Wild Win Streak Ends at Eight Games, Lethbridge Earns 5-1 Victory Friday
Photo Courtesy: Russ Alman/Wenatchee Wild
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LETHBRIDGE, Alberta – For the first time since October 18, the Wenatchee Wild walked off the ice in the loss column Friday night, seeing an eight-game winning streak come to an end.
The good news is, Wenatchee won’t have to wait long for the potential to start a new one.
The Lethbridge Hurricanes posted two goals in the second period and two more in the third for a 5-1 Western Hockey League victory at ENMAX Centre on Friday, forcing a split in the first two games of Wenatchee’s three-game road swing in the WHL’s Central Division. The rubber game of the road trip takes the Wild up against the Medicine Hat Tigers on Saturday evening.
The Hurricanes began the game with six of the night’s first seven shots, and took the opening lead with 6:01 left in the period. Leo Braillard kicked the puck to Miguel Marques, who deked to the backhand and put it in past Brendan Gee, putting Lethbridge ahead 1-0. The Wild capitalized on their first power play of the night, though, as Evan Friesen rang the puck off the crossbar and just inside the net for the tying goal 41 seconds into the second period.
Unfortunately, that was as much as the Wild offense was able to muster – Blake Swetlikoff cranked a shot into the top corner of the net at 3:04 of the second, putting the Hurricanes in front to stay. Kooper Gizowski sneaked one home on a Hurricanes power play with 3:49 remaining in the period, giving the hosts a goal on their first power play of the night as well, and doubling the lead to 3-1.
Wenatchee battled with all its might to cut into the lead in the third – though they had 22 of the 26 shots on net in the final 20 minutes, the Wild were not able to score again. The Hurricanes did not score, either, until Tyson Zimmer won a race to the puck along the right-wing boards and pushed it to the empty net with 1:06 left, getting a final poke from Marques for his second goal of the game. Elias Knoester found Kooper Gizowski out front for a one-timer with 2.1 seconds remaining to seal the four-goal margin.
Lethbridge’s two goals from Gizowski and Marques were their only multi-point outings, while Harrison Meneghin bested his career high with 41 saves, earning his 10th win. Gee stopped 17 Hurricane shots to take the loss, and Conor Geekie and Kenta Isogai extended their point streaks to nine games each by picking up assists on Friesen’s power play tally. Both teams finished with success on the man-advantage, with the Wild going 1-for-5 and Lethbridge finishing 1-for-2.
Wenatchee’s game Saturday at Medicine Hat closes out a three-game week on the road, with the opening puck drop at Co-Op Place scheduled for 6 p.m. Pacific time. Live coverage is available on Newsradio 560 KPQ and WHL Live.
The Wild return home for a November 15 contest against the Tri-City Americans, presented by LocalTel. Tickets for that game and all home regular-season contests are on sale now at 509-888-7825, online here or by visiting the team office at Town Toyota Center. Updated news and information on Wild hockey are always available through the team’s website and on the team’s social media platforms on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Wenatchee 0 1 0 – 1
Lethbridge 1 2 2 – 5
1st Period-1, Lethbridge, Marques 5 (Braillard), 13:59. Penalties-Marques Let (hooking), 19:21.
2nd Period-2, Wenatchee, Friesen 7 (Isogai, Geekie), 0:41 (PP). 3, Lethbridge, Swetlikoff 2 (Wilke, Renas), 3:04. 4, Lethbridge, Gizowski 7 (Doyle, McCutcheon), 16:11 (PP). Penalties-Renas Let (hooking), 11:01; Sward Wen (interference), 14:29; Geekie Wen (slashing), 16:13; Pauls Let (kneeing), 18:48.
3rd Period-5, Lethbridge, Marques 6 (Zimmer), 18:54 (EN). 6, Lethbridge, Gizowski 8 (Knoester, Meneghin), 19:58. Penalties-Andresen Let (tripping), 1:26; Pauls Let (tripping), 5:12.
Shots on Goal-Wenatchee 9-11-22-42. Lethbridge 9-9-4-22.
Power Play Opportunities-Wenatchee 1 / 5; Lethbridge 1 / 2.
Goalies-Wenatchee, Gee 2-2-0-0 (21 shots-17 saves). Lethbridge, Meneghin 10-6-2-0 (42 shots-41 saves).
A-3,888
Referees-Taylor Burzminski (83), Taylor Friesen (79).
Linesmen-Tyson Phillips (101).
