The Swift Current Broncos didn't look like a team that was playing their fifth game in six days as they topped the Kelowna Rockets 5-1 tonight.

“We were a little concerned about that even watching warm up we looked sluggish,” said Broncos Associate Coach Ryan Smith. “They surprise you. The times you think they will be real good they could come out flat and at times you're a little concerned they come out flying. We matched anything they had at the start of the game and that power play goal was a well set up goal. After last night's lack of power play success (it) really kind of got us going and we just carried it from there.”



Glenn Gawdin led the way again with two goals and two assists. He has been the first star in three of Swift Current's last four games.

Logan Barlage, Matteo Gennero, Max Patterson and Sahvan Khaira all had two points on the night. It was a special night for Barlage who finally notched his first career WHL goal on a very nice behind the back pass from Patterson.



“It was an unbelievable feeling,” Barlage said. “I've been looking for it for a long time and it felt good to get the monkey off the back for sure.”



The 4th overall pick in the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft feels like his game has been taking steps forward playing with Gawdin and Patterson on the top line this last week.

“I think it's been helping playing with Gawdin and Patterson,” Barlage said. “We've been playing good for the last little bit. It's been a privilege playing with Gawds and he's just been helping me out. Now hopefully the flood gates are open and keep going now.”


(Gawdin is) really good at helping me out on the bench. He's a really awesome captain I learn a lot from him and it's been really good for my development.”

Patterson now has four assists in his last two games adding to his overtime winner from Saturday in Red Deer. The 18-year-old is making a strong case to be a permanent fixture among Swift Current's top six forwards.

“You play with one of the better players in the league you're going to get chances,” Smith said. “Glenn plays 100% most shifts so if you jump on his back you're going to get some chances. I thought (Patterson) in particular the last three games has really stepped up. He's making little plays, he's physical and he's a net front presence on the power play. It's nice to see that, but he's a veteran he did play a couple years with Kootenay. It's nice to see him take advantage of the ice time he's getting.”

Logan Flodell made 37 saves for a third straight strong performance. He was denied a shutout late in the game when a Broncos bench minor turned a 5 on 4 into a 5 on 3 that Liam Kindree converted for the Rockets.

Swift Current's coaching staff is particularly pleased with the way they rebounded from a 6-1 loss in Calgary on Friday with four straight stingy efforts.

“For us as a staff it's 2-1-1-1,” Smith said. “Meaning two goals against, one goal against, etc. You're always going to have a chance to win when you play good solid defence. That's the key cleaning up our own end after six goals in Calgary and now only five in the last four games. We really like the way we've battled, cleared pucks, blocked shots and just cleaned up our own end and that led to some offence.”

Swift Current got off to a good start as Gawdin and Patterson came together to set Gennaro up for his 19th of the season on a power play one-timer. Gawdin then struck with his own one-timer on a very nice pass from Khaira across the Kelowna zone.

The Broncos busted the game open in the second period. Gennaro created a turnover with Rockets goaltender James Porter out of his net and Kaden Elder finished with his 6th of the year for a 3-0 lead. Barlage then struck with his first and Gawdin followed quickly by deflected a Khaira shot for his 30th of the season.

Gawdin now has 16 goals in his last 13 games. The Calgary Flames prospect now sits second in WHL points and third in goals. His second goal of the night was the 100th of his WHL career.

Swift Current has now won four straight games and sit 24-7-2-0 three points up on Brandon for second place in the WHL Eastern Conference.

The Broncos were again without Tyler Steenbergen and Aleksi Heponiemi. Steenbergen was playing for Canada in a 3-0 exhibition loss to a Canadian University All-Star team as part of Canada's World Junior Championship selection camp. Heponiemi departs tomorrow for Finland's World Junior Championship camp.

The Rockets were also missing key players like Kole Lind, Dillon Dube and Cal Foote who are also attending Canada's camp.

A hard open-ice hit by Kaden Elder knocked Rockets forward Leif Mattson out of the game in the second period.

Swift Current will play one more game before the holiday break when they host Kamloops on Saturday.