The Brandon Wheat Kings have made a habit of trailing 2-0 in a best-of-seven series, only to turn up the heat when returning to their home province.
For the first time in two years, the Westoba Place hosted a playoff game and the Brandon faithful saw their hometown Wheat Kings edge the Lethbridge Hurricanes 5-4 Tuesday night to jump back in the series.
Needing a win, Connor Gutenberg forced a turnover behind the net and spotted Linden McCorrister crashing through the slot and ripped home his fifth of the postseason. It marked the third time this postseason that the Wheat Kings scored the first goal of the game.
This was the first opportunity for the Wheat Kings to address the Humboldt Broncos tragedy.
Holding a moment of silence, Brandon paid their respects to the fallen members of the hockey community.
Then, 16:08 after the puck drop, Humboldt native Logan Barlage snuck in through the back door and tapped home a feed from Zane Franklin to tie the game 1-1. Barlage celebrated by pointing towards the heavens, as his teammates gathered around him to celebrate the first Hurricane goal in the Westoba Place this season.
McCorrister was searching for his second of the game with the puck on his stick in the slot, but he completely whiffed. The puck rolled off the heel of his stick over to Ty Lewis at the side of the net who was starring at a wide-open cage to put the Wheat Kings up 2-1. Stelio Mattheos picked up an assist in what was a monster performance by the former No. 1 overall pick in the Bantam Draft.
Opening up the second, Brandon native Calen Addison was the trailer on a rush set up by an Egor Zudilov hit in the neutral zone. Flying into the offensive zone, Owen Blocker threw on the brakes and hit the late-arriving Addison, who walked in and snapped one past Dylan Myskiw to tie it 2-2.
The Wheat Kings didn’t seem fazed, as 18 seconds later Lewis drove up wide the length of the ice just past the Hurricanes goal line and flipped a pass across the crease to Luka Burzan for his third of the playoffs.
The Hurricanes power play unit has gutted the Wheat Kings five times this series and they added another when a turnover at the red line sent three of the most dangerous Hurricanes on a three-on-one rush. Brad Morrison dropped it to Jordy Bellerive, who sent it back to Taylor Ross for the wrist shot. His attempt was also whiffed on, as the puck found its way back to Morrison, who swatted in his seventh of the playoffs.
Grabbing their fourth lead of the game, Lewis took advantage when Addison slipped in his own zone. Cutting to the net, Lewis fanned on his shot and sent a puck crawling towards Logan Flodell. Like a change-up in baseball, Flodell went to cover the slow-moving puck, but missed his target, as Burzan was on the doorstep to pound in his fourth of the postseason.
Extending their lead before the second intermission, Mattheos entered the zone with a full head of steam and snapped one over the left shoulder of Flodell, to give his team two-goal cushion heading into the final 20 minutes and his fourth point of the game.
After blowing a four-goal lead in Game 2, no lead could feel safe for the Wheat Kings in the third period.
The Wheat Kings were on the man advantage with Ross in the box for slashing when Baron Thompson stepped onto the ice ahead of his turn, and the Wheat Kings got called for too-many men.
The red hot Hurricanes power play continued to click and put some doubt in the minds of the Wheat Kings when Morrison wired home a shot from the top of the circle to bring his team within one.
Despite pulling Flodell, the Hurricanes didn’t have enough to force overtime in Game 3.
Both goalies turned in 35 saves and should be back between the pipes for Game 4 tomorrow night back at Westoba Place. Puck drop is slated for 7 p.m. (CST).
