VIGR RECAP: BRONCOS 2 PATS 1 OT (SC LEADS 1-0)

REGINA – A 53-save effort by Jordan Papirny and a 2-point night by Ryley Lindgren lifted the Swift Current Broncos to a 2-1 overtime victory over the Regina Pats Thursday evening in Game 1 of their WHL Eastern Conference Semifinal.

Riding the wave of a Game 7 win in Moose Jaw on Monday, the Broncos rolled into Regina and got stronger as the game wore on.

Austin Wagner opened the scoring on Thursday, giving the Pats a 1-0 lead at the 17:36 mark of the first period.

The teams kept it clean in the second frame, and the Pats’ 1-0 lead held up into the third.

In fact it held up all the way until the final minute of regulation time when the Broncos pulled Papirny for an extra attacker. Lindgren stole a puck behind the Pats net and fed Lane Pederson who beat Regina goalie Tyler Brown high, knotting the game at 1-1 with 39 seconds remaining.

On they went to overtime where the Pats outshot the Broncos 12-8, but Lindgren took a pass from teammate Aleksi Heponiemi in the left circle and rifled it up top on Brown for the game-winner at the 15:12 mark.

Game over: Broncos 2 Pats 1

The Pats outshot the visitors 54-36 while going 0/1 on the powerplay and 6/6 on the penalty kill.

Full marks to the Broncos who completely took the Pats off their game. You could count the number of odd-man rushes the Pats had on one hand, and that’s a huge part of their fast-paced style. And among the six powerplays they afforded the Broncos, two were for delay-of-game and one was a bench minor for Too Many Men.

It would seem the Pats didn’t show Swift Current nearly enough respect in the series opener.

Meanwhile a sellout crowd of 6,484 watched as the Pats saw their 12-game win streak come to an end.

The teams get right back at it Friday night in Game 2 in a 7:00 faceoff in the Brandt Centre on 620 CKRM.

RP

@rodpedersen