Broncos 6 Raiders 3

A four goal third period pushed the Broncos past the weary Prince Albert Raiders 6-3 last night at the Credit Union i-plex.

Keegan Dansereau scored twice to begin the period and the home team never looked back to acquire a much needed two points.

For the Raiders, it was their third game in three nights and their fourth in five nights as they came into the contest 1-1 on the weekend. If they were tired, I didn't see it.

Emotions boiled over late in the third period as players got together in front of the Raiders bench. I've noticed over the year that fights are more likely to take place in front of a bench because no one wants to appear to be backing down in front of teammates.

In an incident sure to be reviewed by the league office today, the Raiders Garrett Thiessen jumped into an altercation from the bench between Matt Tassone and Raiders forward Bryce Lamb. Thiessen grabbed Tassone before Raiders Head Coach/GM Bruno Campese intervened and pulled Thiessen away. He should have held on, because Thiessen jumped back into the mix a 2nd time before the scrum was over.

I spoke with Matt about it post-game:

"I wasn't thinking of fighting first, and then he (Lamb) kept going so obviously I'm not going to take that. I started throwing... actually Thiessen (from the bench) was the one who took my helmet off. As Lamb fell Thiessen starting grabbing me. Last week King in Lethbridge came off the bench to fight someone - I'm pretty sure this is the same situation. On the bench or on the ice, he's third man in." - Tassone

Lost in all this was Tassone's 30th of the season on a unique back hand one-time top shelf when Mike Brown fed him a pass from the right-wing. Of all the talented forwards last season, the Broncos didn't have a 30 goal scorer in the mix. Dale Wiese led the team with 29. Actually Tassone becomes the first Bronco 30-goal man since Tyler Redenbach and Jeremy Williams both did it in the 2003-04 season.

Tassone actually finished the night with a Gordie Howe hat-trick, which he informed me was his first ever in the WHL.

Cody Eakin, Geordie Wudrick and Jordan Peddle also scored in the win. Justin Dowling added a pair of assists.

The win was a much needed two points for the Broncos who failed to get anything Friday night in a 4-3 loss to Saskatoon and an idle Saturday.
The Broncos head into Moose Jaw Wednesday to play a limping Hunch Bunch after an 11-1 loss to Saskatoon.

The Broncos also have an announcement to make later today. Come back later this morning to find out the details...

Jon