It took a 6-1 defeat at the hands of the Calgary Hitmen to awaken the Swift Current Broncos. The captain of the Broncos, Calgary Flames prospect Glenn Gawdin was a difference maker in tonight’s game between the host Rebels and the visiting Broncos.
The Broncos would be without the services of two of the leagues top scorers in Aleksi Heponiemi and Tyler Steenbergen for the second night in a row. They would also start backup goaltender Joel Hofer, who would see action for the ninth time this year. Heading in his record was 3-1-0-0.
Heading in to the game tonight, the Rebels had been held scoreless in a little more than two full games. Early on they would look to get on the scoreboard and break a couple of streaks.
With 9:08 to go in the first period a wraparound goal from Grayson Pawlenchuk (10) broke the goalless drought at 172:54. Kristian Reichel and Mason McCarty were credited with the assists.
A scary incident for the Rebels as Reichel is kneed with 5:19 to go in the period. He had some difficulty getting up but would be back to the ice in no time.
The Rebels nearly went up 2-0 on the power play but a goal scored by Reese Johnson was called back. The ref did not signal a goal when the puck crossed the line. A video review determined that Johnson had kicked the puck in the net from the blue paint so the call on the ice would be no goal.
Jacob Herauf would take the Rebels first penalty of the night and just seven seconds into it the Broncos tie the game up. Glenn Gawdin walked right into the circle on the blocker side of Riley Lamb and roofed one to tie the game up. Kaden Edler and Matteo Gennaro would be given the assists. The first period would end with the teams knotted at one, Broncos led the shots 12-10.
With 11:46 to go in the second period the Broncos would find themselves down two-men for 22 seconds. Alexander Alexeyev rang a shot off the crossbar. That would be as close as the Rebels would come to retaking the lead.
Just 13 seconds into a power play for the Broncos, a shot from close to the top of the circle beat Lamb. Gennaro would be the goal scorer it would be his 16th of the season, second with the Broncos, and they would have their first lead. Colby Sissons and Artyom Minulin.
Shortly after the next whistle, Brandon Cutler and Logan Barlage dropped the mitts. It was a short fight and the decision from the judges went to Barlage. The Rebels received an extra two-minutes from the scrum and would go back to the penalty kill.
Alexeyev and Gawdin are then assessed coincidental minors when they give each other a couple of whacks, roughing is the official call from the refs. The refs then again call coincidental minor penalties this time to Mason McCarty and Quinton Waitzner.
The penalties just keep coming as another set of coincidental penalties is called this time to Lukus McKenzie and Gennaro. The flow of this game has slowed to a trickle. The period would end mercifully with the Broncos up 2-1 and holding a slight edge in shots at 21-20.
Reichel scored at 5:19 of the third to tie the game back up at two. The goal came on the power-play and the assists went to Alexeyev and Pawlenchuk. Another streak would be broken as this was the first Rebels power play goal in 18 opportunities.
More coincidental penalties handed out halfway through the third period. Gawdin gets two for unsportsmanlike conduct and McCarty gets two for hooking, more time at four on four.
With just over six minutes left Grayson Pawlenchuk ripped a shot off the post, the best chance for the Rebels to retake the lead. The game would head to overtime with the teams tied at two. Swift Current out shot Red Deer 12-7 in the period.
With 1:44 gone in the overtime, the Broncos extend the Rebels losing streak to 11 games. Max Patterson would be given the puck on the rush into the Rebels zone. He would blow past the Rebels forward defending him, cut to the net and slide it past Lamb.
