The Brandon Wheat Kings and Moose Jaw Warriors combined for a whopping 93 shots on goal in 60 minutes on Saturday, February 15. The Wheat Kings not only got more shots, but made more of them count.
Nicholas Johnson and Joby Baumuller scored twice each, and Dominik Petr, and Carter Klippenstein each provided singles in a 6-2 Wheat Kings win. Ethan Eskit stopped 39 of 41 shots thrown his way in the win.
“I thought our execution was really good and it was one of our better executed first periods as far as passing went,” said head coach and GM Marty Murray. “It didn’t result in a lot of goals though.”
It took just 1:09 for the Wheat Kings to open the scoring. Klippenstein sent the puck to Brady Turko at the left circle, and Turko flipped it back out front for Petr, who drove the net and chipped in a backhander.
Petr played set-up man on the Wheat Kings’ second goal, albeit in unusual fashion. On the power play, he let a low, hard one-timer go from the top of the right circle that pinballed its way off a Warriors’ skate, then off Johnson’s and in.
Another power play allowed the Wheat Kings to stretch their lead to 3-0. Klippenstein took the puck in the far corner and fed it to Baumuller at the right circle, who let go a heavy shot that just leaked through Josh Banini and in.
The Warriors pressed for offense and got some off the rush later in the period. Ethan Semeniuk sent a pass from the left wall to the middle for Nolan Paquette as he pinched up, and Paquette fired a shot over Eskit’s shoulder to break the goose egg.
Early in the third, the Wheat Kings tallied on another power play, when Klippenstein kicked home his twelfth. The goal was reviewed, but because Klippenstein was outside the crease the goal stood.
The Warriors got their own back on the power play, with Aiden Ziprick sniping home his 11th to get them back within two. But mirroring the previous night, the Warriors pulled the goaltender only to give up an empty netter to Baumuller.
The scoring didn’t stop there. Adam Belusko danced his way into the zone and forced the puck through to Johnson. With a quick move to the backhand, Johnson tucked home the dagger.
The win gives the Wheat Kings the weekend series sweep and allows them to keep pace in the Eastern Conference. They’ll face the Saskatoon Blades in Saskatoon on Monday, February 17 at 4:00 PM.
