P.a. @ S.c.

[Big Ern]

Not much to say after tonight's contest.

The Broncos allowed the Raiders to play the game their way, and it wound up being a tight one, which never works in the more offensive team's favor. There were some individuals that played pretty bad out there for us, and as a result, we could be in third place in the division by the end of this week. Dale Weise had another great night with a goal and an assist. He is certainly living up to expectations. The Broncos defensive power got weakened when Derek Claffey got injured. He has a shoulder injury, and there's no news yet on how long he will be out. Spencer McAvoy should be back next Friday night though. Overall, I'm disappointed with the outcome. Why do we lose against cellar-dwelling teams? For the life of me, I can't figure that one out.

Credit the Raiders. Tonight's game was the greasiest that I've seen in a long time. Prince Albert just found a way to plug everything up, and grind out the one-goal win.

Every team has a nemesis. The Raiders seem to be our nemesis this season for sure. The tables have turned big time between these two teams from the last year, when Swift Current won all eight meetings.

The Broncos have until next Friday to work on some aspects that need working on. They have five days to regroup and come out playing over .500 next weekend.

Despite the Riders playing tonight, there were 1800 fans in attendance for the Bronco game. I really liked that, as I expected to see fewer than that at the game. But the Riders won, so hopefully sports fans in Swift Current are at least half happy.

SIDE-NOTES:

-did the Raiders really get through a game with just TWO infractions?? Not ripping the official, but sometimes I wonder. After all, who doesn't wonder in this league? Is there such thing as a well-officiated game anymore? I have my doubts.....

-the Broncos have now been short two veteran defensemen for two games...Doyle and McAvoy last night, McAvoy and Claffey tonight. It's seemingly hurting them.

-something seems to fuel Dustin Butler everytime he's up against Swifty. He made 31 saves tonight. I think him and Alex Archibald are up for the "get red hot and stop Swift Current dead" award. LOL



Time to regroup boys!!

LET'S GO SWIFTY!!!

[Link Dog]

There were some individuals that played pretty bad out there for us, and as a result, we could be in third place in the division by the end of this week.Couldn't agree more. Won't name names but we had some soft, some lazy and some selfish play out there tonight. Hopefully a good week of practice will turn things around.

[sbtatter]

I watched the game on the web tonight, and in the 3rd period Swift looked like they could have had 3 or 4 goals, mad scrambles in front of Butler. One of those games I guess. PA didn't look to have much speed or transition game. The only problem for Swift is that players like Danserau have a tendancy to take some nights off, and games like this are examples of that. Once your guys get back to the run and gun and 100% effort from every player, they'll be fine....

[sbtatter]

no team will look to speedy on there fourth game in 5 nites. and against all strong apponenets There is some crazy scheduling in the dub, making teams play 3 in 3 or 4 in 5...

[Dwight Schrute]

how was the hewson smith tilt ? also during this entire road trip the raiders have been very well disciplined. and have barely taken any penalties

[Scout]

The Hewson/Smith fight wasn't really much. They shed the gear right off the face-off as i'm sure Smith challenged Hewson to try and get his team fired up after the Raiders scored their second goal. They circled a bit and came in grabbing ahold of each other. They fought in tight throwing short jabs to each others heads. They seemed to have alot left in them to go more but the linsemen jumped in. I would call it a draw. No damage by either player.

Scout

[Scout]

Broncos drop third straight to Raiders
STEVEN MAH
The Southwest Booster

Playing their third games in as many nights the Swift Current Broncos dropped their third loss of the season to the Prince Albert Raiders by a 3-2 count on Sunday night at the Credit Union iplex.

Matt Robertson scored the eventual game winning goal midway through the middle period as the Raiders continued their unbeaten streak against the host Broncos after the Broncos swept the eight-game season series last season.

Robertson notched his team co-leading 11th goal of the season on the powerplay at the 12:04 mark of the second period.

The Raiders had opened a 2-0 lead 13:42 into the first period on goals from Max Brandl and Dustin Cameron.

Late in the first period and moments after Levi Nelson was sent to the penalty box for four minutes, Dale Weise collected a puck off a neutral zone faceoff and snapped it past Dustin Butler high to the glove side for his 10th goal of the season and fourth in three games.

Weise also played a central role in the second goal 4:30 into the middle frame when he mesmerized the Raiders defense before throwing the puck out front to a wide-open Levi Nelson who banged it into the open net.

Despite outshooting the Raiders 13-9 in the second period and 12-6 in the third, the Broncos were unable to capitalize on their chances, the closest coming when Nelson deflected a Keegan Dansereau shot from the point just wide of the right post.

Raiders overage netminder Dustin Butler posted his sixth win of the season with a 31 save performance.

Broncos rookie goaltender Ian Curtis is now 3-1 on the year after yielding three goals on 26 shots.

Prince Albert scored on two of five powerplay chances, while Swift Current was held without a man-advantage goal in two opportunities.

After picking up just three of a possible six points over the weekend, Broncos 17-year-old forward Geordie Wudrick was less than impressed.

“It is definitely not what we were hoping for,” said Wudrick. “We need to come up with better efforts in all three games, no excuses. Some people say that three games in three nights is pretty hard and it is a bad schedule, but we can’t use that as an excuse. It was an awful weekend on our part.”

Rookie defenseman Joel Rogers echoed Wudrick’s sentiments.

“It is not what we expected. We planned to go out there and try and win every game but we can’t get it together.”

Wudrick and the Broncos are searching for answers as to why they cannot beat a team they dominated last season.

“I don’t know what it is. Last year it seemed like we had their number, we beat them eight straight, all eight times. This year it is something that we have to get over. I don’t know, it is not like they are overly physical; they are not overly dominant in any in particular part. I think that we could have beat them tonight, we just need to capitalize on some of our chances and shut them down in our own zone.”

The Broncos began the game without the services of defenseman Spencer McAvoy and lost blueliner Derek Claffey midway through the opening frame. Rogers, 16, was called upon to play some important minutes as one of only five remaining defenseman.

“Yeah it was nice, I like getting the extra ice time. I mean it is bad because we have got to get those older guys out there too to get this team going. I guess you just have to jump up and play to your abilities,” said Rogers.

Rogers admitted that he is feeling better on the Broncos blueline these days.

“Yeah, I have gotten a lot more comfortable in this league. I really enjoy it and I like the fast pace hockey.”

Wudrick, who earned an assist on Weise’s goal, is happy to be reunited with Weise and Nelson on a line that accounted for all four Broncos points on the night.

“Me, Levi, and Dale have played together off and on for the past couple years. It is a really good line and we have a lot of chemistry. Dale has been playing really good lately and is a big physical force out there. Levi is really skilled and I feel that I can bring a little bit of both and we compliment each other really well out there.”

The Raiders are fifth in the East Division at 8-12-3-0, while Swift Current remains second in the East Division with a 12-6-0-4 mark.

The Bronco will host the Brandon Wheat Kings Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the iplex.

[Scout]

Keen's Korner

Sunday, November 11, 2007
Riders Win...Broncos Lose / What's With This Guy?
I admit to being a little distracted during the first period of tonight's hockey game...apparently so were the Broncos.

With the game streaming on my laptop in the broadcast booth, I attempted to call the game in between plays in the 4th quarter of the West Semi Final. Ryan saw how distracted I was coming and took over between whistles. We were trying to keep Bronco fans in the building and on the radio kept up to date. The ending of the Riders game was a relief on a couple levels. Relief for the Riders win and relief that I could focus on the Broncos game.

About that game... The Broncos came out flat in the first period and went down a couple goals after the Raiders crashed the net and banged home a couple. Goals the Broncos have been famous for the last couple years.

Dale Wiese's shorthanded marker (Broncos first shorty of the year) with just over a minute to go in the 1st gave them some life going into the 2nd.

After killing off a double minor assessed to Levi Nelson, (two for tripping, two for some words for referee Devin Klein) the Broncos got a boost as Nelson was set up in front on a great effort from Dale Wiese to center the pass in front. We were tied at two.

The Raiders would take the lead late in the 2nd on a powerplay rebound goal. Another undisciplined penalty led to the go-ahead goal. Devin Klein called a good game tonight. He was fair, called what he saw and put the whistle away in the final minutes to let the teams decide it.

The third period featured a Raiders team bottling things up and chipping pucks out of their zone to hold on for the win. Dustin Butler made 13 third period saves and 31 in the hockey game. The Broncos are waiting for him to have an off-night. It hasn't happened in the first three meetings.

Like last year, the trend of teams beating the Broncos that are lower in the standings is continuing. It seems certain teams just give the Broncos problems. This year it looks like the Raiders.

The Broncos have most of the week off before hosting Kelly Macrimmon and the Brandon Wheat Kings. The Wheaties edged the Pats 2-1 in regulation earlier in the day.

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Ok, this has been a long time coming and I think I speak on behalf of most of the teams and coaches in this league.

What's the deal with linseman Kelly Balaberda? This veteran WHL linseman seems to always try to be the star of the show.

The non-stop power tripping to both team benches and kicking out centerman after centerman in the face-off circle.... I'm getting overly annoyed with it. He holds a lecture to each center in the draw before dropping the puck...which...takes...forrr...evvv......er.

It had me openly saying "just drop the puck already Kelly " several times on tonight's broadcast. He's causing more problems than he's solving. Players start jawing at each other from sheer restlessness.

The league wants the games to be quicker and quicker yet this human rain delay is just focused on getting some facetime from those in attendance.

I'm friends with a few of the linies around the league. They're great guys and do a great job. They know their role out there and do nothing more, nothing less than what's asked from the league. To Ian Schafer, Chad Marshall, Brad Davie, Nathan Weiler...keep up the great work. The teams also appreciate your effort.

The league must think he's doing a fantastic job. He's been sent to all sorts of IIHF tournaments around the world. I think he's shared a few overseas flights with referee Chris Savage. Take that for what it's worth.

Just drop the puck. It's simple.
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Monday Night Best Western Meet the Broncos as me along with Dean Chynoweth and Zack Smith at Kabos. We will be there from 5-7pm. Stop on by if you'd like.

[eye4aneye]

Raiders played 3 games in three nights as well on the road guys. the schdeule is not player friendly or friendly to healing those bumps and bruises. I think part of the problem is they are trying to book too many events in these rinks, forcing the home teams out for ridiculous road swings. To cram a whole whack of games in a short time. Is it also a cost issue? I dunno but it seems a little ridiculous for these kids to play these kinds of schedules, keep up with homework, community events and these 4 games in 5 nights crap. I wonder what would happen if each team shaved lets say 5 games off the schedule?

[sbtatter]

I think now with the new conference playoff format we should have a balanced schedule playing the same amount of games against all teams in the conference.

[eye4aneye]

I think now with the new conference playoff format we should have a balanced schedule playing the same amount of games against all teams in the conference.

I am not sure if that is balanced....the raiders have already seen the pats like 5-6 times already. How do you know how you are progressing against some teams if you only see them in the first 2 months of the schedule?

[sbtatter]

I am not sure if that is balanced....the raiders have already seen the pats like 5-6 times already. How do you know how you are progressing against some teams if you only see them in the first 2 months of the schedule?
I agree with you amd think the schedule is unbalanced right now. For example, The WK's should play the same number of games vs teams in the Alberta division as the Eastern division being as though we are all competing for the same playoff spots now.