The Swift Current Broncos and Regina Pats seemed headed for a classic game down to the wire tonight.

Instead the Pats blew it open with five goals in the third period en route to a 6-3 win in Swift Current.

“It was good for 40 minutes,” Broncos associate coach Ryan Smith said bluntly.

The Broncos and Pats matched each other play-for-play in a very tightly contested first two periods tied at 1.

“We moved our legs,” Smith said. “We stuck to our game plan and did everything we wanted to do. I thought it was the best game we had seen all year... for two periods.”

That all changed as Regina scored twice in 29 seconds early in the third period to alter the complexion of the game. The Broncos quickly tied the game back up with two goals of their own in 23 seconds, but Regina struck three more times to pull away.

“We stopped moving our feet,” Smith noted. “We started getting away from our game plan. Things we had shown on video, things we had talked about wanted to do and we had done for 40 minutes and we stopped doing that. They exploited it. Everything that they got in the third period was our mistakes and then they took advantage of it and made good plays.”

Swift Current had stressed before the game that it was going to take a consistent devotion to their game plan to match-up with the top ranked team in the Canadian Hockey League. The Broncos felt they drifted away from their strategy in the third.

“Some guys started doing their own thing and that just doesn't work,” Smith said. “You need everyone to buy in for 60 minutes or whatever it takes. Against a team like that you can see how quick it turns. We have top plays that want to be top players in this league and move on, but you've got to be top players against the top teams. Tonight we didn't have everybody being on top of their game.”

Swift Current had a slight edge in a well-played first period and nearly opened the scoring when Calvin Spencer fired a backhand off the post. The Pats started getting more pucks to the net in the second period although it was again a very tightly played period with good execution at both ends of the ice.

Colby Sissons opened the scoring for the Broncos after Lane Pederson won a battle in the corner and fed him the puck in the slot. Regina answered back right as their power play expired on a Sergei Zborovskiy one-timer over the shoulder of Travis Child.

“We've proven we can play with them,” Smith said. “I thought the first two periods we were fine, our team was in a good spot, fans were into it, it was a great atmosphere, it was a great game, both teams were skating, both teams were hitting, goalies were playing well and then it fell apart for us in the third period real fast. That's what the top team in the country can do to you... make you pay for your mistakes.”

That explosion started on a broken play early in the third where defenceman Artyom Minulin lost his stick and Regina's Austin Wagner took advantage by turning and roofing his shot over Child. Adam Brooks then snuck a backhand by Child only 29 seconds later to stun Swift Current.

As they have all season the Broncos had an answer to a third period deficit. Kaden Elder battled a puck behind Tyler Brown for his 6th of the season and Max Lajoie launched a puck through traffic to tie the game back up.

It didn't last long.

A quick play off the face-off by Regina allowed Sam Steel to set veteran Dawon Leedahl up for his first of two third period goals only ten seconds after Swift Current had tied the game. Leedahl's goal completely stuffed the momentum for the Broncos and the Pats didn't look back.

Swift Current gets another shot at the Pats on Friday in Regina.

“We'll adjust,” Smith said. “We lost 6-3 so we have to adjust something. It's our next game so that's good for us. We get a week to prepare for them next Friday.”

The line of Elder, Pederson and Ryan Graham continues to click for the Broncos as they combined for six points. Graham and Pederson each had two assists, while Elder added a goal and a helper.

“(Elder is) playing with two good players and he's taking the bait,” Smith said. “He's working hard on the forecheck, he had a real good game tonight again and I like his game right now. He's benefiting from playing with those guys but he's taking the bait and we like to see that in our players.”

Graham now has 14 points in 6 games since joining the Broncos from Saskatoon. Pederson has 11 points over that same stretch and Elder has 6 points in his last 3 games.

Child made 31 saves for Swift Current in a losing cause. Brown stopped 24 in the win.

The loss drops the Broncos to 15-9-2-4 on the season and they remain tied with Moose Jaw for second place in the WHL East Division. Regina is 19-2-4-0 and sits alone in first place.

Swift Current got rookie Riley Stotts back in the lineup after a month out with a lower body injury, but they lost rookie Cole Johnson to what coach Manny Viveiros described as a day-to-day injury. Glenn Gawdin and Tyler Adams are both also still on the injured list.

The Broncos visit Regina on Friday and host Lethbridge on Saturday. They've got five games left before the Christmas break.