Wheat Kings top Raiders for fifth straight win

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/10/2017 (3094 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Make it five in a row for the Brandon Wheat Kings.

The Western Hockey League club extended its winning streak to five games with a 5-3 victory over the visiting Prince Albert Raiders on Saturday evening. It’s also the fifth straight game Brandon has scored at least five goals.

That all has the team feeling pretty good as it sits in third place in the East Division with a 6-2-0-1 mark.

“It’s some of the most fun I’ve had playing hockey,” said Brandon forward Stelio Mattheos, who had a goal and an assist on Saturday. “Guys are getting along and everyone is playing great. We hope to ride this wave as long as we can.”

After fairly open play with few whistles the first half of the opening frame, Tanner Kaspick drove hard to the net and drew a slashing penalty on good friend and fellow Brandonite Jordy Stallard. The Wheat Kings made the Raiders (3-4-0-1) pay as Connor Gutenberg put home the rebound from a Schael Higson shot with seven seconds left in the man advantage.

Brandon’s lead doubled less than a minute later on a strange play. Ty Lewis lost the puck in the Prince Albert crease and Raiders defenceman Vojtech Budik tried to clear it, but the puck bounced off of Stallard and went into the net.

Evan Weinger then netted his first goal as a Wheat King with 24 seconds left in the frame, tapping in the puck at the side of the net courtesy of a pass from Mattheos on a 3-on-1 rush.

Despite being in an early hole, the Raiders refused go away, and they used their power play to get back in the game. 

With 9:39 left in the second period, Stallard one-timed a Cole Fonstad pass into the awning cage. Fonstad set up Stallard’s second power-play goal of the night five minutes later, only this time Stallard walked in from the circle before sniping a shot past Brandon goalie Logan Thompson.

“It’s always nice, especially when you’re playing back in my hometown,” Stallard said of his night. “Can’t really look too much at the two goals, the two points would have been nicer tonight.”

“I think we’re finally starting to click (on the power play),” he added. “We’ve been hot lately and the chemistry is finally coming together.”

Four of Stallard’s five goals this season have come on the power play. Prince Albert has six markers with the man advantage so far this year.

Mattheos restored the Wheat Kings’ two-goal lead with 2:24 left in the frame when he skated into the Raiders’ zone on the power play and put the puck short-side over Raiders goalie Curtis Meger.

“That’s a good response by our guys,” said Wheat Kings head coach David Anning. “You want them to respond well when things aren’t going as well as they should be. We made the most of a power-play opportunity again on a power play where we attacked with speed, made a nice play going to the net and capitalized. That’s a big goal for us, gives us momentum back and puts us in a good spot going into the third.”

Gunnar Wegleitner added an insurance marker five minutes into the third period. Fonstad rounded out the scoring with 7:56 left when he took a loose puck from Kade Jensen and beat Thompson on a breakaway.

Thompson finished with 25 saves, while Meger made 27 for Prince Albert.

The two teams meet again this afternoon at Westman Place and the Wheat Kings want to make sure they don’t lose a step when the puck drops at 4 o’clock.

“Just don’t get too satisfied,” Mattheos said. “We said that yesterday. We’re playing well and not take any steps back. Don’t get too high and don’t get too low.”

ONE-TIMERS: Both teams’ power plays were clicking, with Brandon going 2-for-2 and Prince Albert 2-for-3 … Kaspick finished the night with three assists … Brandon scratched D Daniel Bukac (lower body) and D James Shearer (lower body) as well as F Jonny Hooker, F Baron Thompson and D Ty Ettinger. Prince Albert was without G Ian Scott (lower body), D Austin Crossly, D Brayden Pachal and F Brock Sottile … Attendance 3,870.

» cjaster@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @jasterch