Kraus, Baumuller lead Wheaties in 7-0 rout

Joby Baumuller had a hat trick and Jayden Kraus made 33 saves as the Brandon Wheat Kings blasted the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes 7-0 in Western Hockey League action at Assiniboine Credit Union Place on Saturday.

Brandon (3-6-1-0) received its other goals from Caleb Hadland, Brady Turko, Chase Surkan and Jaxon Jacobson in front of a crowd of 3,883. Lethbridge fell to 3-11-0-1.

“Tonight was a big step for our team,” Baumuller said. “I think it gives us a lot of motivation, and it’s pretty much a statement game for us because we know we’re a good team. “For myself, it’s a thing I can build from. It’s a confidence booster for sure and I just have to keep going from here.”

It was also a huge night for Kraus, who was winless in his first four starts, and saw his save percentage skyrocket from .833 to .861.

“Obviously with the start I’ve had personally, it’s something I’m not satisfied with,” Kraus said. “I told the guys in the room I just need one, and I think tonight was that one. I feel like me.”

Brandon’s last shutout was on March 4 when Ethan Eskit made 24 saves to blank the Regina Pats 4-0. The last 33-save shutout by a Brandon goalie was also last season when Carson Bjarnason beat the Medicine Hat Tigers 3-0, while the last 7-0 shutout was on March 5, 2019 when Jiri Patera made 29 saves against the Kootenay Ice in Cranbrook.

Brandon head coach and general manager Marty Murray said it was a good night for a lot of reasons.

“To get a big win at home, there was a good crowd tonight, guys like Jayden Kraus, statistically it’s been a rough start and I thought he was very sound tonight throughout the game, and Baumuller is looking like a player who could have a huge year in the last four games,” Murray said. “You look at Klippenstein, Turko, guys like that, their games have really come along in the last couple too so it’s encouraging for us.”

The Wheat Kings opened the scoring for the first time in 10 games this season when Hadland broke down the wing, outmuscled a defender and ripped a bad angle shot over the shoulder of rookie Lethbridge goalie Leif Oaten.

“Jax made a good play up to me,” Hadland said. “I was stretching a bit and then I was going wide on the D-man. The goalie was out of place, so I thought I might as well fire one and see what happens, and she went in.

“It was such a relief. That was our first goal where he started the game with a goal, so it was a good start and got things going on the right track.”

The goal, which came four minutes 12 seconds in, also snapped a five-game streak of falling behind 2-0 in the first period.

“The toughest thing in a hockey game is when you’re chasing,” Kraus said. “It puts you a step back and the other team gets the momentum first. That’s something I believe in, momentum, and when we got the first one tonight and then the second and the third, it was just a progression throughout the night and we built on it shift after shift.”

Murray said it wasn’t just his bench that felt the goal.

“You could feel relief in the entire building,” Murray said. “We certainly felt it on the bench to get it. It’s just a shot where you never know. You put a shot on net and the goalie was leaning a little bit there. It was a good shot but I think you could feel a sense of relief across the bench.”

Four minutes later, Kraus denied Lethbridge’s leading scorer, Luke Cozens, when he was sprung for a short breakaway on an odd-man rush.

The Wheat Kings made it 2-0 at the 2:45 mark of the second period when Surkan intercepted a pass and fed Nick Johnson, whose shot was blocked. The puck bounced onto the stick of Turko, who fired a quick shot over Oaten’s blocker.

Before the period ended, Baumuller converted on a pass back from behind the goal-line by Carter Klippenstein, who had burst into the Hurricanes zone all alone while killing a penalty. Baumuller’s shot from the slot trickled through Oaten and was knocked in by the goalie’s stick for Brandon’s first shorthanded marker of the season.

“They were coming on a forecheck on the power play and I got a stick on the puck,” Baumuller said. “Klip took it up and made a move and threw it on net. I saw the puck there and went after the rebound and out the puck on net and it went in.”

Lethbridge poured it on to start the third period and Shane Smith had a glorious opportunity when he was left all alone but Kraus got enough of the puck with his glove to send it wide.

It was a big save, because a couple minutes later the Wheat Kings put the game out of reach.

Klippenstein created a turnover at the Brandon blue-line and headed the other direction with the puck on a three-on-one, with Baumuller ripping home a shot to put his team up 4-0.

Just 69 seconds later, Surkan scored with a wicked shot on the power play after his club foiled multiple Lethbridge attempts to clear the zone and it was 5-0.

When it rains, it pours, and the Wheat Kings made it 6-0 when Jacobson’s shot from the point hit the post behind Oaten, bounced out, hit the goalie’s pad from behind and trickled back in.

It actually happened again on another shot from the point — this time by Dylan Ronald — on Baumuller’s hat-trick goal. The puck hit Baumuller’s stick in front, ricocheted off the cross bar behind Oaten and then bounced in off his back.

The play went to a video review with 2:06 remaining and was judged to be a goal.

“I went to the net and Ronny shot it and it was coming at my head,” Baumuller said. “I froze and put my stick up, and luckily I got a piece of it. I was worried when they were reviewing the goal — I thought it would be called off for sure — but I was happy they didn’t call it off.”

Murray said it was nice to finally benefit from the bounces.

“When you look at our first number of games, we’ve been on the wrong side of some of those bounces where we’ve had a lot of chances and posts and they just haven’t gone in,” Murray said. “Hopefully that is a sign of good things to come and a lesson for us too. Sometimes you just get to the net. There were some good screens tonight. It doesn’t have to be a one-timer bar down, it can be a floater where the goalie can’t see the puck.”

Oaten stopped 28 shots for the Hurricanes.

Brandon went 1-for-3 on the power play, with Lethbridge unsuccessful in five chances.

Kraus hopes it’s the kind of win that can turn things around.

“The group of guys here are all amazing,” Kraus said. “Me being the new guy, they’ve been super welcoming. It’s not fun to start 2-7 but I think there are a lot of leaders n this locker room and we’re starting to come together and finding a way.

“It was way too early to press the panic button at that time of the year. I think we still have a really special group in this room and we’re going to accomplish amazing things.”

ICINGS: Brandon skated without injured D Merrek Arpin and D Adam Hlinsky, plus healthy scratches F Gunnar Gleasman and F Ryan Boyce, … When Lethbridge failed to score in the first period , it was just the fifth time this season Brandon didn’t allow a goal in a period … Two pucks nailed the scoreboard high above centre ice, something that seldom happens even once per game … Baumuller led the Wheat Kings with seven shots on net … The game took two hours, 22 minutes to play … In the faceoff circle, Brandon won 32-25 … When the mic failed to work for the anthem, the crowd took over and did a nice job … Brandon hosts the Moose Jaw Warriors on Sunday at 4 o’clock.

» pbergson@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @PerryBergson