The visiting Swift Current Broncos took a point off the streaking Saskatoon Blades in a 5-4 shootout loss Tuesday.
Two days after ending the Edmonton Oil Kings’ 11-game winning streak, the Broncos couldn’t quite stop the Blades league-leading streak, which reached nine games.
Andrey Makarov stopped all three Broncos in the shootout and Josh Nicholls scored the only goal in the skills competition after sending the game to overtime with a goal with only 29 seconds left in regulation.
The Broncos had trailed 3-1 but scored three straight goals to take a lead 4-3 midway through the third period on a shorthanded goal from Colby Cave.
Graham Black had two goals and two assists, while Chance Lund also scored for the Broncos, who were playing their fourth game in five nights.
Eetu Laurikainen made 41 saves in the loss to drop to 21-19-2-2. Makarov made 31 saves to improve to 26-16-0-3.
Matej Stransky, Duncan Siemens, and Shane McColgan also scored for Saskatoon.
The Broncos finished the season series with three wins, three losses and two shootout losses to the Blades, who took over top spot in the East Division from Prince Albert with a 32-21-0-3 record.
The Broncos remain in sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 27-24-3-3 record, one point ahead of the Medicine Hat Tigers and Lethbridge Hurricanes.
The Broncos will be back on the road Wednesday to face the Prince Albert Raiders (31-21-2-3) in their fifth game in six days.
