The Swift Current Broncos (18-15-0-1) were down 4-1 a little over halfway through the second period Saturday night, but scored five unanswered goals to down the Medicine Hat Tigers (14-19-5-1) 6-4 at Co-op Place.
Caleb Wyrostok, a Medicine Hat native, got the Broncos out to a 1-0 lead late in the first period. Kayden Sadhra-Kang skated into the Tigers zone on a two-on-one and slid it across to Wyrostok who fired home his 10th of the year with 3:35 remaining.
Medicine Hat then rattled off three goals in 55 seconds. Oasiz Wiesblatt, Dallon Melin and Dru Krebs all scored in quick succession to give Medicine Hat a 3-1 lead heading into the intermission.
The Tigers then added to their lead with a shorthanded goal 6:17 into the second, putting the Broncos in the 4-1 hole. Swift Current’s comeback began in the second half of the period.
Brady Birnie and Rylan Gould skated in on a two-on-one, and Birnie held on to the puck to get Beckett Langkow to go down before stepping around him and sliding the puck to the crease. Gould was parked in front and tapped the puck into the net for his first of the season 12:37 into the second.
The Broncos then went to a power play shortly after and Josh Davies pulled them within one. He skated into the Tigers zone before stepping between two defenders and firing a shot from the left circle, beating Langkow under the glove.
The second period came to an end with the Broncos trailing 4-3, but outshooting the Tigers 23-21.
After killing off 35 seconds of a carry-over penalty to start the third the Broncos tied the game. Mathew Ward had a shot off the rush blocked by a Tigers stick, but it then bounced off the end glass behind Langkow and landed in the crease for Ward to fire into the open net, tying the game at four just 1:05 into the third.
Reid Dyck’s biggest save of the night came on a Tigers power play in the third period. Reid Andresen gained the Broncos line and drew defenders to him before sending the puck over to Gavin McKenna on right wing, but Dyck dove over to his left to deny the 2022 first overall pick of his first WHL goal.
That save proved to be even bigger as Swift Current took a lead a few minutes later. Adam McNutt shot the puck intentionally wide of the net from the blue line, and Ward jammed it on net as it came off the end boards.
The puck popped up into the air and floated over Langkow’s shoulder for Ward’s second of the game, giving Swift Current a 5-4 lead with 5:10 left in regulation.
The Tigers pulled Langkow for the extra attacker in the final minutes, but the Broncos withstood the push before Wyrostok hit the empty net from centre ice for his second of the game, sealing the win.
The victory was the sixth straight for Swift Current, their first six-game winning streak since February 3-16, 2018.
The two teams will meet again Tuesday night at the InnovationPlex, the first of four games in five nights for Swift Current.