Desperate to keep pace in the Eastern Conference playoff race, the Swift Current Broncos broke out offensively Sunday in a 6-1 win over the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings.
It mattered little that the Broncos were playing their third game in as many nights as the Broncos continued their dominance over the struggling Wheat Kings. The Broncos now have 11 of a possible 12 points with two valuable games remaining in the season series.
The Broncos led just 1-0 after one period on a Graham Black goal but the game was never in doubt as the Broncos fired 42 pucks at Corbin Boes and allowed very few quality scoring chances in their own end. The Broncos jumped out to a 5-0 lead before Eric Roy finally replied for Brandon in the third period.
Black finished the contest with two goals and an assist, while Colby Cave scored twice in the third period. Ryon Moser and Levi Bews both added goals on a rare night when captain Adam Lowry did not find the back of the net.
Eetu Laurikainen was solid when called upon, making 22 saves to improve to 23-21-2-4 this season for the Broncos.
Swift Current only kept pace in the standings after both Medicine Hat and Kootenay won, leaving the Broncos in seventh with a 29-27-3-4 record. Brandon remains last in the Eastern Conference at 21-37-3-2.
The Broncos still trail Medicine Hat by four points and lead Kootenay by just a single point with only nine games remaining this season.
The win did move the Broncos six points ahead of the ninth-place Lethbridge Hurricanes, one of the teams chasing the Broncos for the final few playoff spots.
Broncos defenseman Dalton Reum agreed that it was a feeling of relief to win for the first time in four games.
“Yeah absolutely. You look at the standings and it is a tight race around the league… It is nice to get those two points and give a little bit of a gap for us. There is 10 games left in the season and it is crunch time. Every game is kind of a playoff game from here on out so it was good to get that two points,” said the overage defenseman.
The Broncos pay a return visit to Brandon on Wednesday to face the Wheat Kings in their second last meeting of the season.
