The Swift Current Broncos (29-32-1-3) received a sensational 31-save performance from Reid Dyck Saturday night, withstanding a furious push by the Red Deer Rebels (42-18-3-3) in a 3-1 win at the Peavey Mart Centrium.
The game had a physical edge to it right from puck drop as the two teams spent a large portion of the first period playing at four-on-four. The Broncos went to their first power play of the game just over five minutes in and capitalized to take a 1-0 lead.
Josh Filmon threw the puck to net from the right faceoff circle and it slid through the pads of Chase Coward for Filmon’s 45th of the season, putting Swift Current ahead 1-0 at the 6:28 mark of the first period.
Red Deer went to their first power play a few minutes later during a four-on-four sequence, beginning their power play on a four-on-three.
Just seconds after the man advantage turned into a five-on-four, Hunter Mayo fired a shot past the glove of Reid Dyck with traffic in front to tie the game at one 12:56 into the first period.
Mathew Ward and Frantisek Formanek were battling with each other for an entire shift late in the first period, and after a whistle Formanek crosschecked Ward in the face resulting in him receiving a five-minute major and a game misconduct. Ward was also sent to the box for high sticking.
During the ensuing four-on-four, Ben King was given a double minor for high sticking and then threw the puck to the net, resulting in another huge scrum. When the dust settled the Broncos went to a four-on-three power play.
Unable to score during that portion, Ryker Singer came out of the penalty box after serving King’s penalty and took a breakaway pass, but Dyck denied him with the glove before dropping the puck to keep play going.
In the final minute of the period, Ward sent the puck to the net from the right circle and it was deflected by Drew Englot under the blocker of Coward, giving Swift Current a 2-1 lead heading into the intermission. Shots were 13-10 Broncos after one.
The Broncos continued to rack up scoring chances in the second period, outshooting Red Deer 17-8 in the middle frame. That included six minutes of power play time for the Broncos, trying to extend their lead.
Those chances included Sam McGinley streaking up the middle and into the Rebels zone before being denied on a hard snap shot from between the circles.
Coward did everything in his power to keep the Rebels within a goal by standing on his head during the second period as the two teams went into the second intermission with the same 2-1 score.
As expected, the Rebels began pushing hard to begin the third period, jumping out to a 11-2 shot advantage to begin the period. Dyck was there at every turn, calmly denying the Rebels on every opportunity.
Red Deer pulled Coward for the extra attacker in the final minutes of regulation, and the Broncos fended off the late push before Mathew Ward hit the empty net from the Red Deer blue line, sealing the 3-1 win.
Swift Current is back in action Tuesday night when they host the Edmonton Oil Kings (9-51-4-0).