Hurricanes Season Ends with Double Overtime Loss to Broncos
Lethbridge, AB – The Lethbridge Hurricanes had their 2023-2024 season end in heartbreaking fashion on Wednesday with a 5-4 double overtime loss to the Swift Current Broncos at the ENMAX Centre.
Lethbridge had a great start to the must-win Game 4 as they jumped out to a 1-0 lead just 1:27 into the game when Trae Wilke scored his first career playoff goal on a centering pass from Hayden Pakkala; Logan Wormald earned the second assist on the goal. The Hurricanes doubled their lead at the 8:58 mark on a give-go between Carter Dereniwsky and Kash Andresen as Dereniwsky ripped home his first of the playoffs to make it 2-0. The ‘Canes kept pressing and added to their lead when Brayden Edwards redirected a Tristen Doyle point shot through the legs of Reid Dyck to make it 3-0 Lethbridge. The Broncos had some great chances in the period, including a point-blank look for Conor Geekie, but Harrison Meneghin was terrific stopping all 14 Swift Current shots in the period. In the final minute, the Broncos got on the board as a puck deflected off Josh Filmon’s face and in the net to make it a 3-1 game after twenty minutes of play. The Broncos outshot the Hurricanes 14-11 in the first period.
Swift Current opened the second period on a four-minute power play after Miguel Marques was handed a double-minor penalty at the end of the first period. The Broncos looked dangerous on the man advantage but couldn’t solve Meneghin before a penalty by Caleb Wyrostok set up four-on-four. The Hurricanes made it a 4-1 game when Hayden Pakkala was sprung on a breakaway and beat Dyck for his second of the playoffs; McCutcheon and Meneghin earned the assists on the four-on-four goal. Swift Current pulled to within two-goals with a power play goal by Clarke Caswell at the 13:12 mark as he wired a shot over the glove of Meneghin to make it a 4-2 game. Just under two-minute later, the Broncos made it a one-goal game when Luke Mistelbacher – who had a hat-trick in Game 3 – slipped home a back-hand on a partial two-on-one to make it a 4-3 game; Mathew Ward and Owen Pickering earned the assists on the goal as the Hurricanes held a one-goal lead after forty minutes of play. Lethbridge outshot Swift Current 17-13 in the middle frame.
In the third period, the Hurricanes and Broncos traded chances as Lethbridge looked to add to their lead and find an insurance goal but could not solve Dyck who turned aside all seven ‘Canes shots in the period. Swift Current pulled even at the 11:23 mark when Grayson Burzynski fired home his first ever playoff goal to make it a 4-4 game; Rylan Gould and Peyton Kettles drew the assists on the goal. Neither team could find a go-ahead goal as the game went to overtime. The Hurricanes were outshot 9-7 in the third period as the game went to overtime for the first time in the series.
In the first overtime, the teams were tentative with both teams hoping to end the game. The Hurricanes and Broncos both had chances to end the game, but both Meneghin and Dyck were strong to send the game to double overtime.
On the only shot of the second overtime, the Broncos won the game and the series when Conor Geekie ripped a shot by Meneghin to lift Swift Current to the come-from-behind 5-4 double overtime victory sending the Broncos to the second round of the WHL Playoffs; Clarke Caswell earned the only assist on the series clinching goal.
The Hurricanes were outshot 45-41 in the contest. Lethbridge was 0/1 on the power play while Swift Current went 1/3 with the extra man.
Three stars of the game were the Hurricanes three overage players:
1) ‘Canes – #7 Joe Arntsen
2) ‘Canes – #16 Sean Tschigerl
3) ‘Canes – #10 Dylan Sydor
The loss for the Hurricanes was their second double overtime defeat in the last two years as they fall to 1-4 all-time in double overtime games. Lethbridge’s playoff losing streak falls to 13-straight games as they were swept for the third straight season.