Mathew Ward celebrated his 100th career WHL game in style, scoring with 2:09 left in regulation to lift the Swift Current Broncos (5-7-0-0) to a 5-4 win over the Prince Albert Raiders (3-9-2-0) Saturday night.
The game remained scoreless until late in the opening frame. Shortly after the Broncos killed off a penalty, Hayden Pakkala skated down the left wing into the Broncos zone and centred the puck from the goal line.
Harrison Lowdewyk was heading to the front of the net and lifted the puck over the glove of Gage Alexander to put Prince Albert up 1-0 with 2:54 left in the first period.
The Broncos wasted no time answering back however, as Caleb Wyrostok deflected a point shot from Owen Pickering just 59 seconds later to pull the Broncos back on even terms.
The Raiders regained their lead before the period was up as Keaton Sorenson finished off a tic-tac-toe passing play, redirecting a pass by the right pad of Alexander with 31 seconds to go in the first. Shots read 13-10 Prince Albert after 20 minutes.
Alexander stood on his head for the opening 15 minutes of the second period as the Broncos ran into penalty trouble, twice facing a five-on-three Raiders power play. Alexander made multiple highlight-reel glove saves to keep the Broncos within one.
Those saves proved to be crucial as the game flipped on its head in a matter of seconds. Wyrostok scored his second of the night on a Broncos power play, streaking down the right wing and beating Tikhon Chaika over the shoulder to tie the game at two with 3:54 remaining in the period.
Off the next faceoff, Josh Filmon took a flip pass into the Raider zone and beat Chaika with a backhand off the rush as the Broncos scored twice in 13 seconds to take a 3-2 lead into the intermission.
Prince Albert tied the game in the opening minute of the third period on a power play that carried over from the second period. Carson Latimer snuck a shot from a sharp angle past Alexander to pull his team even at three.
Swift Current received a four-on-three power play when Tanner Gould was called for goalie interference as the two teams were playing four-on-four, and used it to regain the lead. Connor Hvidston took a pass at the bottom of the right faceoff circle and beat Chaika over the glove hand shoulder with 6:03 remaining.
The Raiders wouldn’t go quietly and once again tied the game. Carter Anderson took a centering pass from the corner while on the rush and beat Alexander on the blocker side to tie the game at four with 2:36 left in regulation.
The Broncos responded to the late goal perfectly and regained the lead for good. Off a faceoff in the Prince Albert zone, Ward deflected a wrist shot from Filmon through the five hole of Chaika to give the Broncos a 5-4 lead with 2:09 left in regulation.
The Raiders pulled Chaika for the extra attacker, and went to the power play in the final minute of the game, but the Broncos held off the late push for the 5-4 win.
Swift Current now prepares for another Wednesday home game when they welcome the Vancouver Giants (4-6-1-2) for the first time since October 13, 2017.