For two periods, the Brandon Wheat Kings’ offensive stars were frustrated by sound goaltending from Jordan Switzer of the Moose Jaw Warriors. In the third, however, they vented that frustration in incredible fashion.
Kris Muissu scored twice, and Chase Surkan, Cam Allard, Jaxon Jacobson and Ahmad Fayad also scored as the Wheat Kings piled up six third period goals to beat the Warriors 6-2. Joffrey Chan made 17 saves in the win.
“I thought we were pretty flat in the first period, we only had three or four shots,” said Wheat Kings head coach and GM Marty Murray. “We didn’t give up many but it was a flat period overall. In the second we came along, we had a lot of shots but we didn’t really penetrate inside the dots as much as we would want to. But in the third, we played to our identity.”
For the second game in a row, the Wheat Kings were tasked with killing a long five-on-three, this one 1:02 in length. And as they’d done the night before, the Wheat Kings killed it off.
At even strength, however, the Warriors scored the only goal of the opening frame. Colt Carter took the initial shot, which Chan turned aside, but the rebound popped high in the air and landed on the stick of Carson Deichert, who fired it home for the opening tally.
After not having much luck getting shots through in the first period, the Wheat Kings turned it up dramatically in the second. They amassed 17 shots on goal in the second period alone, but couldn’t break through Switzer in the Moose Jaw net.
Early in the third, the Wheat Kings got the breakthrough they’d been looking for. Ryan Boyce sent Colin Grubb streaking up the left side, and Grubb fed a pass back out front to Muissu, who sniped his fifth of the preseason.
Given another five-on-three chance, this time Moose Jaw made good with Connor Schmidt ripping a shot home from the right circle. But that would be, as it turned out, the last goal for the Warriors in regulation, and the Wheat Kings were just getting warmed up.
First, Grubb put his set-up skills on display again to tie the game, breaking wide and sending the puck out front. Both Jacobson and Surkan had whacks at it, with Surkan batting it home.
Then, on a quick counter off the rush, Cole Hunter left a spinning behind-the-back pass on the tape of Allard, who put a bullet of a shot right under the bar for the Wheat Kings’ first lead of the night.
As it turned out, they never surrendered that lead but built upon it. On the power play, Allard left the puck for Muissu at the left circle, who changed the angle of his shot with a quick drag and then ripped it past Switzer.
On a late power play, the Warriors pulled the goaltender. Once the power play expired, however, the Wheat Kings turned the tables, with Jacobson finding the empty net.
Still the Wheat Kings weren’t finished. With only 21.6 seconds on the clock, Levi Ellingsen sent Ahmad Fayad into the clear, and the rookie forward finished off the play with a slick forehand deke to make it 6-2.
Moose Jaw scored a power play goal in the showcase overtime, but it would not affect the result as, for the second night in a row, the Wheat Kings took a 6-2 win. They next face the Saskatoon Blades on September 18, opening up the season on home ice at 7:00 PM.
