Today’s Gameday Preview: Tuesday January 15th, 2019

DUBNetwork Feature Game of the Night: Ice @ Broncos 7 PM CST

Two teams fighting it out in the bottom of the league standings take to the ice in their second meeting of the season tonight in the Prairies.

The Kootenay Ice won the 2016 lottery and eventually drafted Peyton Krebs with the No. 1 overall pick. Brad McLeod Photo

The Kootenay Ice (8-29-6-1) are in the midst of some interesting times down in southeastern BC. The club in on a nine game slide, but have lost two back-to-back one goal games. The bright side for Kootenay after a busy trade deadline is that they have already beaten the Swift Current Broncos once this season. That came back on October 30th, when Peyton Krebs and Brett Davis scored in the shootout to seal the win. Judging by his game-by-game stats on whl.ca, Kootenay netminder Jesse Makaj is usually at the extremes when it comes to performances. When things start to go south, it appears they go very south for the 2001-born goalie.

Former Red Deer goalie Riley Lamb.

The Swift Current Broncos (9-30-2-1) are a very different squad than the one that took on the Ice last time they met in October. Joel Hofer is now a Portland Winterhawk among other moves made at the deadline by Broncos management. Something seems to have sparked the team of late, as they’ve posted two wins in their last five games. Most notably a 4-2 win in their last game against Brandon on January 13th. Ian Briscoe, who was let go from Seattle was signed by the Broncos in early November and is coming off his first mutli-point performance of the season posting a goal and an assist against Brandon. The newest Bronco goaltender Riley Lamb made quite the statement in his debut against the Brandon Wheat Kings earning a .959 save percentage and the victory in net. The overage goaltender was picked up by the club after dealing Joel Hofer to Portland. Lamb, had 73 games of experience in the league all with the Red Deer Rebels coming into this role with Swift Current

Who to watch:

  • Peyton Krebs (KTN) 15G, 33A- The leading scorer for the Ice only has one point in his last three games. Surely Krebs will snap out of this slump soon.
  • Ethan Regnier (SC) 7G, 15A- Second in team scoring for the Broncos. He has points in seven of his last eight games

Creeping the crease:

  • Jesse Makaj (KTN) 4.085 GAA, .887 SV%- Was the first star last time these two clubs met, stopping 41-of-42 shots he faced in the shootout victory.
  • Riley Lamb (SC) 2.000 GAA, .959 SV%- In his Bronco debut, the overage goaltender stopped 47-of-49 shots he faced in a 4-2 victory against the Brandon Wheat Kings.

Other Games:

Moose Jaw Warriors (21-11-5-2) @ Kamloops Blazers (15-22-2-1)

  • Both teams are struggling, both on four game skids trying to break them tonight in Kamloops.
  • The Moose Jaw road Warriors are 12-3-1-0 on the road this season.