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Penalty problems plague Wheaties

By: Rob Henderson

Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012 at 7:50 AM | Comments: 0

Every time the door of the penalty box closed behind them, the Brandon Wheat Kings opened the window a little bit wider for the Victoria Royals' latest comeback.

The Royals battled back from two goals down to beat the visiting Wheat Kings 4-3 in overtime late Tuesday in the Western Hockey League. The Royals scored three times on the power play, including Alex Gogolev's winner, 1:58 into the extra frame.

"We took, I think, nine minors tonight and when you start taking that many minors in a game, they're going to score, and that was evident tonight," said Brandon head coach Dwayne Gylywoychuk, whose team killed off six of Victoria's first seven power plays before the Royals cashed in on the final two. "The one in OT, (when) you get a 4-on-3 power play you should put the puck in the net. … We kept tempting fate. We kept taking minor after minor after minor and finally they scored. That's where they got their offence tonight."

Gogolev and Ben Walker both scored twice for the Royals, who improved to 9-4-0-0 this season, with six of their victories of the come-from-behind variety. Gogolev also added an assist.

Alessio Bertaggia had a goal and an assist, while Eric Roy and Tim McGauley also scored as the Wheat Kings (6-5-2-0) moved into a tie for fifth place in the Eastern Conference with the Swift Current Broncos.

After a scoreless first period, a parade of players to the penalty box began in the second, and the goals soon followed. Bertaggia was awarded a penalty shot after being hauled down by Royals defenceman Brett Cote early in the second period. The Swiss winger made Victoria pay, sneaking a shot just inside the post to beat goaltender Jared Rathjen for his team-leading ninth goal of the season.

The struggling Wheat Kings power play — only 3-for-35 in its previous eight games — stretched the lead to 2-0 midway through the frame as Roy joined the attack and scored from the right faceoff dot.

Walker scored with the man advantage before the second intermission to get the Royals rolling, then the Wheat Kings' one-goal lead quickly turned into a one-goal deficit midway through the third period as Gogolev scored the tying goal, then was cross-checked by Miller, giving Victoria the power play that led to another Walker power-play marker.

Victoria's first lead lasted only 56 seconds before McGauley knotted the score once again, flinging a puck that appeared to be headed wide before deflecting off a Royals defenceman and into the net.

Discipline beat the Wheat Kings again in the extra frame as Tyler Yaworski was whistled for checking to the head only 27 seconds into overtime. Brandon netminder Corbin Boes came up with a series of huge stops during the Victoria advantage, but couldn't hold off the Royals forever, as Gogolev netted the winner off the rebound of Brandon Magee's hard shot.

Boes made 28 saves on the night and Gylywoychuk said the goaltender held up his end of the bargain.

"I thought Corbin made some big saves for us when he needed to and he gave us a chance to win," Gylywoychuk said. "That's what you want out of your goalie."

Now 1-2-1-0 on their West Coast road trip, the Wheat Kings play their second of four games in five nights Wednesday against in Vancouver (8:30 p.m., CKLQ). While Tuesday's game was far from ideal, Gylywoychuk said at least the Wheat Kings salvaged a point, giving them a chance to get back to .500 on the trip against the Giants.

"It's a big point on the road," he said. "Right now, in your gut, you lost the game, you don't think it's a point, but it's a point that we can put in the bank on the road and go from there."

ONE-TIMERS: Brandon was 1-for-6 on the power play … Victoria G Jared Rathjen made 29 saves … Brandon C/LW Nick Buonassisi broke a five-game point-scoring drought and earned his 150th career WHL point on Roy's goal … Newly acquired C Chad Robinson of Minnedosa made his Wheat Kings debut, as did new assistant coach David Anning … Brandon scratched RW Jason Swyripa (wrist, eight weeks), LW Richard Nejezchleb (shoulder, one week), LW Geordie Maguire and D Riley Van Horne … D Tyler Stahl was named Victoria's captain on Monday, but did not play Tuesday due to an injury.

» rhenders@brandonsun.com

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