Hitmen drop Wheat Kings in blowout

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This article was published 22/02/2025 (209 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Brandon Wheat Kings took it on the chin in their first loss in regulation in nearly a month as the visiting Calgary Hitmen dropped them 5-0 in Western Hockey League action at Westoba Place on Friday.

Ben Kindel scored twice and Carter Yakemchuk, Tanner Howe and Brandon Gorzynski also sniped for Calgary (36-15-3-2), with Daniel Hauser making 28 assists for the shutout.

Brandon, which last lost in regulation on Jan. 24 with a 3-2 defeat at the hands of the Prince George Cougars in the final game of their West Coast trip, fell to 30-17-4-3 in front of a crowd of 2,901. They had gone 8-0-1-1 since they returned home.

Brandon head coach and general manager Marty Murray said it was one of those nights.

“Coming out of the gate in the first period, I think nine minutes in we were down 3-0,” Murray said. “It was a clunker, and it sucks, especially on home ice. Against a top team, you want to put your best foot forward but tonight we had a clunker. There’s no way around it.”

Brandon has been shut out just one other time this season, a 3-0 blanking at the hands of the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Nov. 11.

With a Prince Albert Raiders victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors, Brandon dropped back into fifth place from second place, with the Raiders wresting back the East Division lead. The Saskatoon Blades were also in action but their game ended after deadline.

It got ugly in a hurry for the hosts.

Just 31 seconds into the game, Kindel touched a shot by defenceman Kalem Parker and Brandon goalie Carson Bjarnason inadvertently knocked the puck into his own net with the blade of his stick to put Calgary up 1-0.

He quickly made it up to his teammates, with an incredible leg save a minute later and then flashed his glove to deny Howe on a power play four minutes into the game.

“We gave one up early,” Wheat Kings captain Quinn Mantei said. “It was kind of an unfortunate bounce and I think that’s when you need a response and some energy and I didn’t think we had that tonight. Then we chased it all night. I thought there were a few shifts in the second we got to our game and were in the O-zone buzzing around a little bit but the first period we were chasing it, and you can’t afford lapses like that against good teams.”

The Hitmen extended the lead later in the man advantage, which had turned into a glorified shooting gallery with Brandon unable to get a clear — when Yakemchuk popped a rebound into the net on the Hitmen’s seventh shot in five minutes.

Off a faceoff four minutes later, Howe skated into the middle with the puck and sent a shot through traffic that beat Bjarnason low to the glove side. When the goal was scored eight minutes 50 seconds into the game, Calgary led 3-0 on the scoreboard and 10-1 in shots, and Brandon had spent less than a minute in the Hitmen zone.

In Brandon’s best chance of the period, Hauser denied Dominik Petr on a breakaway with a fine pad save. Calgary acquired the overage goalie from the Wenatchee Wild earlier this season as they loaded up for the playoffs.

After a hit at the Calgary bench 87 seconds into the middle frame, Brandon forward Carter Klippenstein put some knuckles on defenceman Wyatt Pisarczyk but drew an extra penalty to accompany his fighting major.

On what was proving to be one of those nights, the stick of rookie defenceman Gio Pantelas shattered when he tried to clear the puck and Kindel fired a shot over Bjarnason’s shoulder. That spelled the end of the night for the big goaltender from Carberry, who was replaced by backup Ethan Eskit.

It soon proved to be more of the same with Calgary scoring its third power-play goal when Moore chipped the puck over a sprawling Eskit to make it 5-0.

Brandon, which was trailing 22-6 on the shot clock at one point, managed to narrow that Calgary lead to 31-20 by the end of the period, but Hauser continued to haunt them like he did in his days with the Winnipeg Ice.

The Wheat Kings entered the third period with some emotion, swarming Kindel when he sprayed Eskit with a faceful of snow after a stop 16 seconds in. The Calgary star was given an unsportsmanlike penalty and Marcus Nguyen rang a shot off the post on the ensuing power play.

On Brandon’s last good chance to score, Hauser dove across the net to deny Jordan Gavin in the final few minutes to preserve the shutout.

“We did some decent things as the game wore on but it was too little, too late,” Murray said. “We just have to get back. We’ve done a pretty good job of creating an identity for our team in the last number of weeks and tonight is something we need to reflect on, look in the mirror and not go back there.”

Brandon again played with 16 skaters as it deals with a raft of injuries, and Mantei said they’ve been very good over the last month.

“I’m really proud of how the group has handled things over the last while,” Mantei said. “I thought we’ve been playing really, really well, especially shorthanded. I think a lot of guys have stepped up. I like our game. Today we took a little step back but I’m sure if we can get back to that game and get some guys back, I’m excited about our team.”

Bjarnason and Eskit combined to make 42 saves for the Wheat Kings. Brandon went 0-for-3 on the power play, with Calgary scoring three in five chances.

Calgary head coach Paul McFarland said it was a very good effort by his team.

“I think the start obviously is important,” McFarland said. “We knew this team hadn’t lost in regulation in 10 so no question we were ready to play. After that, it is what it is, but I thought our start was the difference.”

ICINGS: The short-staffed Wheat Kings remain without defencemen Luke Shipley (upper body, week-to-week) and Merrek Arpin (lower body, week-to-week), along with forwards Roger McQueen (upper body, week-to-week), Jaxon Jacobson (lower body, week-to-week), Easton Odut (upper body, indefinite) and Ben Binder Nord (upper body, day to day) … Tulk, a 19-year-old product of Gibsons, B.C., hit the 250-point mark with his first of his three assists … It was the first time this season Brandon has allowed three power-play goals in a game … Nick Johnson led the Wheat Kings with four shots on net … The game took a speedy two hours, 12 minutes to play … In the faceoff circle, Calgary won 31-23 … The Wheat Kings travel to Swift Current to meet the Broncos tonight.

» pbergson@brandonsun.com

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