SNAPSHOTS: GAME ONE VS BRONCOS
When 20-year-olds Cody Sylvester and Brooks Macek graduate to the next level after the season, Brady Brassart will likely have the opportunity to be an offensive leader.
In the Hitmen’s 6-5 overtime win versus the Swift Current Broncos, Brassart showed it could be business as usual.
The 19-year-old centreman scored a goal in each period to record his first career WHL hat trick.
“It seemed like one of those nights where I was getting nice passes,” explained Brassart after the game. “The last one was kind of a fluke.”
Brassart’s improved every year in his WHL career, and posted career bests with 35 goals, 43 assists and 78 points during the regular season.
The line of Brassart-Sylvester-Greg Chase combined for five points and a plus-six rating as the Hitmen took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
“I played with (Brassart) most of the year, and I know he likes to get open and shoot the puck so anytime I can get him the puck, he’ll get a chance at scoring,” said Chase, who assisted on two of Brassart’s goals.
“He was awesome tonight and one of the biggest reasons we won the game.”
SNAPSHOTS
In the very eventful second period, we saw the rare move of both coaches calling timeout to help get their players regrouped. In fact, it was less than six minutes apart.
Maybe it was the pep-talk on Wednesday from his great-uncle Flames great Lanny McDonald, but Zane Jones may have played his most complete game in a Hitmen uniform. It may not have reflected on the scoresheet, but the bruising left-winger was all over the ice, backchecking hard, creating offense and was a force on the third line.
THREE STARS
- Brady Brassart ~ Anyone who scores a hat trick in a Hitmen victory should get the first star at the end of the night.
- Alex Roach ~ Before he even scored the overtime winner, the Los Angeles Kings’ prospect was the best defender on the ice.
- Chris Driedger ~ None of the five goals he gave up were easy and he made key saves down the stretch.
QUOTEABLES
“We gave Swift Current too many good looks. They made some plays to the front of the net and we left Chris (Driedger) high and dry a little bit. He know he has to match the play of the guy at the other end and there is a good goalie down there. He’s going to do that. I thought when it was 5-4, 5-5 Chris made some really good saves. There was also some scrambles with about three minutes left where I thought he stood up and played very aggressive.” – head coach Mike Williamson on the play of netminder Chris Driedger.
SAVE OF THE GAME
Goaltender Chris Driedger slid across the net, and was able to get a leg in front of a Coda Gordon shot that would have tied up the game at five a piece.
GOAL OF THE GAME
After receiving the breakaway feed from Jaynen Rissling, Brassart went top corner with defenders right behind him for his second goal of the night.
ROSTER NOTES
Rookies Josh Thrower, Colby Harmsworth, Chase Lang, Austin Calladine and Ben Thomas all sat this game out.
