Send It To Swift!

"We have the team to do it"

- Erik Felde at today's pre-game skate

The Broncos will look to extend the series to Swift Current for a game six tomorrow night with a win over the Calgary Hitmen at the Saddledome.

By all accounts, yesterday's day off was good. Some rest, some shopping, TV...whatever. The Broncos will now get back to the task at hand.

Both games three and four were one-goal losses and the Broncos are hoping they can be on the other side of that decision tonight. For several players, they're facing the prospects of their last game in the Western Hockey League. Not only for the three 20 year-olds in Bretton Stamler, Erik Felde and Michael Wilson, the handful of 19 year-olds also face an uncertain future. Whether it's aspirations of pro-hockey or trying to land one of three 20 year-old spots next season, safe to say there is a lot to play for.

You go into it with the attitude of you don't want it to be your last pre-game skate, you don't want it to be your last pre-game meal with the guys, all that stuff weighs on it but come game-time it's back to normal game preparation. You don't want to be changing things at this time of year. The one thing in these situations you always ask of your guys is you wanna leave it all out there. At the end of the day, however the cards may fall you wanna say you gave it your best and I'm confident with our group they'll do that and come up with a win here tonight and force this thing into another game tomorrow night in front of our 2865 roaring fans.

- Broncos Head Coach & GM Dean Chynoweth in our pre-game interview.

As for Calgary itself, a heavy snowfall yesterday wreaked havoc on the streets and freeways. Delays, cars in the ditch, traffic at a snails pace was the theme of the day. Ryan drove home yesterday after waiting out the worst of it. It means I'll do game five by myself tonight barring any last minute color commentators arising.

I had a chat with one of the off-ice officials during game three about the skewed shot clock at the Saddledome. It was something Dean Chynoweth even brought up in our pre-game show interview how the shots on goal are always out of whack at the 'Dome. Do the off-ice officials feel they can somehow influence the game story?

For instance, Travis Yonkman faced an early shot in the 3rd period of game three and covered up after one whack on a rebound. I watched as the shotclock jumped FIVE notches. Even Yonks mentioned it today. The off-ice officials also don't count some of the marginal shots on goal for the visitors you would see them give credit to the Hitmen for.

Lets take a look. You add 5 shots to the Hitmen, take away 5 for the Broncos and all of a sudden a 35-25 shots on goal game becomes 40-20. All of a sudden the storyline becomes "The Hitmen badly outplayed their opposition".

In game four, the crew cleaned their act up. The shots were dead on from our calculations in the booth. Maybe it was our conversation, maybe they felt guilty... maybe the league said something? We will see if it continues tonight.

I hope to see everyone back in the Credit Union I-plex tomorrow night.

Jon

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Game #6 Ticket Information

The Swift Current Broncos announced today the team’s protocol for the purchase of tickets to game #6 of their Eastern Conference semi-final series against the Calgary Hitmen.

With the Broncos loss to the Hitmen Wednesday night the necessity of a game #6 back in Swift Current on Saturday, April 12th (7:30 pm start) is yet to be determined. Should the Broncos win tonight’s game in Calgary to force a game #6, tickets will be on sale at the Broncos Store in the Credit Union i-plex starting Saturday morning at 9:00 am.

Season ticket holders will have until 2:00 pm on Saturday to pick up their season tickets before they are released to the general public.

Tickets, once on sale, can be reserved by calling the Broncos Ticket Hotline at 773-1509