Boston Pizza Recap: Broncos finish B.C. swing with loss to Rockets in Kelowna
Photo: Steve Dunsmoor
Kelowna, B.C. – The Swift Current Broncos have finished their B.C. road swing with a 6-3 loss to the Kelowna Rockets on Wednesday night.
The Broncos got out to a great start in this one as they jumped out to a 2-0 lead late in the first period as Josh Flukers first of the year, and Clarke Caswell’s second of the season gave the Broncos the lead. The Broncos out chanced the Rockets, and outshot them 12-6 as well.
However, in the second, the Rockets pressed back and outshot the Broncos 18-6, with a big help coming from four penalties taken by the Broncos and the Rockets capitalizing on two of them as Tij Iginla and Gabriel Szturc struck with the extra man. Szturc and Max Graham each scored at even strength as the Rockets took a 2-1 lead.
“Couldn’t kill a penalty in the second period, and that’s kind of what it came down to,” said Broncos Assistant Coach Taras McEwen. “We were just giving them too much time and space. They have some game breakers in their lineup that you have make sure that you manage their lanes and take time and space away.”
Tyson Laventure made it 4-3 in the third period and it seemed like the momentum was switching back into the Broncos favour, but a mixup in the Rockets zone led to a pass leaving the zone and entering the empty Broncos net as they had the extra attacker. That made it 5-3 and the Rockets added another empty netter to cap off the third.
While it’s back to back nights with 2-0 leads given up by the Broncos, McEwen hopes the lessons of these games are learned quick.
“Very frustrating,” he said. “Hopefully you go through them and you understand the moment, how to reset, refocus in between periods. That’s the one thing for players coming into this league, you can’t get too high, too low, regardless of the situation, its Junior hockey, any team can come back on any given night.”
The Broncos have a few days before their next contest as they will host the Regina Pat’s on Sunday at 4 p.m.
