Canes can’t tame the Broncos

By Dale Woodard on December 28, 2021.

The Lethbridge Hurricanes started their busy post-Christmas schedule with a loss.

The Canes were doubled 4-2 by the Swift Current Broncos in Western Hockey League play Monday night in Swift Current.

Kicking off the first of 43 games in the next 97 days, Lethbridge outshot Swift Current 32-19, but the hosts responded with a three-goal performance from Josh Filmon and a 30-save outing from Isaac Poulter as the Hurricanes fall to 12-12-2-0, while the Broncos move two points ahead at 12-15-3-1.

The Hurricanes are now tied with the 13-16-0-0 Regina Pats – who beat the Edmonton Oil Kings 6-5 Monday – and the 12-15-1-1 Prince Albert Raiders – who were topped 4-1 by the Saskatoon Blades Monday – for ninth place.

With the win, the Broncos take over sole possession of seventh place in the Eastern Conference, one point up on the Calgary Hitmen (11-11-3-2).

The teams go back at it in the rematch tonight at 7 p.m. at the Enmax Centre.

The Broncos were first on the board late in the first period when Filmon scored his 13th of the season with 2:04 left.

The teams traded goals in the second period and overage Canes forward Logan Barlage got it started with his sixth of the season 35 seconds into the second to make it 1-1.

The Broncos responded less than a minute later on a goal from Brady Birnie to move up 2-1, but Lethbridge replied almost as quickly when defenceman Trevor Thurston scored 1:52 later to make it 2-2.

But the Broncos took the lead for good on Filmon’s second of the game with 1:53 left in the second period before he completed the hat trick into an empty net with one minute to go.

Braeden Lewis and Mathew Ward added two assists each for Swift Current.

Hurricanes goaltender Bryan Thomson stopped 15 of 18 shots.

The Canes were 0-for-4 on the power play, while the Broncos were 1-for-5.

As outlined by the provincial government for the latest COVID health measures, the Enmax Centre will be restricted to 50-percent capacity, which will apply to all home games until the restriction is lifted.

All existing season ticket holders will be able to attend the Hurricanes home games.

Single game tickets are no longer available for online purchase until the restriction is lifted.

Individuals who have already purchased single game tickets will be able to attend those games. There will be 510 tickets available for each remaining Hurricanes home game

Voucher holders have first access to these available tickets. Vouchers include corporate vouchers, Bring a Friend vouchers, voucher outlets, Flex pack holders and complimentary vouchers.

Any remaining tickets will be available for walk-up purchase on game days from 6 p.m. onwards and must be purchased in-person at the Enmax Centre ticket centre.

A trio of trades went down Monday, two involving the Seattle Thunderbirds.

The Thunderbirds acquired Medicine Hat Tigers forward and Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Lukas Svejkovsky in exchange for a first-round pick in the 2022 WHL draft, a conditional second round pick in 2023 and a conditional third round pick in 2025.

Svejkovsky, from Point Roberts, Wash., had 13 goals and 30 points in 24 games with the Tigers this season.

Seattle also acquired defenceman Chase Lacombe and a fifth-round pick in 2025 from Swift Current in exchange for blue-liner Eric Van Impe and a seventh-round pick in 2025.

In the third deal, the Portland Winterhawks acquired overage goaltender Taylor Gauthier from the Prince George Cougars for Jonas Brondberg, a third-round pick in 2023, a conditional fifth round pick in 2024 and a conditional fifth round pick in 2025.

Gauthier was 7-5-0-0 this season in Prince George to go along with a 2.75 goals against average and a 0.923 save percentage, good for sixth in the WHL.

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