Hitmen rout Hurricanes

By Lethbridge Herald on March 15, 2023.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

Matteo Danis scored four goals to lead the Calgary Hitmen to a 7-1 win over the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Wednesday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

It was the Hitmen who got the first goal of the game just 3:44 into the opening frame, as Ethan Moore scored his sixth goal of the season from Carter Yakemchuk and Tyson Galloway.

 Danis scored his first of the night at 8:55 of the first period from Maxim Muranov to make the score 2-0 Calgary.

The Canes Brayden Edwards notched his ninth goal of the season on the powerplay  at 13:52 of the first to make the score 2-1.

Tyson Zimmer and Blake Swetlikoff assisted on Edwards’ marker.

The Hitmen’s Oliver Tulk  would restore Calgary’s two-goal lead with just under three minutes to go in the first period from David Adaszynski and Dax Williams.

Calgary made the score 4-1 after Danis scored from Tulk on the powerplay just a minute into the second period.

Riley Fiddler-Shultz scored his 29th of the season from Muranov just 59 seconds into the third to make it 5-1 Hitmen.

Danis shoved in his hat trick goal at 8:45 of the third period from Williams.

Danis then potted his fourth of the game from Fiddler- Schultz and Muranov at 15:40 of the third period.

Bryan Thomson saved 30-of-36 shots in the Lethbridge crease and Brayden Peters stopped 37-of-38 for Calgary.

Koen Cleaver came in relief of Thomson in the third period and stopped five of seven shots in 18:25 of work.

The Canes did mathematically clinch a playoff spot despite the loss, after the Saskatoon Blades beat the Swift Current Broncos 3-2 on Wednesday night.

The Hurricanes (33-24-3-3) and Hitmen will have a rematch at the Enmax Centre on Friday night.