The Swift Current Broncos (31-33-1-3) saw their 2022-23 season come to an end Saturday night. A 4-3 loss to the Medicine Hat Tigers (30-29-8-1) saw Medicine Hat clinch the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, fending off a late-season surge by Swift Current.
The game couldn’t have started off much better for the Broncos. Just 3:16 into the game, Connor Hvidston took a centring pass from the goal line and fired a shot past the glove of Beckett Langkow, giving Swift Current the early advantage.
Five minutes later, Josh Davies tapped in a backdoor feed from Sam McGinley to extend the Broncos lead to 2-0. Swift Current then killed off back-to-back Tigers power plays in the first period before finishing with a man advantage of their own, but took their 2-0 lead into the intermission.
The second period was a different story as the Tigers took control of the game. Just 14 seconds into the period Tyler MacKenzie found a loose puck in front of the net to cut the Broncos lead in half.
Penalties then became an issue for Swift Current as they took four straight minor penalties in the second period. The Tigers received a 1:05 five on three but needed just eight seconds to score as Oasiz Wiesblatt tied the game 7:52 into the second.
Medicine Hat then added another power play goal with 4:25 left in the period to take a 3-2 lead. The Tigers outshot the Broncos 16-4 in the second period, though two of the Broncos shots were shorthanded breakaways for Josh Davies and Caleb Wyrostok.
Cayden Lindstrom pushed Medicine Hat’s lead to 4-2 six minutes into the third before Josh Filmon scored his 47th of the season with 9:34 remaining to pull the Broncos to within one.
Swift Current went back to the power play with 3:30 remaining and Brady Birnie hit the post on the blocker side of Beckett Langkow with two minutes left in regulation.
The Broncos pulled Reid Dyck for the extra attacker in the final minutes, but couldn’t find the equalizer as the Tigers held on for the 4-3 win, ending the Broncos season.
The Broncos would like to thank their fans for the support throughout the 2022-23 season and congratulate their three graduating players, Mason Ward, Drew Englot and Sam McGinley, on their accomplishments throughout their WHL careers.