Penalties doom Broncos in Game 4 loss
The Swift Current Broncos and Lethbridge Hurricanes met for Game Four of the WHL Eastern Conference Championship at Enmax Centre on Wednesday night.
It was a game filled with penalties as the two clubs combined for 72 penalty minutes with Swift Current coming out on the bad end of special teams play, allowing four power play markers and a shorthanded goal en route to a 5-1 loss.
Jadon Joseph scored a shorthanded marker for the Hurricanes 6:28 into the first period wile the Broncos were on a 5-on-4 man advantage. Taylor Ross drove the net along the left wing and placed a low shot on goal that Stuart Skinner stopped but Joseph was right there to bury the rebound.
Former Swift Current Broncos forward Logan Barlage made it 2-0 Lethbridge when he took a cross ice pass from Tate Olson a Hurricanes man advantage and zipped in in while stationed next to the Broncos crease.
Arizona Coyotes prospect Tyler Steenbergen sniped one glove high on Hurricanes goaltender Logan Flodell 51 seconds after Barlage’s goal to trim the deficit in half 2-1.
Ross netted the Hurricanes’ second power play goal of the night before the first period concluded. The Broncos were down 3-1 heading into the second period.
When Broncos d-man Colby Sissons took a two minute penalty for holding with two minutes left in the second period, Lethbridge blue liner Calen Addison blasted a slap shot from the point to place Swift Current well behind the eight ball 4-1.
Penalties continued to mount as the Broncos took five minor penalties in the third period, resulting in Lethbridge netting their fourth power play goal of the game. Addison potted his second goal of the night with Olson and Jordy Bellerive collecting the assists as Lethbridge won 5-1 for the second straight outing.
Shots on goal were 28-26 in favour of Lethbridge. The Hurricanes power play unit went 4/10 while Broncos finished 0/7.
With the 5-1 loss in Game Four, the best-of-seven series against the Lethbridge Hurricanes goes back to the Innovation Credit Union i-Plex for Game Five all tied up 2-2. Puck drop is slated for 7:00pm.
