Swift Current Broncos earn another two points in win against Calgary Hitmen

The Swift Current Broncos returned to home ice to host the Calgary Hitmen at the iPlex. The Broncos had three wins and two losses in their last five games. The Hitmen had four losses and one win in their last five games.

It was recently announced that Tyler Steenbergen has just signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Arizona Coyotes. Steenbergen was drafted by the Yotes in 2017. With 44 goals and 54 assists to his credit this season, the Coyotes have signed a strong asset to their organization.

The starting lineup consisted of Stuart Skinner in net while the second line of Beck Malenstyn, Tanner Nagel, and Giorgio Estephan started up front. On defence, Colby Sissons and Artyom Minulin. Kaden Elder slotted back into the lineup after missing one game due to sickness. It seems the flu might be going around. Scratches for the Broncos were Ethan Regnier, Quinton Waitzner, and Connor Horning.

Artyom Minulin

During the first period, there was an in-house shout-out to the three Calgary Hitmen who previously played for the Broncos; Dom Schmiemann, Conner Chaulk, and Riley Stotts, who has been having a career year since being traded to the Hitmen with 16 goals and 20 goals this season.

In front of another sold out crowd in Swift Current, the Calgary Hitmen knew they’d have a tough game to win so they brought their A-game to start. It didn’t last long as the Broncos took control and put pressure on the Hitmen. Nick Schneider stood tall in net and saved the period for Calgary. At the halfway marker, shots on net were 6-3 in favour of Swift Current. But the Hitmen would come back in the latter part of the period and take offensive control. Glenn Gawdin starting throwing his weight around, Matteo Gennaro beefed up the defence with his clearing attempts, and Stuart Skinner was solid in net. Calgary mixed up their lines a bit and changed the momentum as Tristen Nielsen, Carson Focht, and Luke Coleman created some chemistry and started putting more pressure on the home team. With only 14 seconds left in the first period, Calgary pushed hard enough that Jakob Stukel buried one, giving the Calgary Hitmen a 1-0 advantage after 20 minutes.

Tyler Steenbergen (Darwin Knelsen)

At the beginning of the second period, Tyler Steenbergen notched the opening goal for the Broncos to tie the game 1-1. Glenn Gawdin and Aleksi Heponiemi got the assists on Steenbergen’s goal. Again we saw Calgary mix up their lines, therefore changing the pace of the game. But they had the wind taken out of their sails when Egor Zamula took a holding penalty to give Swift Current the man-advantage. With one minute remaining in the Broncos power play, it was negated by a call on Beck Malenstyn for interference. No goals were scored on the 4-on-4 or any of the power plays and the score remained 1-1. In spite of more chances on the Calgary net by Swift Current, the Broncos couldn’t break through the Hitmen defence. A few whistles mid-period took away any attempts to generate plays by both teams. When the Hitmen took a slashing penalty, it was the break the Broncos needed to notch the go-ahead goal and take control of the game once again. Glenn Gawdin scored, with assists to Aleksi Heponiemi and Colby Sissons, to give Swift Current the 2-1 edge. A late period penalty called on Sahvan Khaira for interference would be the opportunity Calgary needed and the score was again tied 2-2, thanks to Tristen Nielsen.

The second line for the Broncos was the most effective for a full 60 minutes. Not only did they create scoring chances and set up plays, their offensive prowess was a shining star among some messy plays. Glenn Gawdin sat out the third period. According to Shawn Mullin, who spoke to Manny Viveiros after the game, Gawdin wasn’t feeling well but it’s nothing serious. Heponiemi buried his 28th goal of the season to put the home team up 3-2. Swift Current dominated the final period for the most part, except for the final few minutes when Calgary pushed back for another tying goal that didn’t happen. Tanner Nagel was a deciding factor in a game that easily could have been tied again with his shot-blocking defence. Both goalies stood on their heads and made big saves at key moments throughout the game. The final score was 3-2 for the Broncos.

Since the trade deadline, the Broncos defence has improved dramatically. The blue-liners have worked hard to refine their defensive skills and it shows through their better positioning and effective offensive skills as well. They work together as a team instead of separately as individuals. As well, the forwards have helped with their defensive talents to make a team of well-rounded players.

photo courtesy Darwin Knelsen

Traci’s 1 Star – Aleksi Heponiemi
He makes hockey look easy. With one goal and two assists in this game against Calgary, Heponiemi now has a total of 114 points this season so far. He’s in third place in points, he’s first in assists with 86, and he’s in second place for power play assists with 34. He does all of this while making it seem effortless. With this much natural talent, I’m excited to see where his career goes in the next few years.

The Moose Jaw Warriors won their game against Lethbridge tonight, which means that they still lead the Eastern Conference with 101 points. Swift Current is close behind with 100 points. The battle at the end of the season continues for the Swift Current Broncos on Friday, March 9th when they visit the Edmonton Oil Kings and hope to overtake their biggest competitor of the year in the standings.