By Les Lazaruk
SWIFT CURRENT – A first career hat-trick, a first goal of the season and a first “stolen” win highlighted a badly-needed 4-3 victory for the Saskatoon Blades Friday night.
Cam Hebig scored the only three goals of the second period, Tyler Lees tallied what turned out to be the game-winner and Ryan Kubic made those goals stand up with 35 saves…two of them on penalty shots late in the third period.
The victory ended a three-game winless streak for the 4-7-1 Bridge City Bunch.
“Feels good,” said Hebig of his hat-trick, the first of his WHL career in his 208th game. “It’s nice to get some goals and sure nice to get the win. I guess shooting the puck pays off.”
Hebig’s three goals came on seven shots on goal, giving him 10 goals for the season in 10 games played. That gave the Bridge City Bunch a lead they didn’t relinquish…but not without some nervous moments!
After Lees gave the Blue and Gold a 4-1 lead, the Broncos rallied to get within a goal and 10 minutes remaining in the third period. They were given two penalty shot opportunities, but Kubic stopped Kole Gable and Aleksi Heponiemi and held solid when Swift Current pulled goaltender Logan Flodell for an extra attacker over the final two-and-a-half minutes.
“(Kubic) kept us in it in the third (period),” said Hebig. “Those big saves on the penalty shots and big saves on (their) power play. It was definitely nice to have him back there and playing strong for us.”
The Blades will take a fourth stab at winning back-to-back games Saturday when they host the Brandon Wheat Kings at SaskTel Centre where Saskatoon has won just once in six tries.
Pacman Points – Hebig’s first goal was the 150th point in the Saskatoon product’s WHL career.
Lees was playing in his first game after breaking his collarbone during the pre-season. The goal was the second of the 17-year-old Regina native’s WHL career, in his eighth game. The first came back in February in Lethbridge in his sixth game.
The win ended a four-game losing streak in head-to-head against the Broncos, dating back to a 6-3 triumph at home on January 22. The last Bridge City Bunch triumph came in Swift Current came on opening night of last season when Flodell, then with the Blades, back-stopped the Blades to a 5-1 win in his debut with the team after being acquired from Seattle.
WHL goals and points leader Tyler Steenbergen was held to one assist by Saskatoon, but the Swift Current left winger has points in all 12 games so far this season…34 points in total.
Goals by Heponiemi and Speedy Creek captain Glenn Gawdin gave the Broncos big line (Heponiemi-Gawdin-Steenbergen) a combined 39 scored out of 55 total by the Swift Current team…or 70.9%.
The Broncos won 38 of 64 faceoffs in the game…the first time the Bridge City Bunch were below 50% at the dot in five outings. Gawdin won 19 of 30 draws for Swift Current while Hebig was tops for the Blue and Gold with just 13 wins in 27 faceoffs.
Heponiemi matched Hebig with seven shots on goal to top all individual players in the contest in that category.
Right winger Michael Farren took the pre-game skate for the Blades, but ended up sitting out a third straight game with a lower body injury. New to the Saskatoon infirmary ward/sick bay were right winger Caleb Fantillo (Upper Body) and centre Brandon Machado (illness). Centre Logan Christensen missed a seventh consecutive contest with an Upper Body hurt.
Swift Current’s four scratches were all “Coaches Decisions”…defenceman Jake Hobson and forwards Ethan Regnier, Logan Foster and Owen Blocker.
