Canes edge Wheat Kings to take 2-0 series lead

By Lethbridge Herald on March 29, 2025.

Herald Photo by Justin Seward Lethbridge Hurricanes defenceman Tristen Doyle attempts to turn away from the check of the Brandon Wheat Kings Carter Klippenstein during Game 2 action of the first round at VisitLethbridge.com Arena on Saturday night.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

The Lethbridge Hurricanes took a 2-0 series lead after edging the Brandon Wheat Kings 4-3 in Game 2 of their first round series on Saturday night at VisitLethbridge.com Arena.

“It was a hard fought game right until the bitter end,” said Bill Peters, Canes head coach.

“Both teams had a little bit of momentum at times, so thought we handled that well for the most part.”

It was in the last 10 minutes of the middle frame that Peters felt the Canes finally got going in.

“I thought we established a few things and played with some speed and that tilted the game in our favour,” said Peters.

Brayden Yager saw the crowd helping them in the first two games

“They were a huge part of our success the last two games, said Yager.

“But credit to our guys, (they) played hard (and) found a way to get it done.”

It was in the first half of the game that Yager didn’t think the team was happy with their performance.

“I thought we stepped it up kind of (in) the second half and I think we took care of business five-on-five,” Yager.

Forward Kooper Gizowski felt the team found more of the grittier part of their game.

“Even when they kinda tilted the rink, I think we tilted it back even more and kinda just showed them that we don’t give up,” said Gizowski.

After a scoreless and much tighter checking first period, it was Canes who struck first early in the second period.

Yager walked in from the right point and ripped it passed Carson Bjarnason just 55 seconds into the middle frame on the powerplay.

Noah Chadwick and Logan Wormald assisted on Yager’s first goal of the postseason.

Brandon’s Matteo Michels tied the game 3:41 into the second when he deposited a rebound passed Canes goalie Jackson Unger.

Jaxon Jacobson and Dylan Ronald notched the assists on Michels goal.

Marcus Nguyen gave Brandon the lead just under two minutes later when he skated in and fired a wrist shot in the net.

Bjarnason and Quinn Mantei assisted on the goal.

Yager tied the game at two when he went down on a two-on-one and kept the puck and beat Bjarnason glove side at the 7:21 mark of the second.

Miguel Marques then tapped in a centering feed at the net from Leo Braillard to give the Canes a 3-2 lead at the 10:06 mark of the second period.

Wojtech Port also assisted on Marques goal.

Carsen Adair squeezed one through the pads of Bjarnason to give the Canes a 4-2 lead 8:46 in the third period.

Port and Leo Braillard got the assists on Adair’s goal.

The Wheat Kings Nicholas Johnson whacked the puck past Unger to get his team to within a goal 15:55 into third period from Nguyen and Nolan Flamand.

Brandon outshot Lethbridge 28-26 in the game.

Lethbridge went 1-for-3 on the powerplay.

The series now shifts to the neutral site of Virden, Man. on Tuesday and Wednesday with start times for both Games 3 and 4 being at 6 p.m. MST.