Broncos Hammer Hurricanes 9-3

LETHBRIDGE - The Hurricanes let a 2-0 first period lead slip away and dropped an 9-3 decision to the Swift Current Broncos Saturday night at the ENMAX Centre.

After a number of slow starts in recent games, the Hurricanes got things going offensively in this game. Phil Tot scored a power play goal to give the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead. That was his first of the year. That goal also ended an 0 or 21 drought on the man advantage for Lethbridge. The Canes would get another one not too long after that. Brad Ramsey hammered home a lose puck for his 4th of the season to put the Hurricanes ahead 2-0. The Broncos soon got one of those back. Their deadly power play clicked again. This time Taylor Vause let go a one-timer to make it a 2-1 hockey game. Then before the end of period the Broncos would tie the game. Reece Scarlet was left alone in front of the Lethbridge goal and tapped the puck by Tanner Kovacs and that evened the score at 2-2 after one period of play. The shots favoured the visitors 12-10. Damien Ketlo started the game for Lethbridge in goal, but took himself off the ice a few minutes in and never returned. Kovacs apparently tightened up during the pre-game ceremony and took himself out of the game.

In the second, in Broncos power play strikes again. Coda Gordon, who's had a great start to the season for Swift Current would lift a backhander over Kovacs and in. That would give Swift Current it's first lead of the night, 3-2. The Broncos would quickly jump ahead by a pair. Taylor Vause put home his second of the night and it would give the Broncos a 4-2 lead, erasing what was once a 2-0 deficit for Swift Current back in the first. That's the way the period would end. The Broncos held the edge in shot at 25-21.

In the third, former Hurricane Ryon Moser blew by the Canes defence for his 2nd of the year. That made it 5-2 Broncos and then a few minutes later Taylor Vause would get the hatrick on a 2-on-1 rush up the ice lifting a hard shot over Kovacs and into the top of the goal and that made the score 6-2. The Broncos weren't done there. They would add three more before the game would end. Ryon Moser would get another one on his former club to make it 7-3 and then Brad Hoban and Colby Cave would get in on the action making it 9-2. Lethbridge would get one more before the game would come to a close. Sam McKechnie with a nice shot scoring his first-ever in the WHL. The final score though heavily favoured Swift Current 9-3. The Broncos out shot Lethbridge 39-35. Swift Current finished the night 2/4 on the power play and the Hurricanes went 1/6. The loss drops the Hurricanes record to 2-8-0-1. Lethbridge has now dropped 8 straight games. Assistant Coach Chris Chisamore said on the post-game show that the bottom fell out in this game after jumping ahead 2-0 early. He said the coaches have to take the responsibility to help the players turn this slump around. Also for the status of Damien Ketlo, Chisamore said his status would be looked at on Sunday.

Rich Preston on the pre-game show was candid about the losing streak, saying this team simply has to start scoring goals, getting off to better starts and it has to begin now. Prior to the game, The Hurricanes unveiled the Steve "Foggy" Falwell Media Centre, honouring former Hurricanes/Broncos radio broadcaster Steve Falwell.

NEXT UP

The Hurricanes continue this 7 game home stretch Monday (Oct. 17) when they host the Kootenay ICE at the ENMAX Centre. Game time is 7:00 pm (MDT). The pre-game show on CJOC at 6:30. The Canes will host Kamloops on Friday and Brandon stops in town on Saturday.

Thanks,
Pat

This blog post is brought to you by http://www.clearlylethbridge.com/.