SWIFT CURRENT -- The Swift Current Broncos might be the definitive underdog in their Western Hockey League playoff series with the Medicine Hat Tigers, but they apparently have no interest in going quietly into the night.
Connor Dale scored with 3:50 remaining in the third period and the Broncos would go on to a 5-4 victory over the Tigers in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference quarter-final series on Tuesday night at the Innovationplex in Swift Current.
As a result, Medicine Hat now has a two-games-to-one lead in the best-of-seven series, with Game 4 set for Wednesday, also in Swift Current.
As well as things turned out for the Broncos in the contest, it was the Tigers who got on the board first, with Bryce PIckford scoring at the 9:03 mark of the opening period.
The lead didn’t last long, though, as Trae Wilkie tied things up 49 seconds later and Carlin Dezainde gave Swift Current the lead with 6:19 to play in the first.
Josh Van Mulligan would score for the Tigers and make it a 2-2 game 5:16 into the second, but the Broncos again had a quick reply, this time scoring twice in 1:05 less than two minutes after the tying marker.
Dezainde got the job done both times, capping off his hat trick with 8:10 gone in the frame.
Hunter St. Martin got the Tigers back within a goal with 7:08 to play in the second, though, and Oasiz Weisblatt continued his hot hand with his sixth goal of the series with 9:26 gone in the third, tying things at four.
That set the stage for Dale, who went in on a partial breakaway and put down a nifty move in front of the net before tucking the puck past goaltender Jordan Switzer for the game-winning goal.
Reid Dyck finished with 31 saves for the Broncos while Harrison Meneghin had seven saves in 28:10 of work and Switzer had 14 stops in 30:11.
Game 4 takes place on Wednesday night, with puck drop at 7 p.m. at the Innovationplex in Swift Current.
