BRANDON, MB. - Three third period goals helped the Brandon Wheat Kings to a 6-4 come-from-behind win over the Hurricanes Friday night at the Keystone Centre.
The Wheat Kings came out strong in this game, taking a page of the Moose Jaw Warriors book from Wednesday. Shane Wiebe knocked a shot past Brandon Anderson to give Brandon a 1-0 lead. The Wheaties were out shooting the Canes' 7-1n in the early going of this game. The Hurricanes though would get that one back 1:30 later and then take the lead. First Cam Braes evened the game with his 22nd of the season putting a shot past Wheat Kings goalie Liam Liston. Just over 4 minutes after that, Brody Sutter put home his 6th of the year to make it 2-1 Lethbridge. The Wheat Kings would tie the game soon after. Michael Ferland scored to get the Wheaties back to even terms 2-2. The Hurricanes would end up getting their one-goal lead back before the end of the period. Austin Fyten took a huge hit at the Brandon blueline. He managed to get the puck over to Cam Braes who in turn fed a pass to Brody Sutter who scored his second of the night to give Lethbridge a 3-2 lead after 20 minutes of play. The Hurricanes at that point had scored 3 goals on 7 shots. The Wheat Kings out shot the Canes' 13-9 in the opening period.
In the second, the Wheat Kings would tie things up on an early power play. Scott Glennie took a pass at the side of the Hurricanes goal and put the puck past Anderson to even the hockey game at 3-3. The Canes' though would keep coming. Ryon Moser would find the back of the net for the first time this season. Phil Tot passed him the puck on a two-on-one rush and Moser would make it 4-3 Lethbridge. That would be the only offence in the second period as the Canes' would take that 4-3 lead into the dressing room after 40 minutes. Brandon would hold the edge in shots on goal through two periods 25-19.
In the third, the Wheaties would tie things up early. Matt MacKay scored just 19 seconds into the final frame to even the game at 4-4. Brandon would end up taking the lead on yet another power play goal. Mark Stone scored this time for the Wheat Kings. That goal gave the home team a 5-4 lead. The Hurricanes pressed in the late stages to get the equalizer, but Brandon would put one more into an empty goal to seal it 6-4 for the Wheat Kings. The Wheaties out shot Lethbridge 39-24 in this game and with the win, they move just one point back of the Canes' in the standings. Special teams turned out to be the difference in this game. Brandon finished the night 2 for 6 on the power play and the Canes' went 0 for 4. The loss drops the Hurricanes record to 15-22-2-7 on the season in 46 games this season.
Despite the loss, it was a very good night for the Hurricanes top line. Brody Sutter, Austin Fyten, and Cam Braes combined for 8 points. Sutter was the game's 3rd star with two goals and two assists. This was no doubt a very tough loss for the Canes' as they had a chance to creep within two points of the 8th place Prince Albert Raiders. I think that goal early in the 3rd period swung the tide for Brandon in this game. That gave the Wheat Kings the momentum. Give Brandon some credit for fighting back. They did so from a one-goal deficit three times.
NEXT UP
The Hurricanes will close out this four game road trip Saturday night with their final visit to the Queen City this season. This game is equally as important as the Brandon game was. The Regina Pats, like the Wheat Kings are a team the Hurricanes must stay ahead of if they want that final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Both teams have one win each in this regular season series and both coming in shootouts in the opposing team's home rink. Game time from the Brandt Centre in Regina is 6:00 pm (MST). The pre-game show on CJOC at 5:30. The Hurricanes return home Tuesday to host Brandon at the ENMAX Centre.
MAPLE LEAFS JERSEY AUCTION
If you're still thinking about bidding on one of those limited edition Lethbridge Maple Leafs Jerseys you have one more week to do so on-line. The auction closes next Saturday January, 29th. The Hurricanes will wear those special jersey's for one game when they host Brandon on Tuesday night. The auction website is http://www.hurricanesauction.com/. As of Friday afternoon, Russell Maxwell's jersey had the highest bid sitting at $500.00.
Thanks,
Pat
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canes lose another tough one, BUT on a positive note. that one is my favorite, it musts get hard to put a nice spin on a disaster.but way to keep up that fake smile ,great job.congrats rich, you get your paycheck no matter what happens, so cash your check with the lack of pride that you know so well.you do it better than anyone, and you make this town so proud.
ReplyDeleteI love reading personal attacks against our head coach from people that know nothing about hockey. Rich played pro for 13 years and has coached the WHL or higher for 19...if he did not have pride or passion for what he does I don't believe that he would have been employed by the top league in the world for so long.He is sitting players, trying to develop others,trying different line combination's with both forwards and D. I don't know what more people expect him to do to be honest. His hands were tied at the deadline and the canes are a mere 4 points out of a playoff spot while being the 3rd highest penalized team in the entire league...not an easy feat. If you have no pride in this team or coach don't waste time spewing garbage. Saying that someone who has dedicated their whole life to a game has no pride in it on an internet posting is deplorable and unfair.
ReplyDeleteAs a good friend of mine told me today, there are a lot of people that spew personal attacks because of their "keyboard courage".
ReplyDeleteCertainlyf we are all frustrated with the results the team is getting. They are usually so close (now 21 one goal games)yet just find a way to fall short.
Lack of pride? How cowardly!
RJS
R.J.S. I think you must be on drugs... keep hoping..keep cheering.. this team with this coach is going nowhere. but your rose colored glasses will make you see something else..
ReplyDeleteI am not BOB,...
ReplyDelete...and while I am impressed with the R.P. resume posted by the 11:43am Anon poster #2,...
...and while I agree that from some of the intelligent things that Rich Preston says in his interviews, he seems to know a LOT about many of aspects of hockey,
...By some of the things he says in these same interviews, and by the way he speaks, he hasn't convinced me that he has the necessary psychological, or motivational skills for the job of coach in the WHL. He needs to bring someone in that HAS these skills or continue with the same less than mediocre results...
I think RPs larger shortcoming as a coach in the WHL is his tendency to OVERPLAY his top line.
(I would love to have the TOI stats for the team for each period)
THIS ENTIRE YEAR, and again last night in Brandon, the top line of Braes, Fyten, Sutter were probably overplayed again last night. The game sheet shows that they were basically +2 in the first, they weren't a factor in the second, and they were the ONLY LINE to give up an even strength Brandon goal in the third period!
Brandon scored 2 powerplay goals and we scored none (which of course don't count in +/- stats), so that means that on the remaining goals scored, even though this 'stud' line accounted for 3/4 of the team's goals, only SUTTER managed a +1 rating!! In other words, Braes and Fyten were on the ice for 3/4 of BRANDON'S EVEN STRENGTH GOALS so they only "broke even" on +/-!! What good is that? They are both MUCH BETTER PLAYERS THAN THAT! YOU CANNOT WIN GAMES WHEN YOUR TOP LINE PLAYED GREAT yet were +1 COMBINED!
THEY GET TIRED, OF COURSE!
IF THE COACHES KEEP IT UP, they will continue to LOSE GAMES IN THE THIRD PERIOD!
For the rest of the year, the team needs to get closer to ROLLING 4 LINES,... and any player that takes a selfish/stupid penalty, or takes a penalty inside the attacking BLUE line, SITS for the rest of that game, WHOEVER they are. Richie.