The Swift Current Broncos didn't pick a good time to go into only their second slump of this WHL season.

Kirby Dach had a goal and three assists as the Saskatoon Blades handed Swift Current a 5-2 loss tonight. It's only the second time this season the Broncos have run into a three game losing skid.

“It's alarming the way we played tonight,” said Broncos Associate Coach Ryan Smith. "We're not going to dismiss this. With only two more regular season games left we really need to play the right way... we're turning pucks over behind our net, we're not scoring on opportunities, there's lots of things we need to improve on. We've lost three in a row lets not candy coat this... we're not playing well right now and that's the end of the story.”



The Broncos have now given up 14 goals in their last three games as a usually steady team has had some leaks.

“Pretty frustrating game,” said Broncos forward Matteo Gennaro. “I thought we did a pretty good job in the first. We played the way we want to in the first, but we got satisfied and that's not the way we want to finish the game... I don't think we had enough desperation in our game. I don't think our penalty kill was good tonight. I don't think we did a good enough job playing even strength either. Myself included.”



Swift Current got out to an 11-1 shot advantage to start the game. They seemed to control the pace of play despite not being able to open the scoring. Dach then converted a really nice give-and-ago with only 15 seconds left in the period to put the Blades ahead.

“I did like our first period,” Smith said. “We kept it simple, we put pucks deep, we had lots of shots on net. We just didn't find a way to score. They weathered the storm and they took advantage to score in the last minute. That really deflates you after a pretty solid first period.”

Saskatoon extended their lead in the second period on a Braylon Shmyr goal as the puck bounced to him all alone in front of the Swift Current net. The Broncos answered less than a minute later when Kaden Elder one-timed in an Ethan Regnier pass for his fourth goal in his last five games.

Gennaro tied the game on a Broncos power play as he battled to tuck in the rebound of an Artyom Minulin shot for his 41st goal of the season.

Struggles late in periods continued for Swift Current as Giorgio Estephan was denied by Tyler Brown on a shorthanded breakaway before Michael Farren converted a Blades power play goal with only 8.6 seconds left in the second frame.

Turnovers bit the Broncos early in the third period as Minulin gave the puck up to Dach who fed Max Gerlach for his 30th of the season. Gerlach then put the game out of reach with another Saskatoon power play goal.

It was a good response from the Blades after being eliminated from the playoffs last night and getting off to a slow start tonight. Brown was big for Saskatoon making 42 saves to earn the win.

Stuart Skinner stopped 22 of 27 Saskatoon shots and his struggles have mirrored his team's in the last three games.

The game didn't mean anything in the standings as Swift Current has locked up second spot in the WHL Eastern Conference and East Division.

That doesn't mean the Broncos won't be working hard to get their form back before playoffs.

“We're talking about a 100 point team,” Smith said. “It just seems the last couple of weeks we've kind of let our game slide. You don't just lose that all of a sudden. Not at this level. We just need to find it and grab it.”

Swift Current will play a home-and-home with the Pats on Friday in Regina and Saturday at the Innovation Credit Union iPlex to wrap up the WHL regular season

They will likely face Regina in the first round of the playoffs with an outside shot of matching up with Brandon.

Glenn Gawdin and Tyler Steenbergen both sat the game out for the Broncos with unspecified ailments. Broncos Coach/Director of Player Personnel Manny Viveiros said before the game they could be available on the weekend.