Boston Pizza Recap: Shorthanded Broncos fall 4-1 in Calgary

CALGARY, Alta. – With just four healthy defencemen, the Swift Current Broncos (2-3-0-0) put on a gutsy performance against the Calgary Hitmen (1-2-0-0) Sunday afternoon, ultimately falling 4-1.

Calgary opened the scoring off a lucky bounce. Grayden Siepmann’s shot from the right point deflected off a Bronco skate and floated over the glove of Reid Dyck 8:44 into the game.

The score remained 1-0 through both 20 and 40 minutes as the Broncos racked up the scoring chances.

Brady Birnie was stopped on a two-on-one cutting across the crease to his backhand, Josh Davies couldn’t get the puck to settle down for him on a breakaway and Connor Hvidston hit the base of the post on a cross-crease chance.

Swift Current had three straight power plays in the middle frame, but couldn’t solve Brayden Peters as the Broncos trailed 1-0 heading into the third.

Birnie was stopped on another close chance in the third, taking a pass at the bottom of the right circle from across the slot, but peters dove out to his left and got a piece of the shot from in tight.

Calgary extended their lead after a turnover behind the Broncos net. Riley Fiddler-Schultz centred for Adam Kydd who one timed in his first goal of the season passed a screened Dyck to make it 2-0 4:15 into the third period.

The Hitmen then scored shorthanded off some miscommunication behind Swift Current’s goal as Fiddler-Schultz swopped in and centred for Sean Tschigerl to make it 3-0 with a shorthanded goal.

Swift Current ended Peters’s shutout bid on that same power play when Owen Pickering fed the puck across the crease from the right goal line. Mathew Ward tapped in the pass for his second goal of the season to cut into Calgary’s lead with 6:47 to play.

Tyson Galloway would hit the empty net from his own zone to seal the victory, handing the Broncos their third straight loss.

Swift Current now has a week of practice ahead of them before they head to Manitoba for games against the Brandon Wheat Kings (1-3-0-0) Saturday and Winnipeg ICE Sunday.