Jacobson wins it in OT for Brandon

The Brandon Wheat Kings blew a three-goal in the third period but Jaxon Jacobson scored 50 seconds into overtime for a 4-3 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors in Western Hockey League action at Temple Gardens Centre on Tuesday.

Brandon (29-22-1-0) received its other goals from newcomer Brett Wilson, Nick Johnson and Prabh Bhathal, with Casey Brown, Riley Thorpe and William Degagne replying in the third period for Moose Jaw (19-26-5-2) in front of a crowd of 2,242.

The victory gave Brandon a three-point lead over the Saskatoon Blades for fifth place in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Both teams have 16 games remaining.

Brandon head coach and general manager Marty Murray said it was nice to see Jacobson’s goal go in.

“It was huge,” Murray said. “It would have been a pretty sombre bus ride home to go up 3-0 with 12 or 13 minutes left and come out of here with a loss. It was a pretty big relief to see that shot go in.”

The game started slowly, with eight stoppages in play already when Brandon opened the scoring off the rush five minutes 31 seconds into the first period. Mistelbacher sent a pass down low, and while Wilson’s first shot was saved by Moose Jaw goalie Chase Wutzke, he then tapped in the rebound for his first WHL goal.

The hosts gained momentum as the period went on, with Brandon goalie Jayden Kraus denying Warriors forward Kash Andresen on a breakaway for one of his 11 saves in the opening frame.

The Wheat Kings doubled the lead with 66 seconds remaining in the first period after Jordan Gavin fired a shot on net and Joby Baumuller and Johnson went hard to the net in search of the rebound.

With Wutzke sprawled out at the post, the puck popped over his pad and Johnson shovelled it in. The play went to a video review, but was judged to be a good goal.

The puck went into the net for the Warriors 9:13 into the middle frame when Noah Degenstein reached up to bat down a high rebound with his glove, but the puck went directly into the net and was quickly ruled to be no goal by the nearby referee.

The play went to another video review, with the call on the ice upheld.

The teams combined to take five penalties in the last 15 minutes of the middle frame, but despite all the special-teams action, neither power play was able to cash in.

Moose Jaw had one of its best chances of the game three minutes into the third period on a 3-on-1 but Gio Pantelas was able to get his skate on the puck and prevented the Warriors from even getting a shot on net.

It cost them because at the 4:32 mark Brandon made it 3-0 when their forecheck prevented Moose Jaw from leaving its zone. Mistelbacher created a turnover on the boards and fed Bhathal in the slot, and the Winnipeg rookie fired a shot over Wutzke’s blocker for his fourth goal of the season, all of which have come in the last dozen games.

Cue the comeback in a seven-minute span.

The Warriors finally broke through on their third power play of the night when Brown banged in a rebound of a shot by Landen McFadden to make it 3-1.

Four minutes later, Thorpe created a turnover, raced up the ice on a breakaway and fired a shot over the glove of Kraus and the hosts were back within a goal with 8:57 left.

“We have to be responsible and understand what it takes to win hockey games,” Murray said. “You don’t have to produce any offence. There’s a time and a place. You have to be careful. We’re in the last third of the year where every point matters.”

Moose Jaw tied the game three minutes later when Degagne blasted in a one-timer from the blue-line as a Brandon defender and Moose Jaw forward battled in front of Kraus and made contact with the goaltender.

“We gave up a power-play goal and that’s where we have to clamp down,” Murray said. “I think we were in complete control and had a little blip there. You’ve got to dig in.

“We made a soft play at the blue-line and then all of a sudden it’s a 3-2 game. One shot and it’s a tie game. I thought there was maybe a little goalie interference on it but you shouldn’t put yourself in those situations where you’re waiting on a decision by a referee.”

In overtime, Mistelbacher sent a pass to Pantelas in the neutral zone and the defenceman carried the puck into the Moose Jaw zone, where he found Jacobson in the slot. The second-year forward ripped a hard shot just inside the post on the glove side for the winner.

Kraus made 28 saves for the Wheat Kings, with Wutzke stopping 34 shots for the Warriors.

Brandon went 0-for-3 on the power play, with Moose Jaw scoring once in three chances.

ICINGS: Brandon skated without injured D Merrek Arpin, D Dylan Ronald, F Caleb Hadland, F Easton Odut, F Carter Klippenstein and F Chase Surkan … Brandon has six players out at least week to week and Moose Jaw has five, making them league leaders in that category … Baumuller returned to the lineup after missing a game-and-a-half with an upper-body injury that he suffered in Friday’s 5-4 loss to the Calgary Hitmen … Tuesday’s game was the final matchup in Brandon and Moose Jaw’s eight-game season series. The Warriors won the first two on opening weekend and the Wheat Kings took the next five … Kraus made his 100th appearance in the WHL … D Jett Prpich of Kenaston, Sask., 15, made his WHL debut for Moose Jaw with D Brady Ness, D Colt Carter and D Nolan Paquette all out … Mistelbacher led the Wheat Kings with six shots on net … The game took two hours, 29 minutes to play after starting at 7:06 … In the faceoff circle, Brandon won 45-21.

» pbergson@brandonsun.com

TUESDAY

Wheat Kings 4, Warriors 3 (OT)
First Period
1. Brandon, Wilson 1 (Mistelbacher) 5:13.
2. Brandon, Johnson 14 (Baumuller, Gavin) 18:54.
Penalties — None.
Second Period
No Scoring.
Penalties — Allard Bdn (holding) 5:21, Skvortsov Bdn (interference) 10:25, Trefny MJ (high sticking) 13:12, Hirst MJ (cross checking) 15:59, Lajoie MJ (high sticking) 18:50.
Third Period
3. Brandon, Bhathal 4 (Mistelbacher) 4:32.
4. Moose Jaw, Brown 16 (McFadden, McKenzie) 7:37 (pp).
5. Moose Jaw, Thorpe 10 (unassisted) 11:03.
6. Moose Jaw, Degagne 5 (Williams, McFadden) 14:40.
Penalties — Boehm Bdn (tripping) 6:50.
Overtime
7. Brandon, Jacobson 18 (Pantelas, Mistelbacher) 0:50.
Penalties — None.
Shots on goal by
Brandon     10     16     10 2     —     38
Moose Jaw     11     10     10 0     —     31
Goal — Brandon: Kraus (OTW, 10-11-1-0). Moose Jaw: Wutzke (OTL, 11-16-3-1).
Power plays (goals-chances) — Brandon: 0-3 Moose Jaw: 1-3.
Referees — Ridge Brooks, Ty Skene.
Linesmen — Sean Dufour, Tanner Hoffman.
Attendance — 2,242 in Moose Jaw.