Wheaties top Blades, win fourth straight

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This article was published 17/02/2025 (292 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Joby Baumuller and Dominik Petr each scored twice as the Brandon Wheat Kings picked up a huge 6-3 victory over the Saskatoon Blades in Western Hockey League action at SaskTel Centre on Monday.

Brandon (29-16-4-3) received its other goals from Nolan Flamand and Matteo Michels, with Triston Mitchell-McElhone, Rowan Calvert and Kohen Lodge replying for Saskatoon (28-18-3-4) in front of a crowd of 4,691.

Brandon head coach and general manager Marty Murray said Baumuller had an outstanding effort.

“I think he’s playing with a lot of confidence,” Murray said. “When he was out and came back in, we lost Hads out there (Caleb Hadland), so we needed Joby to come back in and be a contributor and he’s certainly done that. He’s been a big contributor to our team in the last number of games.”

Brandon entered the game 7-1-1-1 in its last 10 outings and on an eight-game streak in which they had earned at least a point.

The win pushed Brandon back into fifth place, one point up on the Edmonton Oil Kings (30-20-2-2), who beat the Red Deer Rebels 5-2 earlier in the afternoon. Brandon remains a point back of the Prince Albert Raiders, who spanked the Moose Jaw Warriors 8-2 on Monday and visit Westoba Place tonight at 7 p.m.

In the season series with Saskatoon, is now 3-1-2-0 and up two points overall, with a pair of games remaining in Brandon on March 12 and 19.

The Wheat Kings remain without defencemen Luke Shipley (upper body, week-to-week) and Merrek Arpin (upper body, week-to-week) plus forwards Roger McQueen (upper body, week-to-week) Jaxon Jacobson (lower body, week-to-week), Hadland (lower body, day to day) and Easton Odut (upper body, indefinite).

The Wheat Kings once again dressed 10 forwards and six defencemen with callup Cameron Allard again in the lineup.

Even so, the team has won all three games it’s played in the last four days, with a pair of trips to Saskatchewan thrown into the equation. They also topped the Moose Jaw Warriors 7-4 on Friday and 6-3 on Saturday.

“Credit to the kids,” Murray said. “They’re playing a ton because we’re short-staffed but I thought we played tough and got some wins that mean a lot in the standings. I’m real proud of the way they’ve competed. We just rolled with it and put the nose to the grindstone and got some more results.”

On Monday afternoon, Saskatoon’s all-affiliate player line struck first 10 minutes 25 seconds into the game when Mitchell-McElhone one-timed a feed into the slot past Brandon goalie Carson Bjarnason. It was his first WHL goal, and Adam Halat received his first WHL point with an assist.

But just 76 seconds later, the Wheat Kings tied it up when Boehm’s hard pass found Petr and he deflected it past Saskatoon goalie Ethan McCallum of Brandon.

Brandon took its first lead 2:22 into the second period when their stout forecheck kept the puck in play in the Saskatoon zone and Matteo Michels set up Baumuller in the slot for a wicked one-timer into the top corner. Allard earned his first WHL point when he drew an assist on the play.

The visitors made it 3-1 with 37 seconds remaining in the period after Baumuller forced a turnover at the Brandon blue-line, raced up the ice in pursuit of the puck and then fired a low shot past McCallum on the ensuing breakaway.

It’s the first time in Baumuller’s WHL career he has scored twice in back-to-back games, and his four-game goal streak matched his personal all-time point streak of four games he set in October. Brandon outshot Saskatoon 25-13 through 40 minutes, but it was a different Blades squad to start the third period.

The hosts had their best sustained pressure of the game four minutes into the third period when the Wheat Kings simply couldn’t get the puck out of their zone under Saskatoon’s tenacious forecheck. They finally capitalized when Tyler Parr made a slick feed across the crease to Calvert for a quick shot that Bjarnason had no chance on.

Just as the hosts appeared to be taking over, Brandon captain Quinn Mantei intercepted a pass in the Saskatoon zone, skated along the boards and behind the net with the puck and then sent a pass out front to Flamand for the overage forward’s 19th goal of the season. The goals came two minutes apart.

With 5:31 remaining in regulation and trailing by a pair, the Blades received their first power play, but the Wheat Kings managed to kill it off with some help from their goaltender. Just after the man advantage ended, however, Saskatoon pulled back within a goal when Brandon won the draw but the puck ended up in front after a battle along the boards and Lodge put it by Bjarnason with 3:10 remaining.

The hosts pulled McCallum for the extra attacker but moments later Michels scored from his own blue-line with 1:52 left, and after the Blades pulled the goalie again, Petr found the net with 59.7 seconds remaining.

Murray noted that once again, the contributions are coming from across the lineup.

“I think that’s one of the things we feel about our team, and I think it’s an advantage over some teams,” Murray said. “We don’t rely on two guys or a line. It’s been that way all year but especially of late.”

Bjarnason made 22 saves for the Wheat Kings, with McCallum stopping 27 shots for the Blades.

Brandon went 0-for-2 on the power play, with Saskatoon unsuccessful in one chance.

ICINGS: Petr led the Wheat Kings with six shots on net … The game took two hours, 21 minutes to play … In the faceoff circle, Saskatoon won 35-19 … Michels and Brady Turko were both +3 … Flamand needs one more goal to match the career high of 20 he set last season.

» pbergson@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @PerryBergson

 

MONDAY

Wheat Kings 6, Blades 3

First Period

1. Saskatoon, Mitchell-McElhone 1 (Halat) 10:25.

2. Brandon, Petr 13 (Boehm, Turko) 11:41.

Penalties — None.

Second Period

3. Brandon, Baumuller 13 (Michels, Allard) 2:22.

4. Brandon, Baumuller 14 (unassisted) 19:23.

Penalties — Kachkowski Sas (interference) 9:57.

Third Period

5. Saskatoon, Calvert 22 (Parr, Harsanyi) 4:15.

6. Brandon, Flamand 19 (Mantei) 6:25.

7. Saskatoon, Lodge 3 (Scott, Harsanyi) 16:50.

8. Brandon, Michels 19 (Belusko) 18:08 (en).

9. Brandon, Petr 14 (unassisted) 19:00 (en).

Penalties — Mitchell-McElhone Sas (interference) 11:55, Belusko Bdn (holding) 14:29.

Shots on goal by

Brandon 14 11 8 — 33

Saskatoon 6 7 12 — 25

Goal — Brandon: Bjarnason (W, 14-11-3-0). Saskatoon: McCallum (L, 7-7-0-3).

Power plays (goals-chances) — Brandon: 0-2; Saskatoon: 0-1.

Referees — Ridge Brooks, Bob Millette. 

Linesmen — Riley Carriere, Tanner McGregor.

Attendance — 4,691 in Saskatoon.