Cody Eakin's hat-trick - all three goals of the highlight variety - led the Broncos to a 6-2 win over a banging and crashing Saskatoon Blades team.
The Blades had won six in a row before last night's defeat. The Broncos improve to a league best 8-1 on home ice.
The Broncos led 3-0 early in the first after Eakin's shorthanded burst around D Jiri Niemi. Another unassisted marker coming from a shot from the bottom of the right wing circle and then Mike Brown's dangle into the middle finished with a back-hand behind G Adam Morrison. Brown now has goals in four straight games.
Broncos G Morgan Clark was brilliant all night and would finish with 37 saves.
Adam Lowry and Justin Dowling added plumber-like goals in the 2nd period to make it 5-0.
Then Eakin scored another shorthanded beauty cutting against the grain and letting a shot go top corner on G Morrison late in the third to bring the hats onto the ice. It was his 12th marker of the season, one shy of the league lead held by Jason Bast of the Moose Jaw Warriors.
The Blades got goals from Gaelan Patterson and Charles Inglis in the third.
Everyone is talking about the hit from behind D Jordan Evans took from Blades enforcer Randy Mcnaughton. I've already talked about it in a post below. WHL Director of Officiating Kevin Muench was already asking for the tape post-game.
The Blades game plan was as expected, try to use their physical play to an advantage. They are a big strong team and can lay the body. They just made too many mistakes and gave up too many pucks as the Broncos style won out on this night.
Big props to the Broncos defensive group who played without Eric Doyle and then Jordan Evans for half the game. Brody Luhning played the most minutes he's seen this season. Derek Claffey finished +4 and is now a team leading +13 on the season. That's 5th best in the WHL.
I'm going to cut this one short, I need to get tonight's pre-game show together....
Jon
6 comments:
Who is this Nathan Zimbaluk? I checked out the WHL website and checked out the Broncos roster with his name listed. Did we make a move or is he a listed player? 6'2" 185 lbs...16 years old.
Zimbaluk has been called up for the rest of the weekend.
He was one of the last cuts at training camp. He is a 6th round bantam choice from '08
Just curious if you guys saw Brown put a fan's hat on Tim's head on the bench after Eakin got his hat trick? Hurried home to listen to the post game show hoping you guys would ask him about it in the post game coaches show...but you didnt!
Missed it!
Missed it!
Haha. Thanks for asking tonight!
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