The Lethbridge Hurricanes got a 24-save effort from netminder Bryan Thomson along with a four-point night from forward Logan Barlage in a 6-0 thumping of the division foe Swift Current Broncos. Reece Klassen managed 31 saves in a losing effort for the Broncos.
The Hurricanes wasted no time getting the party started has Barlage and Justin Hall went to work. Hall redirected a Barlage shot home to give the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead. That goal was Hall’s eighth of the season. Barlage and Alex Cotton had the helpers. Lethbridge was off and running from that point.
The Hurricanes controlled the period and added to the lead before the media timeout when defenceman Trevor Thurston blasted his third of the season past Klassen, making it 2-0. Barlage and Koletrane Wilson were credited with assists on the play.
Barlage’s big night continued just three minutes later as he collected his 11th goal of the season, snapping one through the Swift Current netminder for a 3-0 lead. Chase Wheatcroft and Noah Boyko set up the play.
Hurricanes rode the momentum they earned in the opening period into the second as they controlled the play. Jett Jones got in on the action with his fourth of the season. Alone in the slot, Jones fired it home and the Hurricanes lead was 4-0. The Hurricanes ran into some penalty trouble in the middle frame, giving up four power-play chances to Swift Current, but the Broncos were unable to take advantage.
The third period was much of the same. The Hurricanes added two more to the score sheet to make it a 6-0 game. Jones scored his fifth of the season. Noah Boyko then rounded out the scoring for the home team with his ninth of the year with Barlage adding an assist for his fourth point of the night.
With the game in hand for Lethbridge, the rough stuff took over which included two fights and two game misconducts. A total of 74 minutes in penalties were given out by the referees.
Shooting the breeze: The Broncos had their chances with the man advantage but went 0-8 on those power plays. The Hurricanes power play was also unable to capitalize, going 0-4 on the night.
The shutout for Thomson was his first in the WHL — congratulations to the Moose Jaw native. That is also his 13th win in 22 WHL games. With the shutout, Thomson raises his save percentage to .911.
With his assist, Alex Cotton added to his WHL lead in points among defensemen. He now sits at 39 points, six ahead of Wyatte Wylie of the Silvertips.
Despite being outplayed for much of the night, the Broncos still managed to win the faceoff battle, winning 29 draws to the Hurricanes 27.
Lethbridge has now won four straight home games and sit with a 4-1 record since Dylan Cozens, Calen Addison, and Oliver Okuliar left for the World Junior Championships. The Broncos are now 1-1-0-0 since the Christmas break.
Next up for the Broncos and the Hurricanes is a rematch in Swift Current Monday night. Lethbridge has won all four meetings to date in the season series. The game Monday is the fifth of seven matchups on the year.
