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WHL Brandon Wheat Kings

Wheat Kings this Week: Wheat Kings Face Warriors, Pats in All-Divisional Week

November 8, 2023 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Brandon Wheat Kings News Release


With the Eastern Conference playoff race still tighter than a drum, the Brandon Wheat Kings have an opportunity to gain (and take away) some critical points in the standings this week. They'll be doing so against some familiar opponents.

The Wheat Kings begin their week with a rare Thursday night game in Moose Jaw against the Warriors. They've faced the Warriors three times already this season, winning twice, most recently a 4-3 win in Brandon in regulation. They're coming off a 6-1 loss to the Regina Pats, however, and have some things they want to improve on.

"Creating more at five-on-five," said head coach and GM Marty Murray. "Our chances for were pretty limited and our shots for and against were fine, our puck possession time was fine, we just didn't generate enough scoring chances from playing inside the dots. And we didn't give up a lot of chances but the ones we did give up were too high-risk."

Moose Jaw, in particular, has some high-end offensive talent that will make any opponent pay for defensive lapses. Jagger Firkus, for example, leads the WHL with 33 points in 16 games played. As such, defensive awareness will be key against them.

"That's the difference in the game," Murray said. "They have guys that are game-breakers on their team. If you give them an opportunity they're probably going to make you pay, so it's going to come down to limiting their grade-A opportunities. We'll have to be dialed in with our reads and puck decisions."

It was the Wheat Kings' game-breakers, however, who had the last laugh when the two teams most recently met in Brandon on October 26. Nate Danielson and Brett Hyland each had multi-point games, and for scorers like that it's easy to get up for a game against top opponents.

"You're lined up against a guy and you take it personally that you're going to win your shift and your period and be better at the end of the game," said Murray. "That's kind of the whole competition thing that we deal with every day. You've got to get up and have that intensity and willingness to outduel the guy you're lined up against."

Once the game against Moose Jaw wraps up, the Wheat Kings make a brief stop back home to face the Pats on Remembrance Day. The afternoon affair, with a 3:00 puck drop, will see the two rivals meet for the third time this season. A ceremonial faceoff and a moment of silence will be part of the pre-game show as we pay tribute to those who have served and continue to serve their country. Tickets for that game are HERE.

The next afternoon, the Wheat Kings and Pats trade places, with the Pats hosting a matinee game against the Wheat Kings.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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