SCHNEIDER NETS ANOTHER OT WINNER FOR A 5-4 WHEAT KINGS WIN
Just six days removed from his overtime winner against the Winnipeg ICE, Braden Schneider was the hero once again scoring 2:30 into the extra frame to give the Wheat Kings a 5-4 win over the Prince Albert Raiders at Regina’s Brandt Centre on Saturday night.
Ethan Kruger turned aside 27 shots for his 12th win of the season for the Wheat Kings and Max Paddock stopped 29 for the Raiders, earning him the game’s third star. Lynden McCallum scored two goals for the Wheat Kings and the game’s first star while Nate Danielson added three assists for the second star.
It was rookie Brett Hyland who opened the scoring for Brandon off a nice breakout from Brandon’s end. After Danielson brought the puck into the Raiders’ zone, the Red Deer native feathered a pass over to Hyland who was driving the net and just like that the Wheat Kings were leading three minutes into the game. Not only was the goal beautifully executed, it was a look at chemistry between two rookie forwards who Wheat Kings fans can expect to be a big part of their team’s future.
GOAL🚨
Nate Danielson ➡️ Brett Hyland to open the scoring!#BWK🌾👑 @NateDanielson pic.twitter.com/j29fk6BHOS
— Brandon Wheat Kings (@bdnwheatkings) April 25, 2021
The Wheat Kings increased their lead five-and-a-half minutes later on the power play when Lynden McCallum got a pass from Chad Nychuk low in the Raiders’ zone with space to operate. McCallum walked in all alone beside the goal line and jammed the puck past Paddock’s far side for his 14th goal of the season.
“I just tried to drive the net,” said McCallum. “I just tried to take it to the net hard and stuff it in and I mean it worked. Max is a pretty good goalie so I mean his numbers speak for themselves, but yeah, I’m happy it worked out.”
GOAL🚨
Nate Danielson ➡️ Chad Nychuk ➡️ Lynden McCallum to make it 2-0! #BWK🌾👑 @NateDanielson @Nychuk39 @mccallum_lynden pic.twitter.com/VJoWTOlfbW
— Brandon Wheat Kings (@bdnwheatkings) April 25, 2021
The Wheat Kings looked sharp in the first period and capitalized on their chances more effectively than the Raiders did, despite the shots on goal being an even 8-7 in favour of Brandon.
The Raiders found their stride in the second period though, getting on the board just 3:20 into the frame via an even-strength marker from Dallyn Peekeekoot to make it 2-1.
McCallum answered for the Wheat Kings with his second of the night just four minutes after the Peekeekoot goal, again on the power play. Only 20 seconds into the man advantage, the puck was cycled to the goal line where Ben McCartney fed a beautiful one touch pass to McCallum in front of the net where he made no mistake.
GOAL🚨
Lynden McCallum scores on the Power Play for his 2nd goal of the night!#BWK🌾👑 @mccallum_lynden pic.twitter.com/OzfFGhH8Bk
— Brandon Wheat Kings (@bdnwheatkings) April 25, 2021
After McCallum restored the two-goal lead for the Wheat Kings, the Raiders took control of the game. Harmless dump ins and 50/50 battles in the neutral zone seemed to start going Prince Albert’s way and the Wheat Kings were caught chasing the puck unlike the first period. Landon Kosior would get the Raiders to within one at 9:09 in the second and then just 23 seconds into the third period, Evan Herman scored on a Raiders power play to tie the game.
The Wheat Kings answered back with pressure, getting some good possessions to slow the game down and regain some control, and they had an excellent couple shots on Paddock that left him scrambling. With the puck still near the Raiders’ goal and bodies littered in front, Ridly Greig rang a great opportunity that looked like a sure goal off the post. But like it happens so often in the game of hockey, the missed chance by the Wheat Kings resulted in the play shifting the other way and Matthew Culling gave the Raiders their first lead of the game 8:55 into the third.
“I think we got a little bit too comfortable when we got that lead,” said Wheat Kings captain, Braden Schneider. “I thought we kind of sat back on our heels and they really woke up and brought it to us. So I think it was more our fault than anything. I think we kind of let them control the pace of the game and that’s what allowed them to get back into it.”
The Wheat Kings found themselves in a very similar position six days earlier, when they trailed the provincial rival Winnipeg ICE in the third period after giving up an early lead. And in similar fashion to that game against the ICE, the Wheat Kings found a way.
With 5:30 left in the game and on the power play, the Wheat Kings stole a faceoff won by the Raiders in Prince Albert’s zone and got the puck high near the blueline. They swung the puck high across the zone before finding Ridly Greig near the half wall who sent a blistering pass to Ben McCartney standing in front of the net for a tap in with 3:21 left in the third period.
GOAL🚨
Ben McCartney ties it at 4 with a Power Play goal in the 3rd period! #BWK🌾👑 pic.twitter.com/sTn42RalLZ
— Brandon Wheat Kings (@bdnwheatkings) April 25, 2021
The goal was McCartney’s 13th of the season and his second point of the night, extending his points streak to eight games. But more importantly, it gave the Wheat Kings some life as they try to collect three points in three games to win the East Division. With the game tied at four and the clock seconds on the clock ticking, picking up at least a point by going to overtime was a huge difference from taking a regulation loss.
When overtime started, the Wheat Kings put McCartney, Greig and Schneider on the ice and McCartney had a decent chance right off the opening draw. The three starters kept possession for the majority of their shift but both teams eventually traded chances, none more promising than a trailing Nolan Ritchie shot from between the hashmarks that missed the net high.
Six days after he won the game for the Wheat Kings in overtime against the ICE, captain Braden Schneider came up huge for his club once again. Nate Danielson broke out of the Wheat Kings’ zone and fed Schneider who did the rest.
“I think I was at the blueline and I didn’t really know what I was going to do, I think it was a bit of a 2 on 1 but Danni was a bit behind me with a guy chasing him,” said Schneider. “I saw a lane and I just tried going to the far post as fast as I could and we got a lucky bounce”.
GOAL 🚨@NYRangers prospect @bradenschneid does it again as he scores the OT winner for the Black and Gold! #BWK🌾👑 #NYR pic.twitter.com/7EbBCTfxld
— Brandon Wheat Kings (@bdnwheatkings) April 25, 2021
“All the games aren’t going to be masterpieces but we found a way to get it done,” said Wheat Kings head coach, Don MacGillivray. “We found a way to tie the game and get that extra point, and overtime was huge. Like every other game in this Hub, we’ll put this one behind us and get ready for tomorrow.”
The win moves the Wheat Kings back into a three-point lead over the ICE in the standings with two games left to play, and it extended Brandon’s winning streak to six games. They now need just two points out of their two remaining games against the Regina Pats and Saskatoon Blades in order to win the East Division.
“We aren’t playing for a championship so-to-speak, but we are playing for something,” said MacGillivray. “You can tell the way Prince Albert plays, these games mean something. They played tremendously hard against Saskatoon last night and they wanted to win the game today. We found a way to get it done and I think that every time you get a chance to eliminate a team, you take that opportunity. So we’ve put Saskatoon behind us and now we have a chance to eliminate Winnipeg and go through the front door.”
The Wheat Kings will attempt to do just that at 9 PM tomorrow against the Pats, a team that beat them in overtime the last time they met. Fans can catch the game on Q Country 91.5 FM or 880 on the AM dial, or stream it online via www.watch.chl.ca.
