With two of their high-scoring veterans away at NHL camps, the Brandon Wheat Kings looked to some of their younger players for offense in their final home preseason game, and the young guns delivered.
Colin Grubb scored twice and added an assist, and Brett Wilson, Cruz Jim, Ahmad Fayad, and Chase Surkan also scored as the Wheat Kings took down the Moose Jaw Warriors 6-2. Ryley Budd made 36 saves in the win.
“We played a pretty solid game,” said Wheat Kings head coach and GM Marty Murray. “You can see improvements in all three zones and it’s fun to see the kids come together and have success and see their excitement. It was a good thing to have a good home game tonight, and hopefully that will lead to good things tomorrow and being ready for the home opener.”
Moose Jaw opened the scoring at even strength. Defenseman William DeGagne jumped up to intercept a pass, found some space at the top of the left circle, and picked the top corner.
Just as a power play expired, however, the Wheat Kings had their reply. Ethan Young forced a turnover and sent Hudson Landmark, Cole Hunter, and Wilson in on a three-on-one, with all three forwards touching the puck before Wilson out-waited the diving save attempt from Kyle Jones and snapped it home.
Late in the first, the Warriors were handed two full minutes of five-on-three, but the Wheat Kings killed the first 1:06 of it without incident to take themselves into the intermission. When they returned, they killed the remaining 54 seconds.
From there, the Wheat Kings began thinking offense. On a delayed penalty against Moose Jaw, Jim went to the front of the net as the Wheat Kings cycled the puck around. Grubb put it along the ice and Jim tipped it perfectly home.
Grubb was just getting started. Kris Muissu forced a turnover behind the Moose Jaw net and sent it to Grubb at the right circle, who snapped home his first of the preseason.
Then, as Grubb and Muissu broke back in, Grubb sold the drop pass, then dropped his shoulder and drove hard to the net, beating Jones to the far post and tucking in his second of the game.
Moose Jaw stemmed the tide a bit later in the second, when Colt Carter drove the net off the rush. His first shot was blocked, and his follow-up was stopped, but it produced a rebound that Gage Nagel potted.
In the third, however, the Wheat Kings restored the lead. Surkan forced a turnover on the right wing wall, and sent the puck into the slot for Fayad, who cut to the backhand and lifted home the 5-2 goal.
Surkan himself was the beneficiary of a great pass on the next goal. Cam Allard spotted Surkan with a lane to break in alone, and hit him right on the tape. Surkan faked the shot and pulled off a backhand deke of his own to make it 6-2.
The two teams played a showcase overtime despite the score, but as had been the case the first time around, there were no goals in overtime, and the Wheat Kings took the unqualified 6-2 win, their first of the preseason.
Next up for the Wheat Kings, a trip to Moose Jaw to round out their preseason tomorrow night. Puck drop is 7:00 Central Time.
