After goaltenders duels and defensive battles at various times in the road trip, the Brandon Wheat Kings faced the Penticton Vees and showed they could still win a good old fashioned track meet.
Joby Baumuller had the hat trick, and Levi Ellingsen, Kris Muissu, Chase Surkan and Cole Hunter all scored as the Wheat Kings downed the Vees 7-4. Filip Ruzicka made 26 saves in the win.
“The first ten minutes of that game were probably our best ten to start any game of the season,” said Wheat Kings head coach and GM Marty Murray. “We came out and really skated and had some zone time, got up 2-0. The second period, the first 15 minutes were disappointing… to me, the turning point of the game was when it was 3-2 them and we killed off a two-minute 5-on-3. That was huge.”
There was no need to wait for the second period for the first goal of the game this time around. Brett Wilson broke in up the left wing and sent a pass to Baumuller’s tape in the slot. Finding himself alone, the Wilcox native made good on his opportunity and ripped home the opening goal of the game.
Their first power play of the game wasn’t able to break through, but the Wheat Kings retained the momentum and built on their lead at even strength. Cam Allard let loose a quick shot from the point, and Ellingsen, parked in front, got a stick on it to tip in his first WHL goal.
The Vees countered soon after. Nate Pederson deked his way into a partial breakaway, cut from the right side of the net back to his forehand on the left, and lifted in Penticton’s first ever goal against the Wheat Kings.
On another Wheat Kings’ power play, Tristan Peterson of the Vees was awarded a penalty shot. But Ruzicka denied his quick snapshot and kept the Wheat Kings up 2-1 through the first.
In the second, however, the Vees pressed back hard. First, on a power play, Noel Pakarinen leaned into a snapshot to tie the game. Then, just over a minute later, Jackson Schneider sent a shot from the left wing through a screened Ruzicka and in.
Again the Vees were handed a golden opportunity to get more goals when they were awarded two full minutes of 5-on-3. But the Wheat Kings weathered the storm and counterpunched.
On a power play of their own, the Wheat Kings won the draw back to Baumuller, whose shot gave Andrew Reyelts some trouble. Colin Grubb was able to keep the puck alive long enough for Baumuller to deposit into the net to tie the game.
Only 24 seconds later, Grubb and Baumuller connected again. Grubb broke up the left wing with speed, beat a defenseman to the outside, and sent it to Baumuller as he streaked to the back door and tapped in his hat trick tally.
A wild second period gave way to an equally intense third, with the Wheat Kings striking first. On the power play, Surkan broke in up the middle and fed Muissu on the right wing, who released the puck so quickly Reyelts never had time to get set. Muissu’s fourth of the season made it 5-3.
A Vees response came quickly. Graham Jones broke in up the right wing, danced into shooting position, and snapped one past Ruzicka.
But the Wheat Kings answered right back. Grubb was the setup man again, this time walking out from behind the net and putting it right on the tape of Surkan, who made no mistake from in tight.
Still the Vees weren’t giving up. They had a late power play of their own, and pulled the goaltender. But after several looks at the empty net, the Wheat Kings broke through with Hunter coming up the left wing and snapping home his first WHL goal.
The win moves the Wheat Kings to 4-1 on the road trip, just in time for them to get on the road to Kelowna. They wrap up their B.C. swing with a stop in Kelowna tomorrow night.
