The Brandon Wheat Kings have demonstrated their ability to close games out in overtime, and as such haven’t had to be as busy in the shootout. In both their shootouts this season, however, Filip Ruzicka has been unbeatable.
Ruzicka made 24 saves and stopped all three shooters he faced in the shootout as the Wheat Kings beat the Broncos 4-3. Grayson Burzynski, Jaxon Jacobson, and Cameron Allard all scored for Brandon. Ruzicka stopped a penalty shot in the second period for good measure.
“That save prevented them from making it 4-1, it’s a big save and we got a little life after that,” said Wheat Kings head coach and GM Marty Murray. “Getting one late at the end of the second helped. Tonight, Allard’s goal counted and that was a big one.”
A series of bad bounces cost the Wheat Kings the opening goal of the game. A Broncos’ defenseman tried a shot but fanned on it, but the puck rolled right to his partner. The puck then went to Trae Johnson at the right circle, whose one-timer pinballed off a Wheat Kings’ stick and in.
For the second game in a row in Swift Current, it was Grayson Burzynski opening the scoring for the Wheat Kings. The line of Brett Wilson, Jimmy Egan, and Gunnar Gleasman won a battle off an offensive zone draw, and worked the puck back to Burzynski, who walked in and snapped home his tenth.
The Broncos struck back twice, however. First, Trae Wilke found himself alone in front, cut to his left, and out-waited Ruzicka before lifting it in. Then, while the Wheat Kings were on the power play, Carter Moen took the puck up ice and rifled it past Ruzicka for his second shorthanded goal in three games.
Moen had a golden chance to get his second shorthanded goal of the game when he was awarded a penalty shot later in the period. But Ruzicka shut him down and preserved the 3-1 spread.
The Wheat Kings rewarded their goaltender with a goal of their own. Giorgos Pantelas took a shot from the right point that was stopped, but the rebound popped right to Jacobson, who placed his backhander perfectly to make it a 3-2 game.
Another early period goal from a defenseman got the Wheat Kings back to a tie game. At four-on-four, Luke Mistelbacher handed the puck off to Allard, who took advantage of the time and space he was given to walk in and pick his spot, tying the game at three.
Despite a late power play for the Wheat Kings, the game went to overtime. As they had in the third period, the Wheat Kings had the better of shots, but could not find the OT winner, and the game headed to the shootout.
The shootout started off with Mistelbacher finding the twine, and he was the final player to do so. Ruzicka made three straight saves and the Wheat Kings took their third straight win.
Next up for the Wheat Kings: a showdown with Saskatoon. They host the Blades on Monday afternoon at ACU Place.
