulter after the 19-year old local product was suspended by the WHL under supplemental discipline. The length of the suspension is expected to be announced sometime Monday.
Tanner Kaspick added a pair of assists and was named first star for the Wheat Kings, who outshot Edmonton 33-24.
Game time Tuesday night in Brandon is 7pm and tickets to the game are on sale at the Keystone Centre box office, online at keystonecentre.com or by calling (204) 726-3555.
Wheat Kings' Playoff Hockey presented by Sunrise Credit Union, Precision Toyota, Montana's Barbecue and Bar and The Brandon Sun.
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