Jim finishes unlikely comeback in OT

Cruz Jim scored in overtime and Jaxon Jacobson had a hat trick as the Brandon Wheat Kings rallied from a 4-1 deficit in the third period to beat the Prince Albert Raiders 5-4 in Western Hockey League action at Assiniboine Credit Union Place on Sunday.

Brandon (8-3-0-0) received its other goal from Joby Baumuller, with Alisher Sarkenov sniping twice and Malaki Martin and Brandon Gorzynski adding singles for Prince Albert (2-6-1-2) in front of a crowd of 2,317.

“It was one of those nights where you battle a lot of adversity,” Jim said. “We were down a lot of that game and the momentum wasn’t in our favour. Penalties or whatever it may be, there was a lot of adversity but we found a good way to stick with it and keep pushing through and it paid off.”

After an 8-1 loss a night earlier to the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers, Brandon didn’t look good again for the first half of the game, but found a way to turn it on when it mattered.

“It was just resilience,” Jacobson said. “The weekend wasn’t going the way we wanted it too, especially early in the third and just battling back — with the group we have here we always want to compete — and it was just knowing we have it and never getting too down on ourselves.”

Brandon head coach and general manager Marty Murray said his team started to push a little bit near the end of the second period.

“After we scored the power-play goal, at least you could see a little bit of life in us,” Murray said. “Then we start the third period and give up two quick ones. That wasn’t ideal. “Then I thought we had a spark. Jacobson’s goal pretty close after they got their fourth one ignited the guys and we found a way.

“Hockey is a funny game, it’s about momentum, and we got the momentum in the third.”

The Wheat Kings, who have been outshot in 10 of their 11 games this season, quickly fell behind 4-1 on the shot clock, with goalie Filip Ruzicka having to make a terrific save on Ben Harvey when he danced in all alone.

The Raiders scored on their sixth shot when Sarkenov had the puck kicked over to him by Gorzynski, and whirled and fired a shot that beat Ruzicka. The goal came eight minutes 26 seconds into the opening frame.

Brady Turko had chances on a breakaway and two-on-one to equalize in the next few minutes, but Prince Albert goalie Bass Steele was able to deny both.

Martin made it 2-0 on a spectacular effort. He picked up the puck after a turnover at centre ice, broke in, cut past a Brandon defender into the middle and backhanded a shot into the top of the net.

It was his first WHL goal.

A Brandon club desperate for some kind of break finally got it on its first power play. Brett Wilson rang a shot off the post to start the man advantage but it took Jacobson to convert. He picked up the puck in his own end after Ruzicka touched it last, skated up the ice, went wide and then cut back hard to the net, where his backhand shot found its way through Steele’s legs and brought the hosts back within a goal at the 13:57 mark.

The goal seemed to finally energize the hosts, who hadn’t won many shifts at that stage of the game.

Just when Brandon seemed back in the game, the third period started.

The visitors got a huge goal just 21 seconds in when Sarkenov pounced on a rebound, and they made it 4-1 just over two minutes later when they took just four seconds on a power play for Gorzynski to hammer the puck into the top of the net.

On the next shift, however, Jacobson won a battle for the puck in front and put it in the far side of the net and it was 4-2. The goals came 39 seconds apart.

The Wheat Kings closed back within a goal with 12:14 remaining when Wilson set up Baumuller in front of the net.

Jacobson got his hat-trick goal with 3:39 remaining to tie the game when he won a pair of battles along the end boards, skated out front and put the puck into the far corner.

“It’s huge,” Jacobson said. “I was fighting it a little bit earlier in the season but just knowing I was going to break out, tonight was a big one for me and I’m just happy to keep the momentum moving forward.”

Brandon went to the power play with 2:35 left but didn’t manage much until the end and Prince Albert got the kill it needed.

In overtime, Baumuller won a battle for the puck along the boards near the Brandon blue-line and skated up the ice. The rookie defenceman Jim came streaking up the middle to make it a two-on-one and Baumuller put a pass on his tape for a deflection past Bass 78 seconds into the extra period.

“The puck got turned over at our blue-line and Joby started wheeling out,” Jim said. “I saw a two-on-one and just drove to the net, tried to get there as quick as I could, and Joby gave me a beautiful pass and I finished it.”

It was Jim’s first WHL goal.

“We’re 11 games in now and it’s so nice to get it,” Jim said. “Then to get it like that was pretty special. It was a really cool moment and I’m glad to get the win here.”

Jim’s fellow rookie and friend Ahmad Fayad, who has since been sent to the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s Virden Oil Capitals, scored a shootout winner earlier this season, meaning the youngsters had a hand in two of Brandon’s three home victories.

Murray wasn’t surprised by Jim’s heroics.

“He’s an offensive player and a guy who will lead the charge in that regard on our back end for a few years here,” Murray said. “It just goes to show the confidence we have in him, that’s he’s out in overtime in the big moments of the game. He’s one of those guys who has the ability to contribute when things get tough.”

Ruzicka made 34 saves for the Wheat Kings, with Steele stopping 31 shots for the Raiders.

Both teams went 1-for-3 on the power play.

Prince Albert head coach Ryan McDonald said his team lost, but the news wasn’t all bad.

“There were some positives in that game,” McDonald said. “I thought we did a lot of things really well. They’re a team that you can’t give those 10-bell opportunities to or those rush chances. They’re going to capitalize on them. We have to pull from the positives and learn the areas we need to learn from.”

ICINGS: Brandon scratched F Cole Hunter, F Gunnar Gleasman, D Ilari Kapanen, D Easten Turko and newly acquired F Aiden Foster, who served the final game of his two-game suspension … F Jimmy Egan suited up for his first game after suffering an off-season training injury … Jacobson led the Wheat Kings with seven shots on net … The game took two hours, 29 minutes to play … In the faceoff circle, the teams tied 35-35 … Brandon next sees action when it meets the Seattle Thunderbirds on Friday. » pbergson@brandonsun.com

 

SUNDAY

Wheat Kings 5, Raiders 4 (OT)

First Period

1. Prince Albert, Sarkenov 5 (Gorzynski, Molde) 8:26.

Penalties — Slobodian Bdn (interference) 15:54.

Second Period

2. Prince Albert, Martin 1 (unassisted) 6:47.

3. Brandon, Jacobson 3 (Ruzicka) 13:57 (pp).

Penalties — Boehm Bdn (high sticking) 4:25, Clarke PA (interference) 12:11, Sivertson PA Bdn (hooking) 17:28.

Third Period

4. Prince Albert, Sarkenov 6 (Molde, Cripps) 0:21.

5. Prince Albert, Gorzynski 3 (Cripps, Sarkenov) 2:41 (pp).

6. Brandon, Jacobson 4 (Surkan) 3:20.

7. Brandon, Baumuller 7 (Wilson, Allard) 7:46

8. Brandon, Jacobson 5 (Muissu) 16:21.

Penalties — Landmark Bdn (holding) 2:37, Gorzynski PA (cross checking) 17:25.

Overtime

9. Brandon, Jim 1 (Baumuller) 1:18.

Penalties — None.

Shots on goal by

Brandon 8 13 14 1 — 36

Prince Albert 13 12 13 0 — 38

Goal — Brandon: Ruzicka (OT, 5-2-0-0). Prince Albert: Bass (OTL, 0-2-1-0).

Power plays (goals-chances) — Brandon: 1-3; Prince Albert: 1-3

Referees — Julien Desloges, Ward Pateman.

Linesmen — Josh Miko, Logan Young.

Attendance — 2,317 in Brandon.