GAME PREVIEW: CALGARY VS SWIFT CURRENT – 03.05.23
HITMEN HEADLINES: The Calgary Hitmen (24-26-5-3) play their first game in seven days this afternoon as they welcome the Swift Current Broncos (28-27-1-2) to Scotiabank Saddledome. Game time is 2:00 p.m. in another Sunday Funday, presented by Brookfield Residential. In addition to $2 sips and snacks specials all game long, look for concourse activities from TELUS Spark and a cast of characters outfitted by the Costume Shoppe. There are also $6 Hitmen Happy Hour food and drink deals throughout the day and a post-game family skate. The Hitmen are coming off last Sunday’s 3-2 shootout loss to Kelowna. Brandon Whynott led Calgary with a goal and an assist. Swift Current dropped the Oil Kings 8-0 in Edmonton last night as 13 Broncos recorded at least one point. Connor Hvidston (2g, 1a) notched three.
WHERE THEY STAND: The Hitmen trail the Broncos by three points for the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot. Counting today, both teams have 10 games remaining in the regular season.
SWIFT CURRENT: Today is the fifth and final regular season meeting between the two Central Division rivals. The Hitmen are 3-0-0-1 against the Broncos but the home team is 1-3. Oliver Tulk (3g, 3a) leads all Hitmen with six points in the season series. Grayden Siepmann (5a) is next with five. Clarke Caswell (2g, 2a) is the top performing Bronco with four points. Brady Birnie (1g, 2a) and Sam McGinley (3a) are next with three points each. Over the last five seasons Calgary is a combined 10-3-1-1 against Swift Current.
2022-23 SERIES RECAP
Sept. 23/22 in SC: Hitmen 2 Broncos 1…The Hitmen never trailed as Ethan Buenaventura made 18 saves to record the win.
Sept. 24/22 in CGY: Broncos 3 Hitmen 2 Shootout…Luke Mistelbacher scored the shootout winner.
Dec. 7/22 in SC: Hitmen 4 Broncos 1…David Adaszynski scored a pair of power play goals for Calgary.
Jan. 13/23 in CGY: Hitmen 6 Broncos 3…Six different Hitmen counted goals.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Shots on Goal: CGY 119 SC 118 Power Plays: CGY 5-23 (21.7%) SC 3-19 (15.8%)
PLAYER STREAKS: Riley Fiddler-Schultz (1g, 1a) has points in back-to-back games. Carter Yakemchuk (4g, 1a) saw his four-game point streak end last Sunday against Kelowna while a two-game streak for Matteo Danis (2a) was also halted.
FEBRUARY REWIND: Carter Yakemchuk (8g, 3a) topped all Hitmen in scoring last month with 11 points. Riley Fiddler-Schultz (3g, 7a) and Oliver Tulk (2g, 8a) were next with 10 points each. Sean Tschigerl (4g, 3a) recorded seven while Blake Heward (1g, 4a), Maxim Muranov (1g, 4a) and David Adaszynski (3g, 2a) tied for fifth with five points each. Brayden Peters led the goaltending department with a 3.66 goals against average and .881 save percentage.
FAST FACTS: The Hitmen will play their 10 games in March in a span of 22 days…Calgary welcomes Jacob Wright and Maxim Muranov back into the lineup today off the injured list…The 14 goals scored by Carter Yakemchuk is the most by a Hitmen defenceman since Travis Sanheim tallied 15 and Jake Bean netted a franchise recording setting 24 during the 2015-16 season…Calgary went 1-9-0-2 in February… The Hitmen have scored at least one power play goal in 10 of their last 13 games going a combined 16-51 (31.4%) during that span…Swift Current is riding a three-game winning streak with victories over Moose Jaw, Medicine Hat and Edmonton during that span…Two Hitmen in Maxim Muranov and Tyson Galloway are closing in on 100 shots this season. Muranov is three shots shy and Galloway four…Matteo Danis is three face-off wins away from 300.
PLAYOFF PUSH: Counting today, the Hitmen have 10 games remaining in the regular season with five at home and five on the road. Their opponent breakdown is as follows; (LET 3X’s), (EDM 2X’s), (MH 2X’s), (RD 2X’s), SC.
MAYFAIR DIAGNOSTICS INJURY REPORT: Billal Noori (upper body, indefinitely), Carson Wetsch (lower body, week-to-week).
SPECIAL TEAMS: The Hitmen penalty kill is number one in the WHL at 84.6%. On the flip side the power play has jumped to 18th at 18.7%.
HOME AND AWAY COMPARISON: Calgary is 10-13-3-3 on home ice. Swift Current is 12-15-1-0 on the road.
REGULAR SEASON CAREER MILESTONE WATCH: Brayden Peters is 10 saves shy of 3,500. Peters also needs one win to pass Mack Shields and move into sole possession of sixth place on the Hitmen’s all-time wins. Peters and Shields have 57. Tomas Marinkovic and Ethan Moore are both one game away from 50. Sean Tschigerl played his 200th game last Sunday against Kelowna.
FOREVER A HITMEN: The Hitmen will honour Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart for the outstanding contributions he has made to the franchise on Saturday, March 11, when a ‘Forever A Hitmen’ banner for Hart will be raised and remain on permanent display at Scotiabank Saddledome. The pre-game ceremony, ahead of the Hitmen and Rebels game at 2:00 p.m., will enshrine Hart as the fourth inductee in the ‘Forever A Hitmen’ program. It’s all part of the third annual Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart game presented by Vallen. Players will wear a specially designed jersey reflective of their namesake while fans will also be treated to a post-game on-ice wresting show presented by Dungeon Wrestling.
UP FOR BID: The game worn and game issued jersey auction from #YourTeamYourJersey presented by Real Canadian Superstore is live at elevateauctions.com/RCSS. Bidding closes for all 25 jerseys on Thursday, Mar. 9 at 8:00 p.m. The sweaters, worn last Sunday against Kelowna, were created by contest winner Ray Rashid. Proceeds support President’s Choice Children’s Charity fighting childhood hunger.
UPCOMING GAMES: The Hitmen will enjoy a full four-day break before returning to action next weekend, opening a home-and-home set with the Rebels in Red Deer on Friday, Mar. 10.
