Trans-Canada clash
The East Division went into the Western Hockey League’s holiday break with a slate of home-and-home contests between the division’s six teams.
Topping the marquee was the battle between the rival Moose Jaw Warriors and Regina Pats who occupy the top two spots in the standings.
The Warriors (20-8-4-1) took the first game at home by a 5-4 count before the Pats (22-3-6-0) responded by defending their home ice with a 7-3 win.
The first meeting had a little bit of everything as the Warriors scored twice off of their first three shots despite the Pats owning a territorial edge. The Pats strong play finally paid off as they reeled off four straight goals to take a 4-2 lead into the first intermission.
The Warriors scored three goals in the second period as they showed off their explosive offence. They also showed the defensive side of their game as they held the high-flying Pats attack off the board for the final 40 minutes. It was only the Pats third loss in regulation to date.
One night later, that Pats attack would not be denied.
Once again the Warriors took a one-goal lead into the third period, but Regina out-shot the visitors 23-8 and scored five unanswered goals to avenge the loss.
Adam Brooks scored three goals and added two assists, while Sam Steel had four points for the Pats.
Broncos enter break on a high
The Swift Current Broncos (18-10-3-4) won a pair of games against the Prince Albert Raiders (7-26-1-1) to head into the break two points behind second-place Moose Jaw in the East Division standings.
The Broncos beat the Raiders 4-1 at home before winning their third straight game, 4-3, in P.A. the following night. The Broncos’ three-game streak coincided with the return of Glenn Gawdin to the lineup.
Travis Child had won two straight starts, but the third time wasn’t the charm for the Broncos’ goalie. He allowed two goals off of four shots against the Raiders and was promptly pulled. The move got the desired response as the Broncos’ tied the game before the end of the first period. Kole Gable scored twice for the Broncos and Kade Jensen scored the game-winning goal to go along with an assist.
Wheat Kings solidify playoff position
No one needed a win heading into the break more than the Brandon Wheat Kings (15-14-4-0) who had lost six straight games. The Wheat Kings beat the Saskatoon Blades (13-19-3-1) by a 3-2 score in a shootout to celebrate their first game at home in more than three weeks.
A night later they beat the Blades again by a 3-2 score.
Though the Blades earned a point out of the weekend, the Wheat Kings now have a four-point lead on them as they hold the final wild card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Markson Bechtold opened the scoring in his Blades debut, but the Wheat Kings twice tied the Friday night game and Reid Duke’s goal with 3:32 left forced overtime.
Brandon goalie Logan Thompson won his first game since Nov. 13. He has won four games this season and three of them have come down to a shootout.
The Wheat Kings also welcomed Tanner Kaspick back to the lineup and he had a pair of assists in Brandon’s win in Saskatoon.
Braylon Shmyr and Jesse Shynkaruk each had a goal and an assist for Saskatoon. The Wheat Kings left it late again as Connor Gutenberg scored with 1:06 left for Brandon.
