Wheat Kings bounce back in style

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This article was published 21/02/2015 (4191 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Brandon Wheat Kings responded to a rare loss just the way they wanted to on Saturday night in Saskatoon.

One night after suffering their first regulation defeat in 17 Western Hockey League games, the Wheat Kings rebounded with 7-3 victory over the Blades.

"The last time we lost, we lost again," Wheat Kings head coach and general manager Kelly McCrimmon said referring to back-to-back setbacks on Jan. 6 and 10, Brandon’s last regulation losses before they fell 5-4 to the Prince Albert Raiders on Friday. "We haven’t lost very many games this year but we lost back-to-back games against Everett and Red Deer, so it was real important to get back on the winning track tonight here in Saskatoon, and we were able to respond pretty well and get that accomplished."

Jayce Hawryluk, Rihards Bukarts and Tim McGauley each scored twice on Saturday as the Wheat Kings (44-10-4-2) upped their lead to 17 points in the Eastern Conference. Hawryluk and Bukarts assisted on each others’ goals for four-point nights, while McGauley added an assist to finish with three points.

Just like they did on Friday in Prince Albert, Sask.,, the Wheat Kings fell behind early, this time with Ryan Graham scoring only 23 seconds into the game for the Blades (17-39-2-1). But unlike the previous game, when they fell behind 4-0, the Wheat Kings responded on Saturday with a Morgan Klimchuk goal, then added three more for good measure before the first period was out.

"I thought we responded real well tonight," McCrimmon said. "We had a real good first period and erased the 1-0 lead and then built on it to take a 4-1 lead into the intermission and, I thought, really controlled the game the rest of the night."

Saskatoon got another quick tally in the second period as Josh Uhrich scored 34 seconds into the frame before McGauley made good on a penalty shot to restore Brandon’s three-goal lead. In the third, it was the Wheat Kings’ turn to strike early as McGauley and Bukarts netted goals 19 and 47 seconds into the period to make a power-play marker by Blades defenceman Brycen Martin moot.

The Wheat Kings will play eight of their last 12 regular-season games on home ice, starting on Wednesday, when they host the Medicine Hat Tigers, who are second in the conference.

ONE-TIMERS: Wheat Kings G Jordan Papirny made 30 saves, while Nik Amundrud stopped 34 shots for the Blades … Brandon was 0-for-5 on the power play and killed two of Saskatoon’s three chances … McGauley is on a 16-game point-scoring streak (12 goals, 22 assists), while RW Peter Quenneville had two assists to extend his streak to seven games (four goals, six assists) … D Eric Roy played his 310th WHL game, tying him with Aaron Goldade for fifth on the Wheat Kings’ all-time list … Brandon played with 16 skaters, two less than a full lineup, scratching LW Braylon Shmyr (illness), C Nolan Patrick (lower body, day-to-day), C/RW Reid Duke (lower body, week-to-week), D Ivan Provorov (upper body, week-to-week), D Kale Clague (lower body, week-to-week), D Mark Taraschuk (personal), G Alex Moodie (concussion, indefinite) and G Logan Thompson (illness) … The jersey that Brandon D Reid Gow will wear in the Pink the Rink cancer fundraiser this Saturday was auctioned during the broadcast of Friday’s game, drawing a winning bid of $750. Hawryluk’s jersey will be auctioned off this Friday during the Star 94.7 morning show.

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