Hurricanes just 1 win away from WHL Eastern Conference Final after 7-4 win in Brandon

The Lethbridge Hurricanes are just one win away from returning to the WHL’s Eastern Conference Final.

On Wednesday, the team beat the Brandon Wheat Kings 7-4 in Game 4 to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

The Hurricanes exploded for four goals in the first period, one more in the second and two in the third. Five different players scored, showcasing the balanced attack that’s making the ‘Canes a dangerous bunch.

“There were times in the year where when (Jordy) Bellerive wasn’t scoring and we weren’t getting secondary scoring we weren’t winning games,” Hurricanes assistant coach Jeff Hansen said. “You look at a night like tonight we got seven goals and the boys are feeling good right now and pucks are going in and that secondary scoring is taking pressure off our top guys.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "There were times in the year where when (Jordy) Bellerive wasn't scoring and we weren't getting secondary scoring we weren't winning games," Hurricanes assistant coach Jeff Hansen said. "You look at a night like tonight we got seven goals and the boys are feeling good right now and pucks are going in and that secondary scoring is taking pressure off our top guys."

Hurricanes forward Brad Morrison opened the scoring two minutes into the game when he dangled around a Wheat Kings defender and beat Goalie Dylan Myskiw through the five-hole.

That tally was just the start. The ‘Canes quickly rattled off three more goals and led 4-0 just 10 minutes into the game.

“It was exactly what we needed. One of the things we were focusing on was making sure we had a good start,” Hansen said. “Because we knew this was a really big game for them and we knew they were going to have a big push and they did.”

The push from Brandon came in the second period when they scored three times and cut the ‘Canes lead to 5-3 through two periods.

The momentum was shifting but just a minute into the third period Jake Elmer, blazed past the Wheat Kings defence and beat Myskiw to make it 6-3 Hurricanes, solidifying the win for Lethbridge.

‘Canes forwards Morrison and Elmer each had two-goal nights, while Dylan Cozens, Zane Franklin and Logan Barlage also found the back of the net. In goal, Hurricanes netminder Logan Flodell turned aside 27 of 31 shots.

The Hurricanes now have the Wheat Kings on the verge of elimination and they’ll have a chance to get to the Conference Final with a win in Game 5.

“This is exactly what we wanted to do,” Hansen said. “Obviously you want to win every game, but coming out on the road and we knew they’d be tough to play in this barn and getting the split out here is big for us. Having a chance to win it in front of our home fans is something really special for us and our guys will be ready to go.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "This is exactly what we wanted to do," Hansen said. "Obviously you want to win every game, but coming out on the road and we knew they'd be tough to play in this barn and getting the split out here is big for us. Having a chance to win it in front of our home fans is something really special for us and our guys will be ready to go."

The Hurricanes will have a chance to win the series in Lethbridge on Friday night and advance to the Eastern final for the second-straight season.