Hitmen take series lead after Game 5 overtime win

By Lethbridge Herald on April 18, 2025.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

The Calgary Hitmen scored four answered goals to beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes 6-5 in overtime in Game 5  and take a 3-2 series lead on Friday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

“We just completely got away from our game,” said Matt Anholt, Canes associate head coach.

“Lots of really bad mistakes, poor gaps (and) poor puck management  in the third and they took advantage.”

The Canes let the foot off the gas and it showed later in the game.

“It showed in the shot attempts in the third period when we have a two-goal lead,” said Anholt.

“it’s just unacceptable play by everybody across the board on our team tonight in crunch time.” 

Ben Kindel scored the overtime winner 6:09 into overtime from Oliver Tulk.

The Canes Miguel Marques opened the scoring on a breakaway 4:31 into the game to give Lethbridge an early 1-0 lead.

Shane Smith assisted on the goal. 

It was 6:41 later that the Hitmen tied the game when Carter Yakemchuk’s blast from the point beat Canes goalie Jackson Unger clean.

Kindel and Tulk assisted on Yakemchuk’s second goal of the playoffs.

Lethbridge got their second lead of the game when Jordan Gustafson stole the puck from a Hitmen defender and his wrist shot beat Anders Miller high on the stick side 1:25 after Yakemchuk’s goal.

Calgary tied the game at two when Brandon Gorzynski’s wrist shot bounced off Unger and over him into the net with 1:58 to go into the first period.

Yakemchuk and Connor Hvidston assisted on Gorzynski’s marker.

Brayden Yager scored his first of the series 8:02 into the second period to give Lethbridge a 3-2 lead.

Gustafson and Kooper Gizowski assisted on Yager’s fifth of the playoffs.

Logan Wormald slid the puck past Miller on a partial breakaway 43 seconds later to double the Canes lead to 4-2.

Caden Price passed to Wormald on the partial breakaway.

Wormald then buried a shorthanded goal while being left all alone in front of the net 18:49 into the second to give the Canes a 5-2 lead.

Brayden Edwards fed the puck out front to Wormald on the play. 

Calgary’s Hvidston scored on the powerplay 28 seconds later to make the score 5-3 heading into the second intermission and began a string of four straight goals for the Hitmen.

Ethan Moore and Kalem Parker assisted on Hvidston’s second of the postseason. 

Carson Wetsch skated into the offensive zone and his wrist shot beat Unger glove side 6:05 into the final frame to make it 5-4.

David Adaszynski and Sawyer Mynio assisted on Wetsch’s fifth of the playoffs. 

Gorzynski swept a pass over to Tulk who then snapped it by Unger to tie the game at five 13:18 into the third.

Kindel also notched an assist.

Lethbridge outshot Calgary 31-28 in the game. 

The Canes will look to keep their season alive when they host Game 6 tonight at 7 p.m. 

“ I’m not a big believer in momentums between games and we’ve seen that all series, so (we) just gotta show up tomorrow and do a job,” said Anholt.