Broncos come back to blast Hurricanes

Glenn Gawdin STEVEN MAH/SOUTHWEST BOOSTER FILE PHOTO

The Swift Current Broncos scored five unanswered goals to win their seventh straight game to open the Western Hockey League regular season in a 6-2 win over the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes Tuesday.

The Hurricanes held a 2-1 lead before the Broncos got five goals to take the lead while receiving goals from five different players on the evening.

Logan Flodell stood tall in goal for the Broncos with 43 saves to improve to 6-0-0-0 since joining the team.

The Broncos top line scored three of the goals, but they also got three goals from secondary sources.

The first period was a special teams battle with nine power plays in the frame alone. Tyler Steenbergen opened the scoring for the Broncos after 15:06 when he fired home his league leading 14th goal. Georgio Estephan answered with a power play goal 2:18 later for a 1-1 game after one period.

The second period continued to be dominated by special teams and the Hurricanes took advantage with another power play goal 5:54 into the period from Calen Addison.

Karen Elder tied the game with a shorthanded goal later in the period after two Hurricanes collided at the blueline, resulting in a two-on-one for the Broncos.

Riley Stotts gave the Broncos the lead in the third period with a power play goal 4:48 into the frame when he dug a loose puck out of the crease and fired it into the empty net.

Aleksi Heponiemi stretched the lead to 4-2 2:50 later when he undressed two Hurricanes and lifted a puck under the blocker of Stuart Skinner during a four-on-four stretch for one of the nicest goals scored at the Innovation Credit Union iplex in many years.

Max Paterson notched his first goal as a Bronco when he knocked home a rebound with a delayed penalty upcoming with 7:25 left on the clock. Steenbergen closed the scored into an empty net to secure his fifth multiple-goal effort in seven games this season.

The Broncos continue a three-game home stand on Friday when they host the Vancouver Giants.