Scout
04-13-2008, 06:52 AM
Broncos season ends
Horsemen suffer heartbreaking loss to Hitmen
The Southwest Booster
The Calgary Hitmen have advanced to the Eastern Conference Championship after skating to an 8-4 win over the host Swift Current Broncos.
The Conference regular season champion Hitmen needed six games to dispose of the upstart Swift Current Broncos to earn their second straight trip to the Conference playoff championship series.
Calgary led 5-2 after two periods but the Broncos pulled within a goal midway through the final frame before Ryan White iced the game with a powerplay goal with 5:44 left in regulation and empty net insurance goals from White and Brock Nixon in the final two minutes.
Bronco fans are only left to wonder what may have been if Jesse Dudas' intended clearing shot hadn't sailed over the boards for a delay of game penalty. At the time the roar was still echoing from Dalecky's first post season goal and the Broncos still had 7:24 left on the clock with the Hitmen on their heels. Instead, a follow-the-bouncing-puck goal ame right to the stick of White who put the game away. The Broncos kept believing in a storied comeback, but the empty net goals ended their season.
Nixon led the Hitmen with a hat trick performance and two assists, as the overage forward now leads all playoff scorers with nine goals.
T.J. Galiardi connected for his fifth of the playoffs and his league leading 20th point of the post season. Calgary also had goals from defenceman Karl Alzner and Kyle Bortis. Brandon Kozun chipped in with three assists.
Keegan Dansereau, Cody Eakin, Zack Smith and Jan Dalecky replied for the Broncos.
Calgary goaltender Martin Jones posted his second post season victory by stopping 27 of 31 shots.
Broncos netminder Travis Yonkman finished the playoffs with a 6-6 mark after giving up six goals on 36 shots.
Calgary now advances to host the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Championship series after Lethbridge advanced to the next round of playoffs by a 4-1 margin over the Kootenay Ice.
SECOND PERIOD:
After being outshot by a 17-9 margin in a must-win period the Swift Current Broncos are 20 minutes away from playoff elimination.
Calgary extended their game six lead to 5-2 when former Bronco Kyle Bortis converted his sixth playoff goal midway through a Hitmen five-on-three powerplay.
Goaltender Travis Yonkman kept the Broncos close through the middle period with another series of highlight reel saves. Easily the best player for the Broncos in the post season, Yonkman stopped Calgary’s Ian Duval on a breakway from his own blueline.
Calgary holds a 29-17 edge in shots and they are one for five on the powerplay while the Broncos are without a goal in two powerplay tries against the saintly Hitmen.
FIRST PERIOD: Calgary Hitmen defenceman Karl Alzner may have put a dagger into the Swift Current Broncos playoff run when his seeing eye goal in the dying seconds which gave the Hitmen a 4-2 first period lead over the Broncos.
Alzner threw a long shot at the Bronco net with a crowd screening goaltender Travis Yonkman, and the puck picked the top corner without Yonkman making a play on the shot.
Calgary had showcased their explosive goal scoring ability earlier in the period with three goals in a 6:08 span, including a pair from Brock Nixon, who leads the Hitmen with eight goals, plus a single marker from T.J. Galiardi who connected for his fifth of the playoffs and his team leading 20th point of the post season.
A quick Keegan Dansereau shot right off a Levi Nelson faceoff win gave the Broncos a quick 1-0 lead 2:47 into the game.
The Broncos also kept pace on the scoreboard when Cody Eakin scored a grinders goal, stealing the puck behind the Calgary net and sliding a quick backhand behind Hitmen starting goaltender Martin Jones with four minutes left in the opening period.
Calgary held a 12-8 edge in shots in the period.
Horsemen suffer heartbreaking loss to Hitmen
The Southwest Booster
The Calgary Hitmen have advanced to the Eastern Conference Championship after skating to an 8-4 win over the host Swift Current Broncos.
The Conference regular season champion Hitmen needed six games to dispose of the upstart Swift Current Broncos to earn their second straight trip to the Conference playoff championship series.
Calgary led 5-2 after two periods but the Broncos pulled within a goal midway through the final frame before Ryan White iced the game with a powerplay goal with 5:44 left in regulation and empty net insurance goals from White and Brock Nixon in the final two minutes.
Bronco fans are only left to wonder what may have been if Jesse Dudas' intended clearing shot hadn't sailed over the boards for a delay of game penalty. At the time the roar was still echoing from Dalecky's first post season goal and the Broncos still had 7:24 left on the clock with the Hitmen on their heels. Instead, a follow-the-bouncing-puck goal ame right to the stick of White who put the game away. The Broncos kept believing in a storied comeback, but the empty net goals ended their season.
Nixon led the Hitmen with a hat trick performance and two assists, as the overage forward now leads all playoff scorers with nine goals.
T.J. Galiardi connected for his fifth of the playoffs and his league leading 20th point of the post season. Calgary also had goals from defenceman Karl Alzner and Kyle Bortis. Brandon Kozun chipped in with three assists.
Keegan Dansereau, Cody Eakin, Zack Smith and Jan Dalecky replied for the Broncos.
Calgary goaltender Martin Jones posted his second post season victory by stopping 27 of 31 shots.
Broncos netminder Travis Yonkman finished the playoffs with a 6-6 mark after giving up six goals on 36 shots.
Calgary now advances to host the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Championship series after Lethbridge advanced to the next round of playoffs by a 4-1 margin over the Kootenay Ice.
SECOND PERIOD:
After being outshot by a 17-9 margin in a must-win period the Swift Current Broncos are 20 minutes away from playoff elimination.
Calgary extended their game six lead to 5-2 when former Bronco Kyle Bortis converted his sixth playoff goal midway through a Hitmen five-on-three powerplay.
Goaltender Travis Yonkman kept the Broncos close through the middle period with another series of highlight reel saves. Easily the best player for the Broncos in the post season, Yonkman stopped Calgary’s Ian Duval on a breakway from his own blueline.
Calgary holds a 29-17 edge in shots and they are one for five on the powerplay while the Broncos are without a goal in two powerplay tries against the saintly Hitmen.
FIRST PERIOD: Calgary Hitmen defenceman Karl Alzner may have put a dagger into the Swift Current Broncos playoff run when his seeing eye goal in the dying seconds which gave the Hitmen a 4-2 first period lead over the Broncos.
Alzner threw a long shot at the Bronco net with a crowd screening goaltender Travis Yonkman, and the puck picked the top corner without Yonkman making a play on the shot.
Calgary had showcased their explosive goal scoring ability earlier in the period with three goals in a 6:08 span, including a pair from Brock Nixon, who leads the Hitmen with eight goals, plus a single marker from T.J. Galiardi who connected for his fifth of the playoffs and his team leading 20th point of the post season.
A quick Keegan Dansereau shot right off a Levi Nelson faceoff win gave the Broncos a quick 1-0 lead 2:47 into the game.
The Broncos also kept pace on the scoreboard when Cody Eakin scored a grinders goal, stealing the puck behind the Calgary net and sliding a quick backhand behind Hitmen starting goaltender Martin Jones with four minutes left in the opening period.
Calgary held a 12-8 edge in shots in the period.