Jaxson Ruthven scored the game-winner, and Dazza Mitchell made 34 saves as the Richardson Pioneer Weyburn Red Wings picked up a 5-3 win over the Humboldt Broncos in front of a loud and boisterous crowd at Crescent Point Place Tuesday night. With the win, the best-of-seven series is now 2-1 in favour of the Broncos, but the Red Wings will look to even the series up on Wednesday in game four.
The win was also the first home playoff victory for the Red Wings since the 2018 playoffs, and the first on home ice in the quarterfinals since 2016.
"I think we got a little excited in the first 40 minutes, and had a good reset between periods, and really just focused on controlling what we can control and our effort level," Red Wings head coach Cody Mapes said after the game. "At the end of the day, you don't generally control outcomes, you just kind of control the process and so that's what we tried to do."
Weyburn took the lead early in the game when Braigh LeGrandeur scored his first of the post-season 4:31 into the opening period, with Ruthven getting credited with the lone assist on the goal.
The lead wouldn't hold for the entire period, however, as Cage Newans would score a power play goal for Humboldt to even the game up with 8:01 to play in the period.
The Red Wings would regain the lead early into the second period when Lucas Schmid scored his first of the playoffs 2:13 into the middle period.
"He's been good, and he got a little extra ice down the stretch because of the way he was playing, and it's good to see young guys take that step," Mapes said of the effort from the first-year Red Wing. The goal from Schmid was assisted by Carter Briltz.
Humboldt, though, was determined to stay in the game and would tie things up just past the halfway mark of the period, again. Newans netted his second goal of the game, again on the power play, to make it 2-2. Then, another special teams goal, but this time it would be for Weyburn to take the lead.
With the Red Wings shorthanded late in the second, Blake Betson would block a shot, then pick up the puck and come down the ice, firing the puck on net with a man on him, putting it past Broncos goalie Benjamin Motew with 3:06 to play in the period.
"I think Humboldt's power play was very good tonight, and to be able to kind of counteract by not just killing it, by getting one back, was important," Mapes continued.
The Red Wings came out to start the third period circling like sharks in the water, but Motew was able to keep the lead at 3-2, but then with 6:47 to go, Ben Costantino would get the puck past Mitchell to pull the Broncos even yet again.
Weyburn, though, was still looking to finish the job in regulation and send the crowd at Crescent Point Place home happy. The fans would get their moment to erupt when, with 2:18 to go in the third, Ruthven scored the game-winner, taking a feed from Jacob Visentini and putting it past Motew. The scoring would then be rounded out when Nick Kovacs scored an empty-net goal to ice the win with 34 seconds left on the clock.
The Broncos wouldn't go quietly, however, with a scrum starting in the Broncos' end as the final buzzer sounded. The officials were able to get things under control, with a pair of roughing minors handed out to each team.
The Red Wings will look to even up the series Wednesday night, with game four set for Crescent Point Place. For fans who aren't able to make it to the arena for the game, Nick Nielsen and John Prette will have the call on Great Plains Ford Red Wings Radio Country 106.7, with the pregame show starting at 6:45 p.m.