For the second game in a row, the Wheat Kings didn’t surrender very many shots on goal, and fought their way back after surrendering some goals early. This time, however, the final result wasn’t there for them.
Luke Mistelbacher scored twice, and Caleb Hadland and Joby Baumuller scored once each, but the Wheat Kings lost 5-4 to the Swift Current Broncos. They outshot the Broncos 45-17 despite the loss.
“We didn’t give up a ton of shots but it’s about the ones you give up,” said Wheat Kings head coach and GM Marty Murray. “Back door tap ins on the power play, chances in front of the net, we’ve got to know better than that.”
After the Wheat Kings missed on a power play of their own early in the first, the Broncos power play came through in spades. First, they worked a tick-tack-goal with Zach Pantelakis getting the last touch. Then, Jace McFaul took a one-timer on their second power play and Stepan Kuryachenkov tipped it in for the 2-0 lead.
Despite two more power play chances, the Wheat Kings could not break through themselves in the first. They thought they had done so when Nicholas Johnson found a rebound in front and slipped home a backhand, but the referee waved it off for goaltender interference.
Another pair of goals put the Broncos in the drivers’ seat in the second, this time at even strength. Brandon native Josh McGregor fired one off the arm of Jayden Kraus and in, ending his night. Then, the Broncos rudely welcomed Filip Ruzicka to the net, with Sawyer Dingman potting a rebound off a goalmouth scramble.
A former Bronco gave the Wheat Kings a little momentum in the second. From the bottom of the left circle, Jaxon Jacobson hooked the puck across to Mistelbacher, and he scored his third goal in the last three games.
But again the Broncos got a bounce and got a response. After a dump in took a funny hop, the puck pinballed its way to the net, and somehow got kicked out of the pile right to a waiting Hudson Darby for the 5-1 goal.
Before the period was out, the Wheat Kings battled back. Max Lavoie carried the puck down from the left point and snapped a shot on net, creating a rebound that Hadland stuffed through the five-hole of Joey Rocha.
The pushback continued into the third. After killing off two full minutes of 5-on-3, the Wheat Kings pressed for offense. Cameron Allard rang one off the post, then, later in the period, Gio Pantelas spotted Baumuller back door for the tap-in to get the Wheat Kings back within two.
With the net empty, Mistelbacher struck again. He took another feed from Jacobson at the top of the right circle and rifled home his fourth in the last three games.
Time simply ran out on the Wheat Kings after that, however. Though they pressed, the Broncos killed the clock and took the win.
The Wheat Kings will wrap up their six game homestand on Thursday night when they host the Kamloops Blazers.
