Hurricanes fall to Wheat Kings

By Lethbridge Herald on October 22, 2022.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

The Lethbridge Hurricanes were on the wrong end of a one-goal game for a straight contest, as they fell 2-1 to the Brandon Wheat Kings on Friday night at the Enmax Centre.

Wheat Kings goalie Carson Bjarnason stopped 32 of 33 Canes shots and  stymied Lethbridge shooters all night.

“I thought their goalie played well,” said Brent Kisio, Hurricanes head coach.

“I think we had a lot of chances. It happens sometimes — their goalie played a great game.”

Kisio thinks Brandon is a good team and a well-coached hockey club.

“I’m proud of the way we played. I thought our guys battled (and) competed. You know, we’re having a hard time finding goals ,and I can’t fault the effort (and) I can’t fault the chances we had. It’s just we’re having a hard time scoring goals. When it turns, it’ll turn quick.”

The road-wary Wheat Kings, who were playing their seventh game of an eight game road trip,  got on the board first as Calder Anderson shot a puck off the stick of a Hurricanes defenceman past goalie Harrison Meneghin to make it 1-0 for the visitors at 5:02 of the first period.

Canes captain Joe Arntsen wristed a shot on goal that found its way through the crowd for his second of the season at 9:59 of the first period to tie the game at one.

Jett Jones and Noah Chadwick got the assists on the goal.

Brandon would push ahead on the penalty kill as Nate Danielson pounced on a rebound at 13:19 of the opening period to give the Wheat Kings a 2-1 lead.

“I think we were the better team,” said Canes forward Alex Thacker.

“But puck bounces weren’t going our way today. Brandon plays hard all the time, so we know when we come in to play against these guys it’s going to be hard one.”

Lethbridge’s record fell to 4-7 after the loss.

The Hurricanes will hit the road for the first of two games  against the  Swift Current Broncos tonight with the puck drop at 7 p.m.

The two teams will do battle again on Wednesday night in Swift Current.

Their next home game will be Oct. 29 when the Saskatoon Blades come to town.