The Swift Current Broncos beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes 3-2 to open the WHL’s Eastern Conference Final on Friday.
Despite playing one of their best road playoff games of the post-season, the ‘Canes fell just short of capturing game one the best of seven series.
“I thought it was a really solid game,” Hurricanes Head Coach Brent Kisio said. “I liked our first period, I thought we were a little flat and got away from what we needed to do in the second, and then obviously in the third period we had a really good push and got back in the game… We had our chances and it could have gone either way.”
The Hurricanes set an excellent tempo right from puck-drop Friday night, outshooting the Broncos 18-10 in the first period. Swift Current would bounce back in the middle frame though, when Max Patterson beat ‘Canes goalie Logan Flodell to give the Broncos a 1-0 lead.
With seven minutes to go in the second period the Broncos would strike again when Aleksi Heponiemi found Giorgio Estephan on the power play. The former Hurricanes Captain ripped a wrist shot past Stuart Skinner to make it 2-0 Swift Current.
The ‘Canes refused to quit in the third period though, after defencemen Matthew Stanley cut the lead to 2-1, Lethbridge went to work on the man advantage. Midway through the period Calen Addison beat Broncos goalie Stuart Skinner with a rocket from the point to even the game at two.
But, less than two minutes after tying the game, Heponiemi found the puck at the circle and launched a wrist shot past Flodell to put the Broncos ahead 3-2.
In the closing minutes the Hurricanes feverishly swarmed the Broncos net in search of the tying goal. They directed 18 shots at Skinner in the period, but couldn’t get one past the former ‘Canes netminder.
Skinner was brilliant in the Broncos net stopping 39 of 41 shots.
“I thought both goalies were very good. There’s a reason you get to the semifinals and that’s because you have good goaltending,” Kisio said. “I thought on both sides Skinner and Flodell both played really well.”
The Hurricanes didn’t get the win they wanted Friday night, but a strong effort could provide hope for game two.
“You’re never happy after a loss, but there are a lot of positives we can draw on,” Kisio said. “We got a big game tomorrow we need to get reset for, and we need to find a way to get the split.”
It’s the first time the Hurricanes have trailed a best-of-seven series in the 2018 playoffs.
Game 2 is Saturday night in Swift Current.
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