The Swift Current Broncos (25-26-1-2) scored three goals in the opening 10:06 of the third period to make things interesting, but the Kamloops Blazers (37-10-4-1) had built up a 5-0 lead through 40 minutes as they held on for a 6-3 win.
The Broncos went to the penalty kill just over two minutes into the game, but nearly opened the scoring shorthanded. Connor Hvidston and Braeden Lewis took off on a two-on-one rush, and Lewis was denied after taking the pass on right wing.
The puck was sitting behind Dylan Ernst in the crease, and as Hvidston went to bang it in, his stick was tied up by Kyle Master to prevent the opening goal.
The Broncos killed off that early penalty but the Blazers would score on their second man advantage of the period. Just 16 seconds into the power play, Fraser Minten passed the puck to Ryan Hofer in the right circle who blasted a one timer past the glove of Reid Dyck 11:52 into the game.
Each team had one more power play during the remainder of the period, but neither would find the back of the net. Despite the Broncos being outshot 24-9 through the first period, the score was just 1-0 Blazers after one.
Kamloops’s offence continued to pour on the pressure in the second period, though this time they broke through with four goals. The first came four minutes into the period when Logan Stankoven fired in a pass from the slot.
Just over four minutes later, on another power play, Ashton Ferster took a pass in the left circle off the rush and snapped a one-timer past the blocker of Dyck to make it 3-0.
Swift Current went to another penalty kill a few minutes after the goal, and spent nearly the entire two minutes in the defensive zone. They were able to clear the puck out to centre ice a few times, but never got it down to get to the bench and change.
Five seconds after the penalty expired, Connor Levis tipped in a shot from Fraser Minten to push the Blazers lead to 4-0. Just over two minutes later Hofer scored his second of the game as a pinballing puck it his stick near the crease and went in.
Kamloops took a 5-0 lead into the second intermission, outshooting the Broncos 42-17.
Swift Current didn’t close up shop and give up despite the deficit, coming out of the gate strong to start the third period. Just 33 seconds in, Josh Filmon got the last touch on a net-mouth scramble for his 34th of the year, getting the Broncos on the board.
Three minutes later, Hvidston took a pass from Sam Ward and caught the Blazers defence flat footed. Hvidston stepped around them on left wing, then cut across the crease and backhanded the puck past the left pad of Ernst to make it 5-2. Kamloops called their 30-second timeout following the goal.
Swift Current further cut into the lead off a faceoff win in the Blazers zone. Sam McGinley found Braeden Lewis standing at the back post, feeding him the puck from the right circle to make it 5-3 with 9:54 remaining.
The Broncos comeback hopes were dashed six minutes later when Levis scored his second of the game from the high slot to put Kamloops back ahead 6-3. Swift Current outshot the Blazers 12-11 in the final period.
The Broncos look to carry some momentum from the third period into their next game as the begin a home-and-home with the Moose Jaw Warriors (34-19-0-3) on the road Friday night.
Announced attendance was 1,983.