The Swift Current Broncos (12-14-0-0) went 0-for-4 on the man advantage while the Calgary Hitmen (14-7-3-1) scored three power play goals, which proved to be the difference in a 4-1 Broncos loss Wednesday night.
The Broncos got the game started on the right foot by opening up the scoring. A strong forecheck saw the Hitmen turn the puck over in their own zone and Luke Mistelbacher raced over to recover it. He quickly slid the puck down to Josh Filmon who was parked near the net, and Filmon worked it across the crease for Clarke Caswell who tapped it in, giving the Broncos a 1-0 lead 8:56 into the game.
Less than a minute later the Broncos went to their first penalty kill of the game and the Hitmen tied it up. Calgary won the faceoff and Grayden Siepmann passed it across the blue line for David Adaszynski who beat Gage Alexander through a screen just five seconds into Calgary’s power play.
Swift Current had back-to-back power plays afterwards but couldn’t regain the lead before the Hitmen scored again. After coming out of the penalty box London Hoilett went to the net and found a loose puck in front, lifting it over Alexander’s glove to give Calgary their first lead of the night. The goal came with just 2:31 to go in the period as the Hitmen took the 2-1 lead into the intermission.
Calgary added to their lead with another power play goal just under five minutes into the second period. Adaszynski took a centring feed from the goal line and fired a shot past the glove of Alexander to make it 3-1.
The Broncos had a great chance to cut into the lead during another penalty kill thanks to a two-on-one rush. Josh Davies sent the puck across the zone to Raphael Pelletier who beat Ethan Buenaventura on the blocker side, but his shot hit the base of the post and stayed out.
Another two-on-one rush just moments later saw Adam McNutt denied by the glove of Buenaventura.
Those two chances proved costly as the Hitmen added to their lead with another power play goal. Oliver Tulk skated into the right circle and beat Alexander under the glove to extend the Hitmen’s lead to 4-1 with 7:33 to go in the second.
Mathew Ward had a breakaway in the final minutes of the period, but snapped a shot wide on the blocker side of Buenaventura as the Hitmen carried their 4-1 lead into the intermission.
Neither team had many high-quality scoring chances in the third period, though tensions flared late when Davies chased down a loose puck near the Calgary net. Buenaventura came out of his crease to poke it away, and he and Davies lightly bumped each other, sending Buenaventura flying down to the ice.
Keagan Slaney grabbed a hold of Davies and dragged him down in the crease, causing all 10 players on the ice to pair up. The Broncos ended up on the power play when the dust settled, but couldn’t capitalize as the clock ran out to seal a 4-1 final.
The Broncos now look to Saturday when they welcome the Lethbridge Hurricanes (16-11-0-1) for the annual Teddy Bear Toss.
Announced attendance was 1,882.