Broncos battle division leaders Swift Current Broncos Week brings out enthusiastic crowds
The Swift Current Broncos faced three Western Hockey League division leaders at home last week and earned three of a possible six points to open a daunting seven-game stretch of their schedule.
The week began on a low note when it was announced that overage forward Ryan Graham would miss the rest of the season due to injury. The Broncos were also without veteran forward Lane Pederson for all three games due to injury.
“We were shorthanded, missing one of our key players on our hockey team, a few key players, and our other kids stepped up and played really well and our goaltenders were very good for us too and that’s very encouraging,” said Broncos’ Head Coach Manny Viveiros. “You always try and measure yourself against the big boys all the time, so to speak, and I thought we handled ourselves pretty well.”
The Broncos finished the week with a 30-18-4-6 record in third spot in the East Division, six points behind Moose Jaw and six points ahead of Brandon.
Wednesday, both goaltenders combined for 71 saves but it was the top ranked Regina Pats who defeated the Broncos 2-0. Jordan Hollett stopped all 28 shots he faced for his first career shutout.
Jordan Papirny was every bit as good for the Broncos with 43 saves in a losing cause. The only blemishes were two Nick Henry goals in the second period, one that deflected off a Bronco defender and in.
The game winner came on the power play as the Pats finished one-for-five on the manadvantage. The Broncos were unable to capitalize on any of their three power play opportunities.
Friday, Papirny turned aside 42 of 43 shots in lifting the Broncos to a 3-1 home ice victory over the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers.
Papirny improved to 18-161-2 on the season and is now 5-5-0-2 as a Bronco since being acquired from the Brandon Wheat Kings at the trade deadline.
His bid for his first shutout of the season ended with 1:08 left in the middle period when Medicine Hat’s Mark Rassell scored his 27th of the season on a power play.
Offensively, the Broncos were led by a two-goal performance from European forward Aleksi Heponiemi. Heponiemi scored his 22nd of the season at the 15:18 mark of the opening period, and 2:50 later he clicked for his 23rd of the season on the power play.
Riley Stotts stretched the Broncos lead to 3-0 midway through the middle period when he connected for his seventh of the campaign.
Tigers goaltender Michael Bullion turned aside 31 of 34 shots while falling to 15-8-1-0 on the year.
Saturday, the Broncos earned a single point in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Everett Silvertips. Playing their third straight home game against a division leading team, the Broncos got a late goal from Glenn Gawdin to force overtime, before Lucas Skrumeda netted the game winner for Everett 2:53 into the extra frame.
“There was a tremendous amount of pride for our kids,” said Viveiros. “I am really proud of the way they played. They battled hard against a really good hockey team, especially at the end there, scoring in the last minute. I thought we played really well. That’s as good a defensive team that we are going to play all year and we played really well. I am very proud of the kids. It was just unfortunate at the very end there. That’s the way it happens sometimes.”
Gawdin had scored to open the scoring with a delayed penalty coming against Everett. The Silvertips tied the game with a power play goal from Noah Juulsen and then took the lead with 7:45 remaining in regulation on a Devon Skoleski goal.
Gawdin tipped home his second goal of the game with 1:33 left and the goaltender pulled in favor of the extra attacker.
The overtime winner came just moments after Broncos’ forward Aleksi Heponiemi came just shy of tipping home a puck into an empty net at one end of ice. Vivieros felt his player was interfered with on the play and let the officials know about it after the game.
“I thought it was a clear penalty and it was. I looked at the video too and it was a clear penalty, impeded Heponiemi from a clear chance. He saw it differently. It happens, it’s part of the game. There is nothing we can do about it. He made it, it’s a judgement call, one of those things. It’s part of game, we’ve got to live with it, done, over with, we’ve got to move forward.”
Both goaltenders were outstanding in the game. Hart, the reigning Canadian Hockey League Goaltender of the Year, made 27 saves on 29 shots, none better than a desperation blocker save off of Arthur Miller late in the second period. Taz Burman made 30 saves on 33 shots for the Broncos to help earn the single point.
Everett continues to lead the U.S. Division with a 36-12-8-2 record.
“Every point is so valuable right now,” said Viveiros. “We deserved two points tonight. I was very happy with the way we battled against a very good hockey team. It was very encouraging moving forward.”
The City of Swift Current had proclaimed the week ‘Swift Current Broncos Week’ and fans responded with crowds of 2,150 versus Regina, 2,244 against the Tigers, and 2,367 on Saturday.
“It is completely different when this rink is full,” said Viveiros. “The kids feed off it, we feed off it. It is really encouraging to see that people are coming out to watch these games. They are getting entertained, it’s good hockey, it is really good, fast-paced hockey. We need that going forward, it’s important for the franchise that people continue to keep coming out and supporting the hockey club like that and it certainly makes a difference for us.”
Things don’t get any easier for the Broncos this weekend with three road games in as many nights. They visit the Regina Pats on Friday and Sunday, with a game against the Moose Jaw Warriors sandwiched in between.
The Broncos enter the weekend with a 12-9-1-4 record on the road this season. 10 of their final 14 games will be played on the road.
“For us we are not worried about whether we are playing at home or on the road. For us our game plan is always going to be the same. So we just have to keep building on this. We are going to take a day or so to rest here and recharge again. Going forward the games are going to get even tougher. The key for us is competing and keep developing the way we are doing now and hopefully we get some bodies back,” said Viveiros.
The Broncos will also host the Brandon Wheat Kings on Tuesday in another crucial East Division tilt.