For the fourth game in a row, a banged-up Wheat Kings squad had to gut out a close win over a division rival. And for the fourth game in a row, they found a way.
Luke Mistelbacher, Prabh Bhathal, and Jordan Gavin all scored, and Jayden Kraus turned aside 30 of 32 shots he faced in a 3-2 win. Jaxon Jacobson picked up three primary assists in the victory.
“It’s a testament to the character we have,” said Wheat Kings head coach and GM Marty Murray. “You could look at our roster and go ‘this guy is out, this guy is out, this guy is out’ but it’s that next-man-up mentality. Credit to all the guys, everyone that was dressed tonight contributed.”
The big guns for the Wheat Kings came to life right off a faceoff. With the draw coming to the left of Evan Gardner, Jacobson won the draw cleanly back to Mistelbacher, and it was on and off his tape in a heartbeat as he snapped it high-blocker and in.
The top line stretched the Wheat Kings lead to two early in the second. Jacobson danced free at the top of the umbrella and sent a shot through traffic that bounced off the screen of Bhathal and in.
On their second power play of the game, however, the Blades bit into the lead. David Lewandowski faked the one-timer and instead sent it into the slot for Zach Olsen. Olsen actually did take the one-timer and made it a 2-1 game.
The Wheat Kings responded on an early third period power play of their own. Jacobson sent the puck through a seam to Gavin at the bottom of the right circle, and Gavin one-timed it past Evan Gardner and in.
But the Blades power play replied again. This time, Lewandowski kept the shot for himself, rifling one through Kraus to cut the lead in half for the second time in the game.
With their net empty, the Blades pressed furiously. But the Wheat Kings kept up a steady defense complete with gutsy shot blocks, and Kraus held his ground to the final second to preserve the win.
The victory was the fourth straight one-goal win for the Wheat Kings, all over divisional opponents. They get a few days to catch their breath before hosting the Penticton Vees for their first ever visit to ACU Place on Friday, February 20.
