The Swift Current Broncos (25-25-1-2) went stride for stride with the Winnipeg ICE (44-7-1-0) Monday, but a power play goal by the ICE with 7:31 remaining in regulation was the difference in a 4-2 final score.
Winnipeg opened the scoring 6:58 into the game while the two teams were playing four-on-four. Graham Sward gained the Bronco blue line and slid the puck to Zack Ostapchuk in the right circle, who snapped a shot past the blocker of Reid Dyck.
Swift Current began pouring on the pressure for the final five minutes of the period, but were denied on three great scoring chances by Mason Beaupit. The best of the three was a one timer from Josh Fluker in the left circle that Beaupit denied by reaching out with his blocker arm.
The Broncos outshot the ICE 12-10 in the opening frame, but trailied 1-0 heading into the second period.
Tensions flared 5:22 into the period when Josh Davies was making a break to the net down the right wing. Davies was leaned on by Ashton Cumby and lost his balance, sliding into Beaupit and knocking the net off its pegs.
Cumby came over and crosschecked Davies while he was down on the ice, and Davies got to his feet and dropped the gloves as the two went at it in the blue paint. They were both sent to the box for fighting while Wyatt Wilson also received a 10-minute misconduct at the same time, knocking the ICE down to four defenceman.
Two minutes after the melee the Broncos tied the game. A great forecheck by Drew Englot allowed him to gain control of the puck below the Winnipeg goal line before sending it toward the front of the net.
Luke Mistelbacher and Rylan Gould were both parked in front and Mistelbacher got the final touch on it for his sixth goal of the season, tying the game at one.
Swift Current rode the wave of momentum into a power play four minutes later, but it was Winnipeg capitalizing while shorthanded.
A turnover at the Winnipeg blue line sent the ICE racing ahead the other way and Zach Benson played give-and-go with Owen Pederson, taking a feed at the top of the crease and just getting enough of it to tip it into the back of the net, restoring their lead at 9:58 of the second period.
Nearly the final four minutes of the second were played at four-on-four as the two teams took back-to-back matching penalties, but the Broncos were called for cross checking with just 12 seconds left as Winnipeg began the third on the man advantage.
Swift Current killed off the penalty to start the third period and would eventually tie the game. Off a faceoff win in the Winnipeg zone, Owen Pickering fired a wrist shot to the net from the blue line, beating Beaupit under the glove for his eighth goal of the season. Josh Filmon and Mathew Ward drew assists on the tally.
Moments after the goal, a second fight broke out when Adam McNutt and Ostapchuk dropped the gloves following a stoppage in the Broncos zone. Ward also received a roughing penalty during the same stoppage, but the Winnipeg power play lasted just 50 seconds.
Sward tried a one timer from the blue line, but his stick broke in half, allowing Connor Hvidston to skate up the ice. Hvidston tried to step around Sward but was hauled down from behind by McClennon, negating the ICE power play.
The Broncos weren’t able to capitalize on the shortened 1:10 man advantage, and were called for a questionable penalty just as it expired.
Carson Latimer was racing into the Broncos zone down the right wing and went to put his shoulder down and drive to the net. Anticipating that Pickering was going to lean on him and try and direct him away from the net, Latimer leaned back on his edges but fell to the ice as Pickering elected to try and poke the puck away rather than lean on him.
Pickering was called for tripping and Winnipeg went to their fourth power play of the game. Moments before Winnipeg’s power play goal the Broncos nearly scored shorthanded.
Hvidston had another shorthanded break into the ICE zone and stayed on his feet after a diving poke check by Sward didn’t work. Hvidston regained his balance but was too in tight to try a shot on Beaupit, so he stopped on the goal line.
After trying once to bank the puck off Beaupit and in, Hvidston centred for Davies who wired a shot just wide of the net. The ICE regained control of the puck and raced up ice the other way.
Benson feathered the puck toward the Bronco net from the slot and it bounced off a body right to the tape of Pederson who knocked it in, giving Winnipeg a 3-2 lead with 7:31 remaining.
The Broncos received one more power play with 4:20 left as Vladislav Shilo was called for roughing, but Swift Current couldn’t pull even. They then pulled the goaltender for the extra attacker, but Pederson was able to bank the puck from his own goal line off the left-wing boards and into the empty net, sealing the 4-2 Winnipeg win.
Swift Current looks for a similar effort Wednesday night when the welcome the Memorial Cup-hosting Kamloops Blazers (36-10-4-2).
Announced attendance was 2,055.