The Brandon Wheat Kings have used Jiri Patera a lot lately and why not? No one in the Western Hockey League has been able to beat him as he helped the team win its eighth straight game on Friday.
After that win, the Wheat Kings hit the road for one game as they played in Moose Jaw on Saturday. With a second game in as many nights, Dave Lowry made a switch between the pipes.
Ethan Kruger was set to get the start and what a start it turned out to be for him.
Kruger ended up making 35 saves, helping the Wheat Kings shut out the lowly Warriors 6-0.
Brandon also took the game by storm in the second as they scored five goals in the frame.
The win was Brandon’s ninth in a row.
Both Boston Bilous and Kruger stole the show in the opening 20. Kruger made 13 saves while Bilous turned away 20.
The second period came along after the intermission and it was a nightmare kind of period for Moose Jaw.
Ben McCartney gave Brandon its first lead of the game at the 7:59 mark and that marker was the first of many in the frame for the Wheat Kings.
Less than three minutes later at the 10:30 mark, Connor Gutenberg made it 2-0 for Brandon. The team was far from done.
Just 38 seconds later, Luka Burzan gave Brandon a lead that grew to three.
Lynden McCallum then made it 4-0 at the 12:14 mark. That was three goals in 1:44, drawing the end of Bilous’ night. He was pulled in favour of Brock Gould.
Prior to the period ending, Brandon hit the board again. With 2:15 left, McCallum scored his second of the game as Brandon went up 5-0 after 40 minutes.
Kruger turned away another 15 shots for a two period total of 28.
Luka Burzan added another goal for Brandon in the third while Kruger made seven more saves and that was it. The Wheat Kings picked up a 6-0 win and Kruger, a 35-save shutout.
Brandon is now 24-17-1-2 and four points behind Winnipeg for the top spot in the East Division.
Moose Jaw, meanwhile, is 11-27-2.
Wheat Tips:
- Brandon went 4-for-4 on the penalty kill. The team hasn’t given up a goal while shorthanded since January 7.
- Saturday’s shutout was Brandon’s seventh this season and fourth in January.
- The Wheat Kings are 12-2-0-2 since December 1.
- Brock Gould made 22 saves on 24 shots in relief of Bilous.
