Thomson backstops Canes to win

By Dale Woodard on March 20, 2021.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDsports@lethbridgeherald.com

Bryan Thomson rebounded nicely and the Lethbridge Hurricanes are back in the win column as a result.

The Canes goaltender kicked out 34 of 35 shots as Lethbridge downed the Calgary Hitmen 3-1 in Western Hockey League play Friday night at the Enmax Centre, kicking off the first of three games this weekend.

After a bad start last Friday in Red Deer against the Rebels in which he was pulled 5:59 into the game when the Rebels opened up a 3-1 lead, Thomson nearly had the shutout before Hitmen Luke Prokop scored with 6:24 left to cut the Hurricanes lead to 2-1.

With Hitmen goaltender and Taber product Brayden Peters on the bench for the extra attacker, Canes second-year forward Chase Wheatcroft delivered the dagger with 20 seconds left with an empty netter.

The victory pulls the Hurricanes back to .500 at 3-3-0-0, while the Hitmen are now 2-3-1-0.

The second game goes tonight in Calgary at 7 p.m. The teams wrap up the weekend back at the Enmax Centre on Sunday at 6 p.m.

The Hurricanes took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission when alternate captain Justin Hall slammed home a loose puck in the Hitmen crease for his fifth of the season and team-leading ninth point 13:10 into the first period.

Lethbridge added to their lead early in the second period and team captain Dino Kambeitz netted his first of the season as the beneficiary of a Ty Nash feed off the right boards 3:37 into the second.

That’s the way it stayed until late in the third when Prokop headed to the front of the Hurricanes net, grabbed his own rebound and sent it past Thomson to deny the Lethbridge goalie the shutout and pull the visitors to within one.

The teams exchanged some chances late. Peters denied Hurricanes forward Noah Boyko at the side of the Calgary goal with a dazzling glove save to keep it 2-1.

At the other end and with the extra attacker, the Hitmen buzzed Thomson with a few close-in chances, but weren’t able to drain the equalizer before Wheatcroft struck for the empty-netter.

The Hitmen outshot the Hurricanes 35-29 as both teams went 0-for-3 on the power play.

Thomson’s 34 saves earned him first star honours, while Peters kicked out 26 of 28 shots to get the nod as the third star.

In other WHL action Friday, the Edmonton Oil Kings blanked the Red Deer Rebels 5-0 in Edmonton, while in U.S. Division play, the Seattle Thunderbirds got past the Spokane Chiefs 4-3.

At the Brandt Centre in Regina, the Saskatoon Blades were up 3-1 on the Prince Albert Raiders in the third period at press time.

Follow @DWoodardHerald on Twitter

Bryan Thomson rebounded nicely and the Lethbridge Hurricanes are back in the win column as a result.

The Canes goaltender kicked out 34 of 35 shots as Lethbridge downed the Calgary Hitmen 3-1 in Western Hockey League play Friday night at the Enmax Centre, kicking off the first of three games this weekend.

After a bad start last Friday in Red Deer against the Rebels in which he was pulled 5:59 into the game when the Rebels opened up a 3-1 lead, Thomson nearly had the shutout before Hitmen Luke Prokop scored with 6:24 left to cut the Hurricanes lead to 2-1.

With Hitmen goaltender and Taber product Brayden Peters on the bench for the extra attacker, Canes second-year forward Chase Wheatcroft delivered the dagger with 20 seconds left with an empty netter.

The victory pulls the Hurricanes back to .500 at 3-3-0-0, while the Hitmen are now 2-3-1-0.

The second game goes tonight in Calgary at 7 p.m. The teams wrap up the weekend back at the Enmax Centre on Sunday at 6 p.m.

The Hurricanes took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission when alternate captain Justin Hall slammed home a loose puck in the Hitmen crease for his fifth of the season and team-leading ninth point 13:10 into the first period.

Lethbridge added to their lead early in the second period and team captain Dino Kambeitz netted his first of the season as the beneficiary of a Ty Nash feed off the right boards 3:37 into the second.

That’s the way it stayed until late in the third when Prokop headed to the front of the Hurricanes net, grabbed his own rebound and sent it past Thomson to deny the Lethbridge goalie the shutout and pull the visitors to within one.

The teams exchanged some chances late. Peters denied Hurricanes forward Noah Boyko at the side of the Calgary goal with a dazzling glove save to keep it 2-1.

At the other end and with the extra attacker, the Hitmen buzzed Thomson with a few close-in chances, but weren’t able to drain the equalizer before Wheatcroft struck for the empty-netter.

The Hitmen outshot the Hurricanes 35-29 as both teams went 0-for-3 on the power play.

Thomson’s 34 saves earned him first star honours, while Peters kicked out 26 of 28 shots to get the nod as the third star.

In other WHL action Friday, the Edmonton Oil Kings blanked the Red Deer Rebels 5-0 in Edmonton, while in U.S. Division play, the Seattle Thunderbirds got past the Spokane Chiefs 4-3.

At the Brandt Centre in Regina, the Saskatoon Blades were up 3-1 on the Prince Albert Raiders in the third period at press time.

Follow @@DWoodardHerald on Twitter

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