Swift Current 3 @Prince Albert 2 (SO)
Midway through the second period at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert, it looked like the Raiders (9-10-3-1) were about to get things back on track playing a familiar opponent on home ice after a disastrous U.S. road trip. They had two goals from their vaunted top line and netminder Ian Scott and their defense and done a good job of holding the Swift Current Broncos (17-5-1-0) top line in check. Then Aleksi Heponiemi found the smallest gap in their defense and wired a pass to Glenn Gawdin that put them on the board and the Raiders on their heels. Another goal by Gawdin midway through the third period would send this thing to overtime and eventually to the shootout. Tyler Steenbergen and the game’s first star, Gawdin would both score in the circus to seal the come-from-behind win for the Broncos.
Jordy Stallard, Cole Fonstad and Parker Kelly each had two points for the Raiders in the loss and Scott turned away 32 of 34.
Logan Flodell was good for 29 saves on 31 shots at the other end and earned his 15th win of the year.
After Aleksi Heponiemi took a hooking penalty, the Raiders top power play unit capitalized and opened the scoring in the first. Parker Kelly found Cole Fonstad all alone at the back post and Future Considerations 53rd ranked prospect for the 2018 NHL draft tapped home his eighth goal this year.
In the second period, Fonstad played his more familiar set up role on his team’s second goal. After a Sahvan Khaira turnover in the neutral zone, he went the other way on a two-on-one with Jordy Stallard. He then saucered a pass over to Stallard, who after being initially stopped, put the rebound in for his 16th goal this year.
Swift Current’s top line got to work later in the second via a goal off of Glenn Gawdin that was set up by Heponiemi on the rush.
Then Gawdin used his hand-eye coordination again to pot his 19th goal of the year. He tracked down a puck up high and batted it past Scott to tie the game with under 10 minutes to go. Neither squad could find the net in overtime, leaving the skills competition to decide this East Division battle. Steenbergen and Gawdin both beat Scott with wrist shots, while Stallard and Fonstad were turned away by Flodell.
The Raiders will head back on the road and take on the Moose Jaw Warriors on Saturday, while Swift Current will host the Brandon Wheat Kings.
Kamloops 6 Medicine Hat 3
The Medicine Hat Tigers (15-8) did not find the Kamloops Blazers (10-13) as easy to come back on as they did the Prince George Cougars. After the Cougars blew lead at home against the Tigers two straight nights, Medicine Hat still had to feel confident when, after they blew a 3-1 lead of their own, they fell behind 4-3, entering the third period. Instead, they were treated to the Garrett Pilon show as the Washington Capitals prospect added two more goals to give him a hat-trick and the Blazers put away the Tigers 6-3.
Dylan Ferguson turned away 34 of 37 in the Blazers net and Jordan Hollett stopped 43 of 48 at the other end of the ice for the Tigers.
Nick Chyzowski also added a three-point night for the Blazers, who have recovered nicely after a 0-9 start to the season, to win 10 of their last 14 games.
Mark Rassell scored for the Tigers and now has netted a goal in eight straight contests. He is tied for second in the WHL with 24 markers. He will try to keep this streak going tomorrow night in Kelowna. The Blazers will continue their seven-game home strand with a contest against the P.G. Cougars. They are 3-1 on the current stand, with the lone loss being to those Cougars.
Kelowna 3 @Vancouver 2
James Porter continues to be a building story this year for the Kelowna Rockets (13-8-2-1). With the Rockets netminding a big question entering this year, Porter has wrested the starting job away from Brodan Salmond and has provided them with key saves at key times. That was again the case for the rookie on Friday night at the Langley Events Centre as the visiting Rockets took down the Vancouver Giants (10-11-2-2) 3-2.
Cal Foote led the Rockets with two assists, while Porter was stellar, stopping 30 of 32.
Carsen Twarynski continued his hot streak with a great individual effort, scoring the game’s first goal. He stole the puck away from a Giants player and picked the far side on Giants goalie Todd Scott for his 14th goal of the year and ninth point in as many games. He scored this one wile his team was short handed.
A few minutes later, while on another power play, Brendan Semchuk found a bouncing puck in the crease and slammed it past Porter to tie the game.
After a delay-of-game penalty by Dylan Plouffe put the Giants down a man, Kyle Topping scored the Rockets second of three, special teams goals of the night as he tipped home a point shot by Cal Foote.
The Giants again had an answer in a short time span. Dawson Holt won a battle with Foote in front of Porter and found a rebound to tie the game at two.
That set the table for Dillon Dube to score another power play goal for the Rockets, 3:13 into the third period. He used a Leif Mattson screen in front of Scott to sneak one past the Giants backstop and score the eventual game winner.
The Giants out-shot the Rockets 10-5 in the third period, but Porter continued his strong season, stopping all 10 shots.
Ty Ronning’s goal scoring streak was snapped at 11 games. He registered four shots on net.
Todd Scott stopped 21 of 23 for the Giants.
The Giants will head to Everett, while the Rockets will lay host to the Medicine Hat Tigers.
Everett 4 Spokane 1
The Everett Silvertips (12-12-1-1) are refusing to let this become the three-team U.S. Division race that many predicted would happen this year. They won for the eighth time in 12 games and more importantly, they took down the team ahead of them in the division, the Spokane Chiefs (12-9-1-2), by a 4-1 score.
Despite being without their star goalie, Carter Hart for much of the start of the season, Everett sits just one point behind the Spokane Chiefs for third place in the division, though the Chiefs do have two games in hand.
With a team effort and Hart being Hart in the ‘Tips net, Everett held the potent Chiefs attack in check and did not allow a single one of their five NHL-drafted forwards to find the score sheet. 
They were led offensively by two points apiece from Patrick Bajkov, Jake Christiansen, Wyatte Wylie and Sean Rochards in the win.
Hart stopped 31 of 32 and now sports a league-leading 1.59 GAA and 0.953 save percentage.
Off a blocked shot, Bajkov tracked down a loose puck and set up Richards in front to start the scoring. Then on a second period power play, Christiansen sent the puck over to Fonteyne and the overage center sniped a shot past Spokane goalie Dawson Weatherill.
Milos Fafrak then cut the Everett lead to one, just 21 seconds later. Riley McKay forced a turnover near the left half-boards and Fafrak smartly raced into the zone. McKay slipped a backhand, cross-ice pass to him and he beat Hart for his second career WHL goal and second in as many games.
Everett got the game-winner with 1:45 left in the second as Bryce Kindopp picked a Spokane defender’s pocket and thread the needle across to Christiansen for his first of the season.
The ‘Tips would add an empty-net-goal from Bajkov to seal the game at 4-1.
Everett has now tied the season series at one apiece as the Chiefs beat them 5-4 back on October 4th.
Everett will stay at home and face the visiting Vancouver Giants, while Spokane heads back over the pass to host the Regina Pats.
