Saturday 12 December 2015

Hurricanes Beat Wheaties 5-3

The Lethbridge Hurricanes earned their 20th win of the season Friday with a 5-3 win in Brandon.

It was a battle between two teams nearly deadlocked in the Eastern Conference standings.

The Wheat Kings opened the scoring in this game. Tyler Coulter scored midway though the first period, beating Stuart Skinner to make it 1-0 Brandon. That one goal held up as the only offence in the opening period.

In the second, the Hurricanes started to find their groove, especially with their special teams. Bryaden Burke tied the game with his 7th goal of the season on a power play 6:14 into the period to make it a 1-1 game. Just over a minute later, the Canes took the lead with a shorthanded goal, courtesy of Giorgio Estpehan, his 10th of the season and it was 2-1 Lethbridge, The Canes jumped ahead by a pair less than two minute after that. Tyler Wong scored his team-leading 21st of the season and the Hurricanes were up 3-1. Before the end of the period, Brandon got back to within one when Connor Gutenberg scored to cut the lead to 3-2 after 40 minutes of play.

In the third, Giorgio Estephan scored his second of the night and 11th of the season to make it a 4-2 game in favour of the Hurricanes. That goal would eventually turn out to be the game winner. That was also a power play goal. Brandon though wouldn't go away in this game. Braylon Shmyr scored with less than 10 minutes to go in the period to make it a one goal game once again. The Hurricanes had a quick response for that goal. Less than minute later, Egor Babenko put the Canes ahead 5-3 with his 15th of the season and that's the way this one ended.

The Hurricanes improve to 20-10 in 30 games this season and leapfrog the Wheat Kings by one point in the overall standings. Brandon out shot Lethbridge 43-34 in this game, but Skinner was solid in goal. The Hurricanes went a perfect 2/2 on the power play and Wheaties finished the night 0/5.

That was the first of a six game road trip for the Hurricanes leading up to the WHL's annual Christmas break. They now head to Regina Saturday (Dec. 12) where they'll take on the Pats. The Hurricanes are 8-2 in the last 10 games and Regina is 4-4-1-1.

Thanks,
Pat

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