The host Swift Current Broncos fell 2-1 to the visiting Regina Pats Saturday to even up the best-of-seven East Division semi-final at one game apiece.
After a 3-0 Broncos win on Friday, Ryan Kubic won a goaltending duel that featured 62 saves on 65 shots, including 32 from the Pats netminder.
“We didn’t score,” said Broncos head coach Manny Viveiros. “We had some really good chances and good looks that we didn’t score on. I thought the discipline in our game, there was three different times where we had the power play and we took penalties to nullify that. We had good looks but we just couldn’t score tonight.
Stuart Skinner played outstanding, gave us an opportunity to win the hockey game. Both goaltenders were the best players on the ice tonight.”
The opening period featured four early power plays split between the two teams, but Regina opened the scoring 9:46 in with an even-strength goal when Sam Steel fed Cameron Hebig on a two-on-one and he slipped it under Skinner for the Pats’ first goal of the series.
The teams traded chances during a scoreless second period. The Pats thought they had scored late in the frame but it was ruled they had a player in the crease and the screened point shot goal was waived off.
The Broncos had a third-period power play that turned into a Regina power play when they took two straight penalties. Hebig quickly fired home his second goal of the game to make it 2-0 just as the five-on-three power play began.
The Broncos cut the lead in half with 7:12 left when Kaden Elder fired home a centering feed from Max Patterson to break the shutout bid but they were unable to pull even despite a late power play opportunity.
“It wasn’t a bad game,” said Viveiros. “I thought we played well. But I am just looking at the small details that are the difference between winning and losing.”
The series will shift to Regina on Monday for game three.
