With all the firepower on both sides, it was the goaltenders who stole the show between the Brandon Wheat Kings and Edmonton Oil Kings, and the Wheat Kings’ star in net shone just a little brighter.
Carson Bjarnason made 33 saves and Matteo Michels, Roger McQueen and Jaxon Jacobson all scored as the Wheat Kings downed Edmonton 3-1. Alex Worthington made 25 saves in reply for Edmonton.
For the second game in a row, the Wheat Kings gave Bjarnason a little more of a test than they’d normally like, including a last-minute breakaway for Roan Woodward. Bjarnason stood tall on all 13 shots he faced, however.
Early in the second, the Wheat Kings broke the scoreless tie. Thanks to some shrewd forechecking by Nolan Flamand, Michels picked off a turnover and lifted home a perfectly placed backhand to make it 1-0.
On a power play, the Wheat Kings extended their lead to 2-0. McQueen had room to walk in at the left circle, and he used it, snapping home his league-leading seventh.
Edmonton answered on a power play of their own. Gavin Hodnett and Adam Jecho worked the puck back and forth at the right circle, with Hodnett finishing off the play by slapping a low, hard shot to the back of the net.
A back-and-forth third period saw plenty of chances each way, but only one found the net. Marcus Nguyen fed the puck into the slot for Jacobson, who leaned into a low, hard shot to make it 3-1. Thanks to tight defense and good shot-blocking by the Wheat Kings, that was the way the game wrapped up.
The win moves the Wheat Kings to 4-1 on the season and 2-0 at home, just in time to welcome the Swift Current Broncos tomorrow night. Puck drop is 7:00 Central Time.
