Reece Scarlett (Photo by Darwin Knelsen)
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- Click here for the official website recap
- Click here for the Swift Current Online recap
Highlights of The New Pioneer Co-op Broncos Hockey (Download)
Post-Game with Broncos Assistant Coach Darren Evjen (Download)
Post-Game with Broncos Goalie Landon Bow (Download)
Pre-Game with Broncos Coach/GM Mark Lamb (Download)
Pre-Game with Lethbridge Assistant Coach Chris Chisamore (Download)
Pre-Game with Broncos Forward Tanner LeSann (Download)
- B&A Petroleum Game Shifter: Broncos 1rst goal
- Low Cost Towing Unsung Hero: Reece Scarlett
- Standard Motors Crunch of the Game: Adam Lowry
- Herbert Auto Tough Guy of the Game: Brett Lernout
Here is my recap from Swift Current Online:
Adam Lowry scored twice in the third period and once in the shoot out to lift the Swift Current Broncos to a 3-2 win over the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Saturday night. The Broncos Captain came back after a 10 minute misconduct in the second period to extend his point scoring streak to 17 games.
“You’re seeing just a special player,” said Broncos Assistant Coach Darren Evjen. “It’s hard to find a 6’5 guy with hands that’s mean, plays so hard and competes. You can’t say enough about how he plays. He does so much for us, he’s our leader, and tonight he really led the way.”
Landon Bow bounced back after a couple of inconsistent starts with 34 saves to get the win.
I felt like I needed to get back in there and show them what I really have,” Bow said. “I knew Eetu (Laurkainen) was coming back and I wanted to make a lasting impression.”
Down 1-0 after 1, Bow made 13 saves in the first half of the second period to give his team a chance.
“Those are the times in the game that I love,” Bow added. “Whenever I get lots of shots I’m able to keep moving and stay in the game… I just stayed calm and didn’t do too much. I just played bigger.”
He finished 3-2 in 5 starts while starter Eetu Laurikainen was away at the World Junior Championship. Laurikainen returns in time for Wednesday’s game against Red Deer.
“Our game plan we altered for these guys,” Evjen said. “They made so many plays around the net like quick little ways. We helped him that way as a team, but I thought he was a little more square, he wasn’t down on the ice, he knew what they were doing a little more and he just used his big body to make some good saves.”
Reece Scarlett had a challenging and successful game for the Broncos. He blocked a Daniel Johnston point shot early in the first period off the side of his knee and was taken out of the play as the Hurricanes defenceman than scored a power play goal off of Bronco Dalton Reum’s stick and in. Scarlett missed a couple of shifts before coming back out and setting up both Bronco goals.
“You’ve got to have courage to block those pucks,” Evjen noted. “He made a lot of great plays, created some offence… super game from him as well and logged a ton of minutes doing it.”
Just like the 4-1 loss to Kootenay on Friday, Broncos didn’t generate much offensively through the first half of the game. At the midway point of the second period they started to turn the game around and may have been partially spurred on by a decisive fight from defenceman Brett Lernout against Hurricanes forward Harrison Harper.
“Guys tried to get us in somehow,” Evjen said. “Bosc tried to go out and make a big hit… he takes a penalty, Lernout gets in a fight, different things guys were doing to try to get the team going and that gives you some energy.”
The Broncos finally found the back of the net on a power play early in the third period when Lowry ripped a shot top corner from the top of the left circle. He then gave the Broncos a late lead by deflecting a Scarlett point shot behind Hurricanes goaltender Ty Rimmer at 17:43, but Sam Mckechnie answered back for Lethbridge only 24 seconds later to send the game to overtime.
Swift Current outshot the Hurricanes 15-8 in the third, 5-1 in overtime and 42-36 in the game, but weren’t able to find the winning goal. Lowry and Graham Black then scored to secure their first win in the shootout in four tries this season.
The Broncos will get Laurikainen and defenceman Brycen Martin back from World Juniors and the World U17 Hockey Challenge respectively when they host Red Deer on Wednesday. They’re still missing Levi Bews, Brent Benson, Josh Derko and Shea Howorko to injury.
Shawn Mullin's Swift Current Broncos Blog 
I was a bit worried after the past couple games but am really happy with the pushback in this game. I don’t think we should trade Lowry. We will start to get some key guys back after the deadline and we are in a good spot now. I think it will be beneficial to get some guys some playoff time. Lowry has been a great Bronco and if Lamb shows him faith and keeps him here I think he will continue to step up. I don’t think any team is willing to part with the guys required to make the trade for Lowry anyway.
I’m sorry, but I just don’t understand this post. The “pushback” was against a very young, very mediocre squad in a mediocre (save for Edmonton and perhaps Calgary) conference. That said, Lethbridge does have a large roster of proven young talent which, if anything, should be another warning bell for management that if they want to compete in the near future they’re going to have to bite the bullet on some trades.
What exactly is this good spot? Right now we’re a seventh seed with the outside possibility of a sixth seed. Saskatoon is getting Makarov back and I have to believe there’s still a little bit more farm for them to mortgage to fall back any further. So maybe they pass that mediocre team I mentioned earier, the Hurricanes. For argument’s sake, let’s say they do. They go on to meet Calgary as a heavy underdog, but Laurikainen stands on his head and they pull off a major upset. Then what? Edmonton. I don’t think any neutral observer would give the Broncos an advantage in any category. Much better depth of forwards. Better depth on defence. Better depth at goal. Most of the team has Memorial Cup experience. So unless you’re hoping for the miraculous(and sorry, relying on the miraculous is not a winning business plan), expect at most a 5 home game playoff run. And this playoff seasoning will be to be the benefit to how many players who expect to be core players in 2 years? Martin and Heatherington, definitely. Perhaps Cave and Bews. If you think Gordon will be here in 2 years then let’s be charitable and say 5 “difference-maker” players who might be positively impacted by this little taste of playoffs. I’m not saying it should be scoffed at, but does it really compare to the quality of players to be gained by trade. And that leads me to your last point.
I don’t know if the players (ie., Chartier, Virtanen, Gardiner, Thomson, Needham, etc.) I would target would be made available. You never know until you try. Each real contender is in a different spot. Kamloops has a veteran core so they might be willing to go in. Prince Albert has some long suffering fans and will be losing McNeill next year so they might be interested in going big. Then again, they have Morrissey and Draisaitl for at least another year so maybe they hedge their bets. I don’t know. And if those “A” level players can’t be obtained, then you go to a Plan B scenario and go for a Eakin/Schenn-like haul of draft picks and solid depth players and use them as trade bait later down the road. But what I do know is that teams in junior hockey that fail in asset management, fail. And the biggest mistake in asset management is to let an asset go for free.
What I don’t like about selling your big players is that you tank the rest of the season and really boost everyone’s confidence. And if you think James that your going to sell sell sell and then one year have a team that knows how to win from previous players your wrong. And so a year or two from now let’s say we’re in forth or fifth again after selling this year do we sell again cause we’re not the heavy favorites. Cause if your waiting for us to be the heavy favorites keep waiting. And Lowry would bring more then eakin this year so who has enough or is willing enough to do that. After the harassment saskatoon took after the schenn deal and where it got them do you think that gms are just drooling to do the same deal. Sometimes the market just isn’t there.
You’re setting up a number of strawman arguments, Harvest. First, I’m not advocating a “sell sell sell” strategy that somehow magically leads to becoming a contender. I’m arguing that when there isn’t a reasonable chance of playoff success (ie, going deep into the playoffs) and you have significant asset that won’t be coming back, you try to get a return for that player and build for the future. Secondly, this isn’t a fourth or fifth place team. This a below .500 team in seventh place. Thirdly, why is it so absurd to believe that we could be heavy favourites in two years? Unless, that is, you have a complete lack of faith in our management team and their drafting ability. Granted, missing out on Point/Chartier does give one pause. Still, the jury is out on the 96 class and i’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. And fourth, you left out the Eakin deal. Seems to me Kootenay ended up doing quite fine. A good GM, who believes in himself and has some guts, won’t be swayed by one failure and the bleatings of the peanut gallery. Besides, that Blades deal wasn’t so much a failed trade, it was a failure of coaching.
So here it is in a nutshell:
1) Identify your best player who has the potential to lead a core group to a championship. In my mind that would be Martin.
2) Determine how long you will have him. Given his talent level I don’t believe you can count on more him lasting beyond 3 years and possibly only two. Since you can’t count on your other key foundational player – Heatherington – to be here beyond 2 years, it’s probably best to focus on the 2014-2015 season.
3) Trade Lowry/Scarlett and surround your top player – Martin – with quality players from the same 96 birth year or one year older (right now the 95 class is scarily bereft of scoring talent). If you can’t get those kind of players in a deal, get younger players and draft picks with the idea of flipping them on draft day or later in next season.
4) Hope that your 96 class (Gonek, Odgers, Wittman) develops. Pray that Gawdin is the sure thing he appears to be and becomes an impact 17 year old in 2014.
5) When the time is ripe, trade picks and prospects for established veterans to augment a solid core.
James I totally agree I think the BRONCOS should sell any of there 19 year olds as they have 8 of them and last time I checked and only 3 can play next season. However, i do not like the draft picks as Bronco Management has shown we can screw those picks up very badly. I would like to see some proven 16,17 or 18 year olds like a 3 for 1 deal for the 2 or 3 19 year olds we can get rid of. I think Laurikeinen plays Pro in Finland, Nedomlel plays pro in Czech, Scarlett will sign and play AHL, Lowry might make WInterpeg next year as a 4th liner so i would try and move these 4. Derko is a great grinder and will be tough to play against next season. Dale will not make our club next year. Benson will be an OK 1st or 2nd line centre next season.Black will be top 10 in league scoring next year and will be back to mature for one year.
So synopsis: Trade 3 of these guys and have 5 battle for overage spots next season. The Broncos could still make the playoffs even if they got rid of a couple of the high end talent IMO as they will get some fillers in the trade that can play now.
I am hoping they sell but not for draft picks!
Terry I agree but Lowry is playing so well could we upset if he gets some help and Etoo gets hot between the pipes? We really do have all the pieces just need 2 forwards and 1 deman and I think we are as good as any team in the league. If we could get Pulock and Ferland WOW we would be instant contenders in my honest opinion.
The price for them would be extremely high but if we bundled 4 players and a 1st rounder it might get done!
are u people nuts? we have the horses to make the playoffs (without mortgaging the future) for the first time in three years and you want to sell?
Couldn’t agree with you more. Next year people will be saying to trade Heatherington and Black, then they’ll want Cave traded the year after that, followed by Martin, etc.
I’d be happy with a small deal to upgrade our defence or forward position for playoffs and leave everything else at the deadline.
Agreed.
Given the injuries to our forwards at this point, if you can get Bews, Benson, and Derko back and healthy after the deadline that would be like making some deals for depth at the deadline. Injuries are unfortunate but we are seeing some of the younger guys play more minutes and hopefully further their development.
I am uncertain who the 2nd ‘Jeff’ poster was but it wasn’t myself who made the first comment. In regards to James’ commenting in relation to my comment. The pushback I was referring to was our play recently and having a short line-up with multiple guys playing less than 100%. We lost to Med Hat, blew a big lead against Lethbridge at home, and lost in Kootenay. We came back down 1-0 and won the game on the road with a patch work line-up. In terms of the players who will be here in 2 years I am uncertain why you wouldn’t include all the 17 yr old players on the roster such as Lernout (who they just traded for), Zinkan, LeSann, Mackay, Spagrud. I understand at this point these guys are playing limited minutes but typically that is how it works in the WHL, you bide your time on the 4th line and learn who to play. Everyone has their own opinion and that is fine. I am just trying to clarify my comments with the questions you had.
I feel the opportunity to make the playoffs would be beneficial for this organization in general. If Lamb did get a deal for high end prospects (i.e can’t miss) then I agree he should make the trade…however I don’t feel that will be available.
I guess it depends on whether making the playoffs or winning a championship is your goal. If you are happy with the playoffs then adding a few pieces to this team will make you happy. I would rather see pieces added to the team when we are a top 4 in the conference kind of team and can legitimately go after a championship. Everyone has a different view of things but I would argue that we are actually mortaging the future by not selling anyone and going into the playoffs as an underdog in every series we play and then losing assets at the end of the season. The great organizations add pieces when the time is right and get something for their assets when it isn’t their time. I realize playoffs have been hard to come by here lately but I think waiting until we are a better team to add players is the way to go.
Just curious. Does anyone who opposes making these trades actually remember our Memorial Cup winning team? The excitement and pride that went with being a powerhouse team that was a favourite to beat anyone? The city was electric! So apologies, but being a treadmill team that just scrapes into the playoffs to be fodder for real contenders, well, it just doesn’t set the imagination afire. Twenty years of futility is enough. So yes, we can make the playoffs without mortgaging the future. Instead, we’re selling it for a handful of beans – sorry – handful of playoff games.
I agree with Jeff!!! We are very close to being a strong playoff team, add a couple more horses and we could make a deep run! Go Broncos!
Hey James…who won the Stanley last year? Oh right…it was the LA Kings…they were in 8th place after the regular season, they barely made playoffs because the conference was so tight. They had a great goalie and big talented players that don’t get pushed around. Sound familier??? The Broncos are tied with Kamloops on the power play, second in the league behind Edmonton and 5th in the league on the PK…and thats with some veteren players out of the line up. Add a couple more skilled players to the roster and you never know….I would like our chances!
Hey Anonymous… How many 8th seed teams since the NHL instituted the 1 versus 8 format in the 1993-94 season have gone on to win a round? If your answer is 10 out of a possible 36, then you’d be right. Pretty wonderful odds, eh? But it gets better. Only three teams – yes, three! – have gone past the second round (one of those being the Kings). The fact is that the overwhelming majority of Cup winners come from one of the top-four seeds in their conference. So let me ask you a question. You are Dean Lombardi and it’s the trade deadline. Your team is hanging on to the eighth seed. You know the near 20 year playoff history of past eighth seeds. You also know two other facts: namely that Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty will leaving the team after the season is over. Do you hold on to them, firm in your belief that things will come together and they will become an against-all-the-odds team of destiny? Or do you measure the risk, deem it too high, and trade them for picks and young players? That’s the question Lamb has to answer. Except he’s in a much more difficult situation. If he keeps Lowry/Scarlett and they fail to make the playoffs (or flame out in the first round), he won’t have a rich owner to bail him out and sign free agents. That’s life in junior hockey; you have small windows of opportunity. It’s even tougher for small centers like Swift Current. They don’t have the resources to remedy misfortune like big centers do with huge scouting staffs and other more creative methods (cough…Portland/Windsor…cough) for gaining an advantage. Add in the bias many players have in going to big centers and well, small markets just don’t have any margin of error. So when you’re in that situation, do you really want to play long odds? Look, i’m not saying the Broncos can’t go on an improbable playoff run. They would be a massive underdogs in every series, but hey, every once in a long while it happens. That’s why I call it improbable, not impossible. Maybe it’s my conservative nature, but if i’m cash poor and want to leave a nest egg for my family, I give my money to an
accountant, not a riverboat gambler.
You do realize that is the first and only time a team that was a number 8 won the cup, right? Since the NHL put in the 8 team per conference playoff format in place in 93-94, the Kings last year and the Devils in 95 (5th place) are the only two non top 4 conference teams to win the cup. That’s 13 NHL seasons where the 5-8 seeds had a very low percentage chance of winning the cup….I suspect the WHL stats are very similar. I think I will take the odds of betting on top 4 conference teams and not Cinderella!
Hey Jeff,
I didn’t list the players you mentioned because I don’t see any of them as core players. By core I mean a group of elite level players who can be dominant, at a league wide level, at their respective positions. I’m not saying they can’t develop into those roles, but as of now I don’t see any signs that one should necessarily expect that to happen. That said, I don’t want to minimize their value. Every winning team needs contributions from role players. Nevertheless, I don’t know many teams that win without a solid core of elite players.