TEAM EFFORT NETS 2-0 LEAD
There was no heart-attack inducing comeback or stressful, edge of your seat overtime period – that was left in Game 1.
Instead, it was a simple, straightforward game plan with a strong effort that gave the Hitmen the 3-1 win over the Swift Current Broncos, and a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven quarterfinal series.
“They came hard and played desperate, it’s going to be a tough series,” said head coach Mike Williamson.
The series now moves to Speedy Creek for the next pair of games, starting on Monday night at 7 p.m.
A strong contrast to the night before, it was the Broncos that came out firing in the first period and had the Hitmen on their heels. However, great defensive zone coverage and goaltending by Chris Driedger left the Broncos off the scoreboard.
“We knew that they’d come hard and we kind of weathered the storm a little bit and got some great, great goaltending from Chris to keep things where they were,” Williamson said.
Driedger was forced to make 14 saves in the opening frame.
After being held off the scoresheet the night before, Cody Sylvester was the first one to break through the Laurikainen wall.
Jaynen Rissling boomed a slapshot from the point nearing the 10 minute mark, and Sylvester was Johnny-on-the-spot and scooped the rebound up and over Laurikainen’s pad.
That was followed up four minutes later by Greg Chase redirecting a Sylvester shot top-corner to expand the lead to 2-0.
“Sly just threw it at the net, that’s what we’ve been talking about this whole series is getting pucks to the net,” Chase said, who is tied for the team lead with three points in the post-seaso. “I just kind of got lucky, redirected it and it found it’s way in.”
Victor Rask scored his first career WHL playoff goal early in the third, snapping home the rebound off a shot from Brooks Macek to make it 3-0.
It was more than enough for the Hitmen.
“I liked our effort tonight,” Sylvester said. “We came out a little slow at the start but I think we found our legs, we put up a good game tonight.”
Adam Lowry snapped Driedger’s shutout bid with about five minutes left in the game on the powerplay, but that was as close as the Broncos would come.
Driedger made 39 saves in the victory, while Laurikainen saw 23 shots while getting credited for the loss.
Game 3 and 4 will be on March 25th and 26th at the Credit Union iPlex in Swift Current. Both games start at 7 p.m.
