Conner Chaulk and Kaden Elder each had a goal and an assist leading the Swift Current Broncos to a 4-3 win over the Kootenay Ice today.

Their line with Cole Johnson was the most consistent for the Broncos who have been utilizing their depth in moving to the top of the Eastern Conference standings early in the season.

"They just played their game," said Broncos associate coach Ryan Smith. "Connor has been very good for us all year strong on face-offs and killing penalties. It's a simple game up and down. Johnson was really good tonight getting in on the forecheck causing problems and he had a partial break there. Kaden scores the first goal on a hard forecheck by all three of them and pops it in. I liked their whole game they kept it simple, they stayed to the plan and they didn't deviate."

For Elder and Johnson it was a strong response to sitting out Saturday's win over Prince Albert.

"A message was sent to us," Elder said. "We realize we have to make sure we are playing at our best and do everything we could to change the momentum of a game. I think our line certainly did that today."

It's been a different line or lines getting it done for the Broncos all throughout the season. Their fourth line of Riley Stotts, Tyler Adams and Brandan Arnold carried the load on Friday and the depth on their roster has taken some pressure off the top players.

"We can count on and trust every single line every night," Elder said. "If one line is struggling all three lines are going to back them up and get them back on their feet. That trust and work ethic is what gets us our victories."

That depth is evidence in the stats. There are thirteen players on the team with at least four points in the first nine games.

"It seems it's a different line every night that steps up their game offensively," Smith said. "The balance of our lineup will be a key going forward especially on a swing coming up with lots of games in a row and some travel."

Swift Current also looked to their depth on the blue line against Kootenay asking more out of Sahvan Khaira and Dom Schmiemann who finished with an assist each and a combined +5 in the victory.

"Both of them were very good," Smith said. "Again it's playing within your means they both did. (Colby Sissons and Kade Jensen) were struggling at times in the second period and I thought (Khaira and Schmiemann) gobbled up some ice time there, they got some experience and they played well. They were arguably two of our better players."

Swift Current got off to a quick start with Elder's goal 2:02 into the first period as they got the puck to the slow and battled away under Elder was able to beat rookie goaltender Jakob Walter with a backhand. The Broncos didn't have as much speed as usual early but still controlled the pace with 13 shots to only 5 for Kootenay.

The Ice turned things around in the second period and kept Swift Current pinned in their own zone for a lot of it before rookie defenceman Nikita Radzivilyuk pinched in to convert a Matt Alfaro pass and tie the game. Kootenay outshot the Broncos 14-7 and gave them a hard time throughout the period.

"They're a physical team," Smith said. "They're one of the bigger teams we've seen this year and that does play into the game. But we just were a little off. Our passes were a little too far ahead and I think that's why our speed wasn't up. We were just a touch off."

Swift Current took the second intermission to reset and came out strong early in the third period with three quick goals.

"We just had to realize that any team can beat any team on any given night," Elder said. "I think it was a big change from the second to the third realizing this game could be anybody's and we had to bear down."

Chaulk drove the net off a Khaira point shot to put the Broncos up 2-1. They added nice goals by Arthur Miller and Glenn Gawdin to provide some much needed insurance.

A late power play goal by Michael King and a 6 on 5 goal from Dallas Hines gave Swift Current some tense moments late as they held on for the one-goal victory.

Taz Burman made 23 saves for his second straight victory and the Broncos moved to 6-2-0-1 on the season. That's good for first place in the Eastern Conference early in the season.

Swift Current faces a tough test over the next two weeks as they go on a five game BC Division road swing.

Today's game was "Pink the Rink" at the Credit Union iPlex as the Broncos wore special pink jerseys with proceeds from that auction donated to breast cancer research.