One night after they gave up a touchdown against the Brandon Wheat Kings, the Winnipeg ICE once again played the Wheat Kings. However, this time, the game was to be played at the Wayne Fleming Arena, which is Winnipeg’s home for the next two seasons.
On a night when the ICE hammered Brandon on the shot clock, they sure didn’t do so on the score clock, but they did earn a couple of points.
Winnipeg recorded 51 shots in the game, while the Wheat Kings were able to muster just 28. In the end, however, the ICE did record a 6-5 win.
The first period saw 23 shots combined, 18 of which came off the stick of ICE players, but the score was 1-1 after the first 20.
The scoring started early as Peyton Krebs set up Michal Teply just 2:54 into the game. Brandon was then handed a penalty shot, and Ridly Greig made it right. He scored his seventh of the season to tie the game up. It stayed that way heading into the second period.
The middle frame was certainly an exciting one for the fans but perhaps not so much for the coaching staffs. Five goals were scored; three came off Brandon sticks.
It was the Connor McClennon show early. On the power play just 39 seconds in, McClennon put Winnipeg up 2-1. He then made it 3-1 with a short-handed goal at the 3:18 mark.
Brandon then caught fire to end the period. Lynden McCallum trimmed the deficit to 3-2 at the 4:12 mark. With 10:27 left in the second, Cole Reinhardt, who scored three goals on Friday, tied the game up.
Luka Burzan gave Brandon a 4-3 lead with his 12th goal of the season at the 12:53 mark.
The 4-3 lead for Brandon stood that way until early in the third when Winnipeg battled back. 1:23 in, Nino Kinder scored his ninth of the season to tie the contest.
Connor McClennon recorded the hat trick to give Winnipeg a 5-4 lead with just less than 15 minutes left.
7:44 into the third period, Luka Burzan came right back to tie it up for Brandon.
However, Jakin Smallwood got the last punch. He was set up by Benjamin Zloty and Mike Ladyman as he netted the puck past Ethan Kruger.
Smallwood’s sixth goal of the season was the game winner.
Winnipeg improved to 14-11-1 with the win. They’re just one point behind Saskatoon for second in the East Division. Brandon, meanwhile, is now 12-15-1 and still sit second in the East Conference wild card.
ICINGS:
- Despite the loss, Ethan Kruger still made 45 saves, while Jesse Makaj stopped 23.
- Both teams went 1-for-3 on the power play.
- Winnipeg had at least 16 shots per period. They had 18 in the first, 17 in the second, and 16 in the third. Brandon went 5-9-14.
- It was the second straight “Battle of Manitoba” where a hat trick was recorded. On Friday, Cole Reinhardt achieved the feat for Brandon.
