Wheat Kings Keep Pedal Down After Quick Start in Prince Albert
February 22, 2024 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Brandon Wheat Kings News Release
The Brandon Wheat Kings expected a playoff atmosphere for their game against the Prince Albert Raiders. They delievered a playoff effort and took two points in regulation as a result.
Jayden Wiens scored on the very first shift, and Matteo Michels scored twice as the Wheat Kings took down the Raiders 3-2. Carson Bjarnason turned aside 32 of 34 shots thrown his way in the win.
"We were just much better in our details," said Wheat Kings head coach and GM Marty Murray "We continued on. Last time we got in here, we scored ten seconds in and you could see us let our foot off the gas right away. Tonight, I don't feel we did that."
As they did in their last trip to Prince Albert, the Wheat Kings opened the scoring early. After a good battle along the wall, Wiens fought his way to the net, found a rebound, and stuffed home his 18th just 34 seconds into the contest. And this time, the lead lasted the entire first period as they went to the room up 1-0.
Seven minutes into the second, the Wheat Kings took a tripping penalty on Harrison Lodewyk as he pulled into the clear, giving him a penalty shot. But Bjarnason stuck right with him and preserved the Wheat Kings' lead as Lodewyk was forced wide. The 1-0 spread continued all through the second, despite chances at both ends and a couple of posts by the Raiders.
Off an icing early in the third, Dominik Petr won the draw and left it for Michels. Michels took a short step to the middle from the left side, snapped a shot on goal, and put the Wheat Kings ahead 2-0.
Once the Raiders got back on the power play, they fought back. Sloan Stanick held the zone, then fired a puck through traffic that Aiden Oiring redirected home.
Again it was Michels with the answer for the Wheat Kings. On a two-on-one off the rush, he took a feed from Nolan Flamand and went in alone, wasting no time snapping one bar-down to make it 3-1.
With the net empty, the Raiders made a desperate last bid, with Niall Crocker tipping home his 20th of the year to pull them back within one. But Bjarnason held them to the outside with some help from some desperate defense, and the Wheat Kings held on for the victory.
The win gives the Wheat Kings a six-point cushion on the Raiders in the standings. They'll face the Raiders again on Saturday night, but first it's a showdown with Saskatoon on Friday. Puck drop in both games will be 7:00.
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